By Carson Hayek — Sports staffer
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — The St. Bonaventure University Men’s Basketball team will host No. 24 Saint Louis, who enter riding a 12-game winning streak, on Friday, Jan. 23, at 5:30 p.m. in the Reilly Center.
St. Bonaventure enters coming off its first Atlantic 10 Conference victory in an 84-70 triumph over Loyola Chicago, Tuesday night in the Reilly Center. Bonnies junior guard Darryl “Buddy” Simmons II led all scorers with 26 points while senior forward Frank Mitchell had a team-high 11 rebounds.
The Billikens rank at the top of the Atlantic 10 with an 18-1 overall record and a 6-0 conference record. Saint Louis defeated Duquesne 81-77 on the road Tuesday as five players scored in double figures and had at least five rebounds.
On the season, Saint Louis has scored at least 90 points in 11 contests and has held teams to 70 or fewer points in 12 games. On Jan. 19, the Billikens entered the Associated Press Top 25 men’s basketball poll for the first time in five years.
“They are really good,” Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt said. “They have seven guys that shoot over 40% from three, they have a terrific big guy in [senior center Robbie Avila], they run good [plays], and they have very good players.”
Schmidt continued by praising Avila individually.
“He’s terrific,” Schmidt said. “He’s like the Joker. He’s not a great athlete in terms of running and jumping, but his understanding and IQ of the game are really high. He has a great skill set, and he can really pass the ball. The game has really slowed down for him, and he orchestrates their whole offense.”
The game will air on ESPN2. Radio coverage can be heard on the Bonnies Online Network, 100.1 FM Bradford & Olean, 1340 AM Jamestown, 106.9 FM Hornell, and 92.1 FM Rochester.
Leave a Reply