After falling to Ohio, the Bonnies are aiming for a bounce-back win over Le Moyne
By SPENCER BATES
ST. BONAVENTURE — The end of the non-conference portion of the season is upon us.
Just under half of the 2025-26 season will officially be in the wind for the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team at the conclusion of its next game — a home affair against Le Moyne.
But head coach Mark Schmidt is not just looking for a positive result to round out non-league play, he is seeking a response.
Last time out, the Bonnies were handed an 88-83 defeat by Ohio University in the Cleveland Hoops Showdown MTE. In that game, Schmidt was left unhappy with the defense his team played, the number of turnovers they had — for the third game in a row, and the fouls they committed.
The Bobcats got downhill all too often as Bona failed to put a body between their assignment and the basket. The team had 16 turnovers, which brought its average to 15 per game over its last three games. Doubling the pain of those lapses were the fouls that were committed in their wake and made all the difference come the end of the affair. The Bonnies fouled Ohio on each of its first four overtime possessions, immediately putting them in the double bonus.
Still, as disheartening of a result as it was, Schmidt noted his message in the aftermath has had the goal of uplifting the team. He’s seen they are capable of conjuring up a response, having done so after their loss to North Carolina. Now, it’s time for them to find an answer yet again.
“We’re not going to go undefeated,” Schmidt said. “You win five, you lose one, and then you try to bounce back. We bounced back after the Carolina game and won five in a row, that’s the response you want. You’re not going to play great all the time. You’re not going to win every game, but it’s how you deal with that adversity, bouncing back and trying to play well the next game, and trying to get on a roll again. That’s been the message.”
Eradicating a good number of those turnovers will be key to securing that bounce-back win. After his team’s game against Buffalo, Schmidt pointed out that their target for turnovers is single digits. Recently, they have been flirting with double figures in the category after first halves. Some of the turnovers he chalks up to good defense being played by their opposition, but for the most part Schmidt is seeing their wounds come self-inflicted.
“The less times you can turn the ball over, the more shots you get, more opportunities to score, and you keep the other team out of transition,” Schmidt said. “It’s really hard to defend when they get numbers on you. It’s really been an emphasis. We got to do a better job of taking care of the ball. Some of it is (other team’s) pressure, but a lot of it is just carelessness, trying to make the great play rather than the easy play. So, it’s something we’re working on, and hopefully we can get better.”
Transition defense will be pivotal, especially against Le Moyne, which has won three of its last five games and are scoring at an efficient clip.
The Dolphins are shooting nearly 47% from the floor and over 36% from 3-point range, so slowing them down and keeping them in front will be a significant key to the affair.
“They’re good, very well coached, they got good size and they got good athletes,” Schmidt said. “They make nine 3s a game, they can really shoot the ball. They’re attacking. They run good stuff. They’re a very complete team and they’re playing really well. … They played Xavier tough, so we’re in for a ball game.”
The willingness to uncork the deep ball is a big facet of this Le Moyne team. Nine made 3s per game is simply too much according to Schmidt. So, taking away the easy ones by playing sound defense and forcing them to look for other outlets will be crucial.
“You can’t allow a team to make nine (3-pointers), that’s always an emphasis, trying to keep them below their average,” Schmidt said. “But it’s about taking care of the ball so they don’t get out in transition, get numbers. Then, in the half court, we have to be able to guard them, keep them in front. Driving and kicking and step-in 3s, those are easy shots. You try to keep the ball in front of you so that they’re not driving and kicking and stepping into the 3-pointers. That’s the emphasis: transition defense and trying to keep the guys in front of us.”
The player responsible for over a third of the team’s made 3-pointers this season is Trent Mosquera. In his third year with the Dolphins, he leads the team with an average of 15 points per game to go along with 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He is personally shooting over 45% from the field and a staggering 43.8% from beyond the arc.
“He’s a good player, he can back you in, he can shoot 3s, he’s making three a game, he can take you off the bounce and he’s got good size,” Schmidt said. “They run a lot of different things for him. You can’t allow those good players to go off. He’s going to get some points. We just have to try to make it as difficult as you can for a really good player.”
His counterpart, and the player that will test the interior defense of the Bonnies, is Shilo Jackson. His versatility has seen him average 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game this season while shooting nearly 63% from the floor.
“He’s really athletic, he’s their inside guy,” Schmidt said. “He can shoot the ball outside of 15 feet and can take you off the bounce a little bit. He creates problems. He’s a five-man that plays like a four-man. He’s a very good player and a big emphasis for us.”
Deng Garang and Jakai Sanders — the other two Le Moyne players averaging double-figure points per game — along with Tennessee Rainwater off the bench will also be key defensive assignments if the Bonnies are to get back on track.
St. Bonaventure and Le Moyne will tip-off at 1 p.m. in the Reilly Center on Dec. 20.
