By SPENCER BATES
UNCASVILLE, CT. — Behind stellar performances from its starters, the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team collected a marquee win over perhaps the strongest opponent in its non-conference schedule.
Defeating Big East giants Providence 74-70 in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase, the Bonnies have made it a habit of showing up against its toughest competition this season.
“I’m really proud of what our team did tonight,” St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt said. “I thought our defense was terrific. We made some mistakes, but I thought our effort (was great), and that’s how Bonaventure basketball has to play. We had enthusiasm and passion, and we won this game, not on the offensive end, we won this game on the defensive end. We won this game in the paint. We won this game on the backboard to out rebound them … by seven, to have 38 points in the paint to their 18. … I thought it was a great team effort against a really good team.”
In his pregame media availability, Schmidt said that “the team that has more success going downhill is the team that’s going to ultimately win.”
He could not have been more correct.
From the jump, his Bonnies played at a lightning fast tick, building a nine-point lead early on. The initial run was mainly powered by Noel Brown and Chance Moore, who took it right to one of the best interior defenses in all of Div. I basketball, combining for 12 of the team’s first 17 points.
St. Bonaventure center Noel Brown (24) rises up for a hook shot while heavily guarded by a Providence defender. Brown finished with 16 points in the Bonnies’ 74-70 win. (St. Bonaventure Athletics)
And once again, the pregame calls from Schmidt for his players to keep their foot on the gas were taken in stride as they accelerated into a 16-5 run over the course of just over seven first-half minutes.
“I just thought that in games of this magnitude against a Big East opponent … I think you got to land the first punch,” Schmidt said of his team’s fast start. “You can’t play tentative. You can’t play on your heels. You got to attack them and you got to set the tone. The bull is coming into your yard and you got a decision. Do you sit on the porch, or do you go out and throw the first punch? We needed to throw that first punch. … I thought our guys really answered the bell. That, to me, was a huge part of the game.”
Not to mention, they did all this without their starting point guard in Dasonte Bowen who was a late scratch for the game with a lower-leg injury.
Brown remained a focal point for Bona throughout the win, tallying 16 points and eight rebounds. Moore finished the game with a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double and while his affect on the game slowly waned, Melvin Council Jr. took center stage in his place.
Council was the star of the show, pulling out crafty layups just out of the reach of Friars defenders and dropping in a couple of deep balls when the team needed them most. The Wagner transfer guard collected a new season-high in points with 24, eclipsing his previous highest tally of 18 against Bryant University on Nov. 24.
St. Bonaventure guard Melvin Council Jr. (11) sends up a 3-point attempt. Council led all scorers with 24 points for the Bonnies in their 74-70 win over Providence. (St. Bonaventure Athletics)
Lajae Jones was the other member of the Bonnies to finish in double figures on the night. With 15 points he came one shy of tying his season-high of 16 which he recorded in his first-ever game with the team against California State University at Northridge.
“I think it just goes to show we have a lot of weapons,” Brown said of the team’s several double-figure scorers. “With an even spread like that, with multiple people in double digits, it’s just cool to see that we can play together. And when we play together, we’re just playing for each other. So, I think it speaks to that. Of course, I believe in my guys, I’m here with a whole bunch of talented guys and when everyone shows up, like they did today, we get a win.”
Bona took a nine-point advantage into halftime and as its defense continued to dominate on the interior, Providence, who was without their All-Big East first-teamer in Bryce Hopkins due to injury, changed its offensive approach to one starting from the perimeter.
The Friars drained seven 3-pointers in the second half alone and slowly, but surely chipped away at the Bonnies’ lead which stood at just three points with 21 seconds left and got as narrow as two points after Oswin Erhunmwunse was fouled on a tip-in dunk. The extra shot was missed, but collected momentarily by Providence’s Wesley Cardet who had the chance to tie the affair with less than five seconds on the clock.
His attempt was long and after some chaos, Noel Brown was fouled and sent to the line where he iced the game.
“I think it was just kind of a thing where everyone on my team believed in me,” Brown said of his success on the night. “Going into the game, (my) coaches just told me the responsibility I had in this game … I had to be aggressive and make sure I made the move. … And then obviously my team just believed in me. They kept hitting me, kept making sure I was aggressive. So, I chop it up to my team and my coach.”
St. Bonaventure guard Jonah Hinton (8) looks to drive into the lane through the Providence defense. (St. Bonaventure Athletics)
Against Utah State, the Bonnies fought until the end, and nearly stole a win. Against the University of Northern Iowa they roared back from an early deficit and walked away the victors. And now, they will be riding high through the remainder of its non-conference schedule and into Atlantic 10 play with a massive win over Providence in tow.
But Bona won’t have a ton of time to dwell on the win as it has a quick turnaround in their schedule.
The Bonnies will take on Siena College away from home on Dec. 17 where they will look to retain possession of the Franciscan Cup. Tip-off for that game is slated for 7 p.m.
