By JOE CERAULO
RICHMOND, VA – No one in St. Bonaventure’s locker room forgot what happened last year against Virginia Commonwealth University in the Reilly Center.
In that game Matt Mobley went off for the Bonnies, setting a career high (which he’d break this season against George Mason) with 34 points, in the team’s overtime loss.
Saturday night, despite a slow start from Mobley, he finished strongly scoring six of his eight points in the final five minutes.
One of those buckets, a buzzer-beating three with 3:22 left, gave the Bonnies a 58-54 lead and assured that they’d lead the rest of the way.
While Mobley came up big down the stretch, Saturday’s star wasn’t active for last year’s meeting between these two squads.
Junior forward Courtney Stockard, who has quietly scored double figures every game in February to date, led the way for the brown and white in this one.
Stockard’s 21 points and game-high 14 rebounds proved huge in leading St. Bonaventure to its 10th straight win.
In a night where the Bonnies’ bigs were limited due to foul trouble, Stockard was the body-banging, charge-taking force the team needed.
Senior guard Jaylen Adams started hot, with 12 of the team’s first 19 points, but the Rams clamped down on him defensively, and like Stockard he finished with 21.
For the Rams senior forward Justin Tillman dominated the post as he has all year, racking up his 14th double-double of the season thanks to his 20 points and 10 boards.
However it was his foul trouble that prevented him from playing an even bigger role and potentially leading his team to victory.
He and junior forward LaDarien Griffin were physical with each other all night, recording four fouls each. It was Tillman’s timing though that killed the Rams as he was forced to sit for nearly three minutes down the stretch, allowing the Bonnies to run away with the game late.
Griffin would finish with 11 points, including an emphatic alley-oop off the backboard from Adams in the second half.
The Bonnies look to continue the hottest streak in Mark Schmidt’s tenure as the team’s coach Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 9 p.m. when they host Davidson. That game will also be available on CBS Sports Network.
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