Nov. 28, 2008

Game Notes l Live Stats | Listen

GAME DAY CENTRAL
DATE:Saturday, November 29, 2008
SITE:HSBC Arena (18,400)
TIP-OFF:7:00 p.m.
RADIO:WPIG (95.7 FM) & WHDL (1450 AM) - Olean
WXRL (1300 AM) - Buffalo
TALENT:Gary Nease (play-by-play)
WEB AUDIO: www.GoBonnies.com
SERIES: St. Bonaventure leads, 94-62
LAST MEETING: November 24, 2007
St. Bonaventure 80, Canisius 64 @ The RC
(Box Score on Pg. 2)
UP NEXT:Saturday, December 6, 2008
vs. Princeton @ 7:00 P.M.

AT A GLANCE
In search of its program-best fourth win in November, St. Bonaventure will take on Big 4 rival Canisius at HSBC Arena. The Bonnies have taken on the Golden Griffins more than any other opponent in school history, holding a 94-62 advantage in the all-time series. The Brown and White will also be searching for their first win of the season on a neutral surface.

SERIES HISTORY
The oldest rivalry in St. Bonaventure's history, the two teams will meet for the 157th time on Saturday night. Other than a three-year hiatus in the early 40s and the 2001-02 season, the Bonnies and Griffs have met every season since 1919. This will be the fifth meeting at HSBC Arena with both teams owning two wins. Canisius won the last meeting at HSBC on Nov. 27, 2004.

THIS DAY IN BONA BASKETBALL
St. Bonaventure is 5-6 all-time, including 1-1 against Canisius, when playing on November 29, dating back to the 1975-76 season in the Bona record books - the final season that has actual dates recorded. Oddly enough, the Bonnies took on the Griffs on Nov. 29, 1997 at HSBC Arena with Canisius coming out on top, 71-64. The Brown and White's last win on this date came in 1993 against Canisius when Nii Nelson-Richards had 16 points in a 86-83 season-opening win.

HEAD COACHING MATCHUP
ST. BONAVENTURE HEAD COACH
Mark Schmidt
@ St. Bonaventure: 11-24 (2nd Season)
Overall: 93-114 (8th Season)
Vs. Canisius: 2-0

CANISIUS HEAD COACH
Tom Parrotta
@ Canisius: 19-47 (3rd Season)
Overall: same
Vs. St. Bonaventure: 1-1

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIFFINS
Canisius enters Saturday night's non-conference tilt with a deceiving 1-3 record through four games. The Griffs have lost a pair of games by less than 10 points, most notably a 69-64 defeat against Big 4 rival Buffalo in a game that they led 64-63 with 2:29 to play. Third-year head coach Tom Parrotta has received stellar play from Hofstra transfer Chris Gadley. The 6-foot-9 forward from Amherst, N.Y. leads the team in both scoring (16.3) and rebounding (7.3) in the early going. Gadley has a pair of double-doubles on the season. Junior guard Frank Turner heads a youthful backcourt. Prior to the season, Turner was named to the All-MAAC third team by the league's coaches. A career double-digit scorer, Turner's 13.5 points per game are second on the team. The Golden Griffins' struggles have come at the offensive end where they average 56.8 points per game. Canisius has held its opponents to under 40 percent from the field, including 30 percent from long range, but has been limited by its own 38 percent clip and 19.3 turnovers per game.

Last 5 Meetings

NICHOLSON EARNS WEEKLY A-10 HONOR
Freshman Andrew Nicholson was named the Atlantic Co-Rookie of the Week on Sunday morning prior to the start of the Brown and White's game at Rutgers. Nicholson averaged 13.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks off the bench during a 1-1 week for the Bonnies. The set of weekly accolades are just the second handed out by the A-10 this season as Duquesne's Eric Evans split the award with Nicholson. The 6-foot-9 forward began the week with 13 points and five blocks in the Bonnies convincing 23-point win at Marist. Nicholson's five blocked shots were the most by a Bona player over the last 58 games. On Friday against Delaware, Nicholson again came off the bench to finish in double figures. He finished with season-highs in both points (14) and rebounds (6) against the Blue Hens.

JOHN OF ALL TRADES
Junior Jonathan Hall may be the most intriguing prospect of Schmidt's eight newcomers. Standing at 6-foot-5, Hall was named the NJCAA Division 1 National Tournament MVP in his final season at South Plains Community College. Hall currently leads the Bonnies in scoring at 16.8 points per game, good for seventh in the Atlantic 10. Hall has shown consistency at the offensive end, finishing in double figures in all five games, while leading the team in scoring on three occasions. The Miami, Fla. product also leads the team in steals with 11 thanks in part to his five thefts against Mississippi State. Hall has also posted averages of 5.2 boards and 2.8 assists per game in the early going. Hall's 11 offensive rebounds are second on the team, while his 24 points scored against Delaware are the most by a Bonnie this season.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
After sitting out all of last season due to NCAA transfer rules, junior Chris Matthews has made a quick transition into college basketball. Matthews came out of the gates gunning, drilling a career-high five three-pointers in each of the first two games, going a combined 10-for-18 from beyond the arc. Matthews 15.0 points per game rank 11th in the Atlantic 10, while his 3.2 trifectas per contest are sixth. Matthews has set career-highs in nearly every statistical category already this season and is just one three-pointer away from tying his single-season high at Washington State. Known primarily as an offensive threat, Matthews has also picked up his play on the glass, grabbing at least four rebounds in every game this season.

LOOK OUT BELOW
After making the typical first year mistakes in the opener against Robert Morris, freshman Andrew Nicholson has more than lived up to the hype that crossed the Canadian border with him. The 6-foot-9 forward from Mississauga, Ontario has put on an offensive and defensive display over the past four games, averaging 13.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks. Over that span, Nicholson has scored in double figures in all four games and has led the team in rebounding on three occasions. Nicholson was recently tabbed the A-10 Co-Rookie of the Week and followed that accolade with his first career double-double at Rutgers. Nicholson tortured the Scarlet Knights for season-highs of 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. His five blocks at Marist were the most by a St. Bonaventure player in 58 games, as he has 15 over the first five games to rank second in the A-10. Nicholson also leads the Bonnies with seven dunks.

BOARD WORK
After winning the battle on the glass just 12 times last season, head coach Mark Schmidt stressed the importance of rebounding in the off-season. The Brown and White have responded by out-rebounding four of their first five opponents for a +1.4 margin on the glass. Four different players are averaging over 4.5 boards per game, led by Andrew Nicholson's 6.6. Senior D'Lancy Carter isn't far behind at 6.4, while guards Jonathan Hall and Chris Matthews have done their part by combined for nearly 10 a game.

POINT GUARD BY COMMITTEE
With the graduation of Tyler Relph, the point guard position race was wide open entering the 2008-09 season. The race is still going, as junior Ray Blackburn and sophomore Malcolm Eleby continue to duke it out in practice for the starting nod. A JUCO All-American, Blackburn's up-tempo style combined with Eleby's large 6-foot-3 frame give the Bonnies their own version of "Thunder and Lightning" at the point guard spot. The two have combined to average 13.2 points, 7.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 steals. Each has had their moments in the early going, with Blackburn's 22-point effort against Mississippi State being the most recent. Blackburn led all scorers on Tuesday with a 6-of-11 night from the field, including a perfect 3-of-3 from long range. Blackburn scored 15 of his game-high 22 points in the first half. Eleby's play has been steadier from a true point guard's perspective as he ranks fifth in the A-10 with a 2.4 assist/turnover ration. Eleby is also tied for the team lead in steals with 11, a figure that is tied for fifth in the league. The second-year man has started all five games this season - the longest streak of his career - and has 20 assists and just seven turnovers in the past four contests.

BONNIES IN NOVEMBER
St. Bonaventure is 43-32 in the month of November for a .573 win percentage dating back to 1975. That mark is pumped up by a 26-6 record at the Reilly Center in the opening month of the season. With a win against Canisius, St. Bonaventure can set a program record for the most wins in November. Below is a look at how the current Bonnies have fared in the first month of the season

AND OFF THEY GO
St. Bonaventure has raced out to a first half lead in all five games, taking three of them into the locker room at the break. The Bonnies +5.4 scoring average in the opening 20 minutes can be contributed to solid play on the defensive end. The Brown and White are forcing their opponents into an average of 11.8 turnovers in the first half, while holding them to a mere 28.4 points. St. Bonaventure has held its opponents to under 30 points in opening stanza three times, highlighted by limiting Robert Morris to 19 in the season opener.