By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
On Alumni Weekend, St. Bonaventure played the hits- and returned to what fueled its success last season.
The Bonnies returned home and handled business, holding a 3-point-reliant Saint Joseph’s team under 30 percent from beyond the arc and securing an 80-69 victory in front of 4,860 observers. Bona did not allow its 50th point until just after the last media timeout and attacked the paint itself, scoring 34 points in that area and attempting a season-low seven 3-pointers.
Bona hadn’t attempted fewer than 10 3-point shots in a game since its Nov. 24, 2017 Emerald Coast Classic win over Maryland. The strategy nonetheless worked again, as Bonaventure shot 51.9 percent from the field (27-of-52) and earned 24 fast break points. The team improved its overall record to 12-5, with a 4-2 mark in Atlantic 10 play.
“That’s our game, going downhill and being aggressive,” Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt said. “I thought we did that today.”
Jaren Holmes, who expressed displeasure postgame with the way he has been performing, was nearly perfect offensively. The senior tallied 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field and six makes in six chances from the foul line, also dishing three assists with no turnovers. Jalen Adaway led all scorers with 22 points on 7-of-11 field goal shooting and an 8-of-11 mark from the line.
Adaway notched his 1,000th career point in the win, 498 of which have been in a Bonaventure uniform after transferring from Miami-Ohio.
“Whoever wins the paint usually has a higher chance of winning the game,” Adaway said, “so we’re just trying to put as much pressure on the defense and just let it open up the rest of our offense.”
The Bonnies also converted from the foul line, making 24 of a season-high 29 free throw attempts. In doing so they achieved a stated goal of making more foul shots than their opponent shoots; Joe’s made seven of eight.
Bona used a 12-3 run to take its first double-digit lead of the afternoon with 5:41 until halftime, but Saint Joe’s answered with a 10-4 run that trimmed SBU’s halftime advantage to just 33-29. A 14-5 run that stretched the lead to 55-42 with 12:02 remaining in the contest, in which Bona made six of its eight field goals including a Dominick Welch 3-pointer, was the burst that took; the Hawks never got closer than seven points after that.
The Bonnies found open shot opportunities in the way Saint Joseph’s defended them, Holmes explained. The “five-man,” which was Obinna for 25 minutes and 7-footer Charles Coleman for another 10, played deeper on the defensive end than usual in an effort to keep any screens or other plays near the sideline. This opened the middle of the defense for Bona to attempt some uncovered looks.
“He was playing way back, so that floater, that midrange… attacking,” Holmes noted.
The “knowns,” as Schmidt refers to the opposition’s top scorers, were held to just 18 combined points: Taylor Funk recorded 10 points on nine field goal attempts, while Jordan Hall notched eight on 3-of-12 shooting. It was just Hall’s fourth single-digit outing of the season, while Funk had averaged 18 points over the previous five games.
Billy Lange’s Hawks only attempted more 3-pointers in one game this year, a loss to Monmouth. While Ejike Obinna scored 10 points inside, and freshman guard Erik Reynolds II posted a career high 21, Bona was pleased with its defensive effort.
“Just make it hard for them,” Schmidt commented of the game plan. “They’re really talented guys. Just trying to make it as difficult: switch everything, go over ball screens. Just make them put the ball down. They had some open looks and they missed some shots, but (Funk and Hall) are two very talented players, two of the best players in the league. I thought our guys did a really good job of making it hard for them.”
Lofton and Welch each finished with 13 points, giving Bona four double-figure scorers for a second consecutive game. Osun Osunniyi recorded eight points, 10 rebounds and a block, while Abdoul Karim Coulibaly scored four points in seven minutes of action.
While Bona scored 80 points, however, a defense that returned to a more stifling form on Saturday fueled its victory. SBU is now 14 of its last 15 against its Philadelphia-based rival.
“I thought our intensity, we were more connected,” Schmidt said. “There was more of a sense of urgency on the defensive end, and that was good to see.”
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