Bonnies non-conference schedule includes five home games, neutral site game with Maryland and visit to Syracuse

Courtesy of GoBonnies.com

The Bonnies will play 12 games prior to Atlantic 10 Conference action – five at the Reilly Center, four at road sites and three on neutral courts. Of the 11 set opponents, two reached the NCAA Tournament last season, Maryland and Vermont, while Syracuse reached the NIT.

St. Bonaventure’s games against Syracuse, Vermont, Buffalo, Canisius and Niagara as well as the Bonnies’ participation in the Emerald Coast Classic had been announced previously. The Bonnies’ Big 4 game dates against Buffalo (Dec. 2), Canisius (Dec. 6) and Niagara were announced Monday.

In Florida, St. Bonaventure will face Maryland Nov. 24, then play either TCU or New Mexico the following day. Maryland reached the NCAA Tournament last season, finishing 24-9 with an RPI of 38. Coach Mark Turgeon’s Terrapins are expected to again compete in the upper echelon of the Big Ten Conference. The Nov. 24-25 Emerald Coast Classic games will be played at The Arena at Northwest Florida State College.

After returning from Florida, the Bonnies will play Siena in the annual Franciscan Cup game on Nov. 29 in Albany, N.Y. Last season, St. Bonaventure won the Franciscan Cup for the first time since 2013.

The Bonnies will then face Vermont in Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena on Dec. 16 in the Alesco Advisors Roc City Hoops Classic. That game will be followed by their last non-conference home game Dec. 20 against Northeastern.

“This is the most challenging non-conference schedule we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt, who is starting his 11^th season. “It will be good to open with three straight home games, especially since we’ll be away for five in row after that. We’ll see a lot of veteran teams who will give us great tests. Overall, this schedule will really push us to perform at a high level.”

The Atlantic 10 Conference schedule will be announced in early September.

Last season, St. Bonaventure finished 20-12, its second year in a row of 20 or more wins. Two-time All-Atlantic 10 Conference senior point guard Jaylen Adams will lead the Bonnies. Last season, Adams averaged 20.6 points per game – second-best in the A-10 – and finished seventh nationally in assists (6.5 per game). Adams is joined by senior guards Matt Mobley and Idris Taqqee. Mobley was a third team All-Conference selection last season, when he averaged 18.5 points per game. Sophomore Josh Ayeni returns as the starter at power forward.

For information on purchasing season tickets, contact the SBU Ticket Office at (716) 375-2500 or visit GoBonnies.com/tickets. Single game tickets go on sale in October.

A quick look at the Bonnies’ 2017 non-conference opponents: