Hagan led all scorers, including the Herron brothers of Villanova, with 26 points, and Barron added 13 points in only 22 minutes of play. He is tied for the SBU single game record for assists with 14, and second in steals for a game with seven. Adaway (17 points, six rebounds) missed a dunk attempt with less than four minutes left, and Gibson Jimersons free throws cut the lead to six with 3:26 left. He's the school record-holder in both assists (657) and steals (325) - ranking second in Atlantic 10 history for steals and eighth in assists. Because I think that's really important -- legacies and tradition. It was a strong field, but we were really good that year, he said in looking back to that year. Born on Sept. 10, 1948, Lanier is one of the greatest basketball players to come out of Buffalo. Each player added eight rebounds apiece. He was 73. Crawford was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 1970. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Send us Feedback 2005- 2023 SportSpyder, LLC All rights reserved. Yet teams are planning for contingencies, and the Bills are no exception. Shannon Shepherd, '12, Buffalo Bills beat reporter for Sports Illustrated But this was the Armorywhere a loss hadnt been known since Truman was president. A game that St. Bonaventure should have won, remarked Tommasino. Saint Louis began Monday at No. In the preview story, an OTH reporter wrote, Its practically unanimous that the hapless men of Siena will be the 99th Armory victim. The reporter was correct: The Saints were marched out of Olean, 99-57. In fact, no college basketball fan can bring up St. Bonaventure without the association of Lanier, the larger-than-life Buffalo native. We had been doing pretty good, so we werent about to change our gameplan, he said. (); :
Was there pressure in the moment with such a long win streak on the line? I've worked in sports journalism since 1997 and I have covered everything from college football to the Stanley Cup playoffs, high school sports and the NCAA Tournament. The third all-time leading scorer in program history with 2,077 points from 1977-81, he finished his career 15th in rebounds (650) as well as third in free throw percentage (.831). St. Bonaventure men hoping for NIT bid after stunning loss in Atlantic By VINNY PEZZIMENTI Olean Times Herald Feb 19, 2023 ST. BONAVENTURE "Hope," St. Bonaventure basketball coach Mark Schmidt said, was all the Bonnies had left with 2.2 seconds left,. A team player, he finished his career with 1,396 points which ranks 19th all-time. A win may have vaulted the team into the 32-team NCAA tournament. According to a Sports Illustrated account from February 1961, St. Bonaventure was the first independent team chosen for the 1961 NCAA tournament. St. Bonaventure had won 99 straight games at home. With 21.7 seconds remaining, Saint Louis called a timeout. Just ask the guy in the co-pilot's seat in 'Airplane!'. He also helped Bona to the 1971 NIT with a 21-6 record and 62-17 during his career. 22 is retired and he was a member of the inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame class. And then the worst thing in the world that could happen (vs. Villanova) Billys (Kalbaugh) going down on a break, I turn around, and boom, a guy falls into my knee. The Reilly Center Arena court where the Bonnies have played since 1966 was named after Lanier in 2007. After graduating from SBU (1983), I continued to follow the Bonnies. The catalyst of the celebrated St. Bonaventure "nervous defense," he helped to initiate a total change in defense which later led to the zone press. To me, it was the best job in the world, he said. 12 hrs ago. Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane on salary cap, Gabe Davis expectations, Damar Hamlin update and more, Sabres place Alex Tuch on injured reserve; top-line winger's status is uncertain, Owner of Buffalo CPA firm denies claims of financial, workplace wrongdoing, Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to take year off from coaching, Yellow Corp. to close two trucking terminals, Sabres acquire defenseman Riley Stillman from Vancouver for prospect Josh Bloom, 14 police agencies break up fights outside Boulevard Mall, Democrats explore blue-collar struggles as brand is 'damaged', Erie County comptroller calls for state to investigate Forest Lawn, No longer NCAA Tournament lock, Bonnies need strong late-season showing, St. Bonaventure drops vaccine mandate for basketball games at Reilly Center, St. Bonaventure tops Richmond, 72-65, to earn Atlantic 10 Tournament double-bye, Senior-laden St. Bonaventure looks to defend Atlantic 10 title, return to NCAA Tournament, Rick Pitino returns to coach in WNY for the first time since 1983, Jaren Holmes, Jalen Adaway lift St. Bonaventure men's basketball past Saint Joseph's, St. Bonaventure drops a must-win game to Davidson 81-76, Oklahoma RB Eric Gray at the NFL scouting combine, Ohio State C Luke Wypler speaks at the NFL scouting combine, UB players mom sings stirring rendition of national anthem on senior night, Serena Williams says her daughter doesn't like playing tennis. He was a consensus All-American each season. Bob Lanier thanks the current players after the St. Bonaventure Bonnies basketball Final Four team was introduced at the end of the game at the Reilly Center at St. Bonaventure in Olean on Dec. 7, 2019. Even after Jordan Nesbitt missed a 3-point attempt that clanked off the rim with less than six seconds left, the Bonnies couldnt let up until after Jalen Adaway hit the front end of two free throws with 5.1 seconds left, which cemented the final margin and helped the Bonnies avoid completely squandering a comfortable, double-digit lead. He's pictured at the opening of the Bob Lanier Center at the site of Kensington High. We were ready, and they didnt do anything we didnt think they were going to do, Billikens coach Travis Ford said. They made me so proud. Want to receive notice about our circulation promotions and contests? How it found its way into my assortment of memorabilia was a mystery. His No. You have permission to edit this article. The basketball success in that era was known for something else during Stiths playing days: a prominent home-game win streak. The No. 4. Yes, I had them, too, not to mention a collection of Bona game programs from my time as a sports information intern in the early 1980s. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. St. Bonaventure men's basketball completes home-and-home sweep of Saint J.R. Bremer
As part of the St. Bonaventure Basketball Centennial Season celebration, the Athletics Department gathered voting from fans and partnered with some of the most well-versed individuals on the history of the program to create an All-Time Team. A crowd of 12,451 packed Madison Square Garden for the 1pm tip on March 20, and Houston star Otis Birdsong was ready. That achievement belonged to the star 6-8 forward Len Chappellthe Tom Stith equivalent for Wake Forestwho had a 27 point per game average. 16 jersey retired by the Pistons and Bucks, to whom Lanier was traded in 1980. Nope, nope, he said without a second thought. Though Stith scored 33 points in his home finale, Niagara had four starters in double figures, led by Al Butler with 24 points (11-19 from the floor). St. Bonaventure had its own challenge in the first round. St. Bonaventure | oleantimesherald.com In March 2018, St. Bonaventure won its first NCAA Tournament game since the 1970 win against Villanova, a 65-58 victory against UCLA in a First Four game in Dayton, Ohio. Over his four seasons, Adams helped the Bonnies to 87 wins, which is the most ever for a graduating class. Donovan, however, kept Stith on the floor and instructed the Bonnies to run a set play. Theyll be in the Pacific Coast League next season. 10. In three seasons on the basketball court, Carter became a member of the 1,000-point club with 1,322 points and averaged 19.4 points per game. You have permission to edit this article. He helped the Bonnies reach the 1970 Final Four, but sustained a knee injury in a regional final against Villanova, and did not play in a loss to Jacksonville in a national semifinal. On the day of the game, a writer for The Olean Times Herald predicted, It could be rough sledding before the century mark is recorded. Niagara entered as a 19.5-point underdog, but was hoping for a post-season NIT invitation. But when I ran back down the court and tried to pivot, my leg collapsed. The Bonnies shot 36 percent from the floor, far lower than their 57 percent success rate per game to that point in the season. On top of the streak, it was Tom Stiths final home game in a Bona uniform. Crawford didnt remember a unique strategy designed to stop Lucas and the other Ohio State stars. My wife has never watched a St. Bonaventure (SBU) mens basketball game, but she deserves an assist on leading me to learn more about the loss that effectively ended the hopes of an NCAA championship on a gloomy St. Patricks Day in 1961. Rosary (13-7): Kaylee Byon had 30 points and seven assists in a 65-55 victory against Orange Lutheran last week. Timmy was a key factor on that team. In what was St. Bonaventures tenth overall trip to the NIT, Coach Jim Satalin was a realistic optimist in his first look at the list of 16 teams in 1977, something he even remembers 45 years later. As a senior in 201112, Nicholson earned Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors in addition to All-American Honorable Mention, and First Team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Defensive team honors. By the time he closed his Bona career, he had scored 1,657 points - a total that leaves him 12th all-time in the program record books. All you have to do is activate your access. It didnt matter who it was.. Walk-ons and incoming freshmen are scheduled to start training Monday at UB, and athletes from other select teams will begin a similar phased plan to return to campus for workouts starting Monday. The spirit of St. Bonaventure is bigger than any one man, but no singular soul in 164 years has ever brought more honor, dignity, glory and love to bear at Bonas than Bob Lanier, said Mike Vaccaro, St. Bonaventure class of 1989, New York Post columnist and the foremost historian on Bonnies basketball. After the final buzzer in the Bradley Center, Tommasino signed off for the final time, taking along the fond memories of many Bona games courtside and a most inspiring NIT win over Southern Mississippi. He was picked to the SBU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988 and his No. In the championship played before 12,897 fans, Ohio State charged to a quick 5-0 lead behind a three-point play by Lucas and later led, 17-9. He realized that the ending to the game nearly 55 years ago could have been different. Jandoli School Alumni in Sports Media - St. Bonaventure University They didn't get an opportunity to show their talent.". Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. Then, after Adaway missed the back end of a pair of free-throw attempts, Fred Thatch Jr.s 3-pointer cut Bonas lead to 78-74 with 3:03 remaining. The team lost 6-7 forward/center Bob Rozyczko and his 17 points per game average to graduation, but the foursome of Hollis, Baron, Hagan, and Sanders brought a 55 points-per-game average into the 76-77 season. At that point, once we got ahead of them, that was going to be hard for them to come back, Satalin said. We didnt finish the way we needed to, said Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt, whose team was 9 for 16 on free throws, including 4 for 9 in the final 3:20.