Jan. 22, 2008

Complete Game Notes in PDF Format

GAME DAY CENTRAL
DATE:Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2008
SITE:A.J. Palumbo Center(5,358)
TIP-OFF: 9:00 p.m.
TELEVISION: CSTV Regional
FSN Pittsburgh (Ch. 628 DirecTV)
TALENT: Jonathan Coachman (play-by-play)
Vince Curran (analyst)
RADIO:WPIG (95.7 FM) & WHDL (1450 AM) - Olean
WXRL (1300 AM) - Buffalo
TALENT:Gary Nease (play-by-play)
WEB AUDIO & VIDEO: www.GoBonnies.com
SERIES: Duquesne leads, 51-46
UP NEXT:Saturday, January 26, 2008
vs. Rhode Island @ 7 p.m.

AT A GLANCE
Still in search of its first road win of the Mark Schmidt era, St. Bonaventure hits the road for the third time in A-10 play as it travels to Pittsburgh for its 98th meeting with Duquesne. Tonight is the first of two meetings between the two clubs this season. The Brown and White have dropped 10 in a row away from the Reilly Center, dating back to last season, and are just 3-26 on the road in the A-10 since the 2004-05 season.

SERIES HISTORY
Duquesne owns a 51-46 edge in the all-time series and has claimed four of the last six meetings. St. Bonaventure has had success at the Palumbo Center as of late, taking two in a row from the Dukes in their home arena.The visiting team has taken the last four meetings in the series. Each team eclipsed 90 points in both meetings last year as they split the season series for the second year in a row. The Dukes also have a 23-21 lead in the series during A-10 play.

THIS DAY IN BONA BASKETBALL
St. Bonaventure is 5-3 all-time when playing on January 23, dating back to the 1975-76 season in the Bona record books - the final season that has actual dates recorded. Ironically, the Bonnies last game on January 23 came at the A.J. Palumbo Center in 2005 when the Dukes defeated the Bonnies 83-70. Ahmad Smith '05 registered 15 points and 11 rebounds.

HEAD COACHING MATCHUP
ST. BONAVENTURE HEAD COACH
Mark Schmidt
@ St. Bonaventure: 6-11 (First Season)
Overall: 88-101 (7th Season)
Vs. Duquesne: 2-2

DUQUESNE HEAD COACH
Ron Everhart
@ Duquesne: 21-24 (Second Season)
Overall: 195-196 (14th Season)
Vs. St. Bonaventure: 2-2

SCOUTING THE DUKES
Under second year coach Ron Everhart, Duquesne has already surpassed its win total from last season (10) and is one of the main catalysts in the resurgence of the A-10. The Dukes are 7-1 at the Palumbo Center this season with their only loss coming against cross-town rival and nationally ranked Pittsburgh. Duquesne has used a high-powered offensive attack that ranks third in the nation in scoring (85.8) to key its turnaround. Eight different players average at least 7.5 points per contest, including three in double figures. As a team, Duquesne leads the conference in several statistical categories including: scoring offense, field goal percentage defense (.398), rebounding offense (40.2), assists (19.1), blocked shots (7.8) and steals (9.4). Transfers Shawn James and Kojo Mensah have led the way in their first season in the "Steel City". James leads the team in scoring (14.3), rebounding (7.3), field goal percentage (.560) and blocks (66). His league leading 4.3 blocks per game are fourth nationally. Mensah contributes 14.1 points per night and has a team-high 64 helpers.

LAST TIME OUT: ROAD WOES CONTINUE FOR BONNIES AT RICHMOND
A 20-5 Richmond run to the start the second half broke open a one-point game at halftime as the host Spiders downed St. Bonaventure 75-64 in their Atlantic 10 home opener on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at the Robins Center. The Spiders scored a combined 61 points in the paint (40) and at the free throw line (21-30) as they overcame a 2-for-19 shooting performance beyond the arc. The loss is the sixth in the last seven games for the Bonnies (6-11, 0-3) and their 10th consecutive road loss, dating back to last season. Seniors Tyler Relph and Zarryon Fereti led the way for the Brown and White, netting 20 and 16 points, respectively. Relph scored 13 of his team-high 20 points in the second half and went a perfect 7-of-7 from the line. Fereti fell one rebound shy of his first career double-double as he added nine boards.

20/20 Vision
Seniors Michael Lee and Zarryon Fereti are starting to make a habit of scoring 20 points in the same game. They each have scored 20 points more in three games this season. Lee's ten 20-point outings is tied for the A-10 lead, while Fereti's four are already one more than he had all of last season.

BONNIES IN JANUARY
St. Bonaventure is 136-156 in the month of January for a .472 win percentage dating back to 1975. The Bonnies are 1-17 over the past four seasons on the road in January. Below is a look at how the current Bonnies have fared in January.

HOME SWEET HOME
St. Bonaventure has enjoyed the friendly confines of the new Bob Lanier Court at The Reilly Center, boasting a 4-2 record. As a team, the Bonnies are 12 points better at home (70.2) and have a positive assist/turnover ratio. No one has enjoyed home more this season than senior Michael Lee who is averaging over nine points more at home (22.5) than on the road (13.1). Lee has scored 20 or more points in five of the team's six home contests.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE
The play of St. Bonaventure's three seniors will dictate the Bonnies success this season in the Atlantic 10 with such a young roster. Zarryon Fereti, Michael Lee and Tyler Relph have answered the call so far this season. The trio is averaging 40.4 points per game, 63 percent of the team's scoring. Each of them are in the program's top 100 scorers of all time and they hold the top three spots on team's current leading scorers list. At least one of the three has scored in double digits in every game, two of them in 12 games and three occasions when all three have it double figures.

SAVING HIS BEST FOR LAST
Senior Michael Lee is off to a furious start in his final season in the Brown and White. Lee leads the team nearly every statistical category, including scoring (17.4), rebounding (8.2), field goal percentage (.509) and steals (29). Lee has produced a league-high ten 20-point games this season. His five double-doubles are second behind Fordham's Bryant Dunston for the league lead, giving Lee 12 for his career to go along with 60 games in double figures. He has also led the team in both scoring and rebounding 10 times. Below is a look at how Lee stacks up amongst the conference leaders.

WELCOME BACK
After missing the final four games of the 2006-07 campaign, senior Zarryon Fereti has returned to team and looks better than ever. Last year's third leading scorer (12.1 ppg), Fereti is second on the team with 14.8 points per game while sinking a team-high 35 three-pointers. He has led the team in scoring four times and is 14th in the Atlantic 10 in scoring. Earlier this season, Fereti became the third current Bonnie to enter the top 100 on the all-time scoring list and currently has 541 points, good for 81st place.

THEY KEEP GOING AND GOING
With a roster that features just eight scholarship players and four newcomers, loads of minutes have fallen on the team's returners. No one has felt the effects of the thin roster more than seniors Michael Lee and Zarryon Fereti. Fereti and Lee rank second (36.9) and third (36.6) in minutes per game, respectively, in the A-10. Each of them has only played under 30 minutes in one game this season and have gone the full 40 in five contests.