They saw it Feb. 1 against Davidson, when the Bonnies nearly wiped out a 16-point deficit and made it a one-possession game with less than 11 seconds left in an 81-76 loss to the Wildcats. 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. We were ready, and they didnt do anything we didnt think they were going to do, Billikens coach Travis Ford said. Success! His 10 three-pointers in February 2018 vs. Saint Louis stands as the program's all-time single-game record while his 14 assists in a game - twice - are tied for the program record. Any athlete who tests positive while on campus will be tested a second time at a local testing center and will be quarantined on campus. Dan is a graduate of Cal State Fullerton, where he worked at The Daily Titan as a news reporter, sports reporter, managing editor and opinion editor. Playing at a time in college basketball when players werent eligible to play at the varsity level until their sophomore year, Stith also collected 620 rebounds, rather impressive for a 6-2 guard/forward. The Bonnies made Bramah's list of three finalists . Since that setback, Houston went 20-4 with the most recent loss to #7 Arkansas in the championship of Southwest Conference tournament. It took so much pressure off the other guys, he added. The Bonnies reeled off another four straight victories to end the regular season at 20-5. A private, giving nature is one of the many qualities that local basketball dignitaries remembered about Lanier, a Buffalo native and a Bennet, The Bonnies will wear commemorative patches that bear Bob Laniers No. The New York Times account described the Bona duo as the most dazzling practitioners among the six teams that day in playing with startling acrobatics.. The Bonnies prevailed despite 17 turnovers, the last of which could have been most costly. Coach Donovans team had cruised by DePaul, Providence, Boston College, and third-ranked Bradley earlier that month. They lost their last regular season game at third-ranked Rutgers, 85-80, in a heartbreaking defeat. Lanier returned to campus less than two years later, in December 2019, when Bona honored the 50th anniversary of the 1970 Final Four team. He also became the first player in the history of the league to earn four straight Player of the Week awards. The games were often the topic of wintertime conversations at school, the neighbors hoop, the dinner table, and really anywhere in the community. 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. One Bona fan, Pat (Tiger) Flynn, recalled going to Armory games from the age of six. The Bonnies led, 45-42, at halftime, but, by midway through the second half, he had already scored 36 points with Houston leading, 73-63. Bill Butler 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. The Bonnies managed the game for nearly the entire contest before a controversial foul in the closing seconds sealed the Rutgers victory. The lead story was about area flooding, though a top-page banner indicated that Niagara had used St. Bonaventure as a "stepping stone" to the NIT Tournament and . Each ballot cast counted as one vote - each panelist vote counted as one while the top 20 from the fan vote counted as a single ballot as well. Win #73 was pivotal to Stiths career. Against Davidson in the first round, he finished with 17 points before adding 13 vs. N.C. State and 15 vs. Villanova. Thank You! Thank goodness we had a strong first half.. With a 24-0 record to that point, the Scarlet Knights hadnt really been tested in their College Avenue Gymnasium. Theres no way in the world that someone would come into the Armory and beat us, Stith recalled. Ahead 37-36 at halftime, the Bonnies faced a persistent Wake Forest team that forced six lead changes in the second half. Niagara just had control of the game., Final score: Niagara 87, St. Bonaventure 77. The University at Buffalo began allowing football players who are from Western New York and who remained on campus during the spring semester to return to campus for voluntary workouts June 15, followed by players who live out of town. OLEAN - Frank S. Jester, 76, passed away Sunday (Feb. 26, 2023) at home, surrounded by his family, following a courageous battle with cancer. pic.twitter.com/8GD9BhKt7C. According to The New York Times, Houston guard Ken Williams hurried downcourt after the turnover and took a shot, seemingly in panic, instead of slowing down the game and setting up a play. Bona center Tim Waterman grabbed the rebound and headed to the foul line, making one free throw. Both teams were undefeated. Over his career, Winn guided the Brown and White to 66 wins, an NIT berth in 1998, an appearance in the Atlantic 10 Championship Game and a berth in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. The Bonnies went 14-10 in their 1975-1976 season. Would you like to receive our daily headlines? The Reilly Center fans were energized for the post-season matchup with Southern Mississippi. Yes, Wake Forest upset St. Bonaventure on March 17, 1961, in the NCAA Eastern Regional semifinal game before a capacity crowd of 12,000 in Charlotte, NC, a profound disappointment to Bona fans thinking about a national championship. ST. BONAVENTURE Eight of the top athletes in St. Bonaventure history have been tapped to join the school's Athletics Hall of Fame. Bremer also had memorable postseason performances - in the 2000 NCAA Tournament, he posted 17 points vs. Kentucky, then had 26 points vs. Pitt in the 2001 NIT and 29 points vs. Syracuse in the 2002 NIT. Bonaventure announced Tuesday that it will begin its fall academic semester Aug. 24. Rosary (13-7): Kaylee Byon had 30 points and seven assists in a 65-55 victory against Orange Lutheran last week. It started under Coach Ed Melvin before Coach Eddie Donovan took over the Bona program in 1953. I was in a hospital bed and I watched them bust their butts against Artis (Gilmore) and Pembrook (Burrows) and I know that I could have helped them overcome that. We had been doing pretty good, so we werent about to change our gameplan, he said. I think people realized, Well, hes not Don, but hes going to do all right.. He was the near-unanimous MVP of the tournament. I have been a fan of St. Bonaventure mens basketball for as long as I can remember. He scored his 2,000th career point and averaged a double-double in the final week of the 2011-12 season, posting 25.5 points and 11.0 rebounds. 2. He began his career at Agway-Felmont Industries and retired from St. Bonaventure University, where he did. Hagan was great at that, getting to the basket and getting [the ball] to the right guys. Sign Up Today! Nick Mogavero, the coach who cut Lanier, told The News in 1990 that he wanted Laniers stamina and coordination to catch up with his 6-foot-6, 240-pound frame. An eight-time NBA All-Star and member of the 1970-71 All-Rookie team, Lanier scored more than 19,000 points over his 14-year career with Detroit and Milwaukee, averaging 20.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals while shooting 51.4 percent from the field. A distinguished guard for the Bona basketball program, he was co-captain of the NCAA Final Four team of 1970. 201415 St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball team, 201415 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, 201415 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings, 201415 St. Bonaventure Bonnies women's basketball team, "201415 St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball team", Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=201415_St._Bonaventure_Bonnies_men%27s_basketball_team&oldid=1115582051. Then there was 6-8 Tim Waterman, a true center that even Satalin acknowledged was missing from the previous year. Buffalo sports' greatest what-ifs: Would Bona have beaten UCLA in 1970 title game? Keep reading with unlimited digital access. He tallied 659 points and his skillful play was instrumental in leading Bona to a 65-12 record during his career (1967-70). His success in the ensuing seasons propelled the program to new heights, which prompted kids like me to become ardent Bona fans and to keep special memories in all kinds of ways for decades to come. I enjoyed the enthusiasm and the friendships that were formed. ST. BONAVENTURE Bob Lanier, the greatest basketball player in St. Bonaventure University history, died early today surrounded by family in Arizona. a group of Olean Times Herald columnist and former sports editor Chuck Pollock and former beat . In only his fourth season as the Bonnies head coach, Jim Satalin found himself in the national spotlight against famed coached Guy Lewis. Lanier told The News in 1990 that he was hurt and angry but determined to prove Mogavero wrong but also called Mogavero a very perceptive and compassionate coach, and a hell of a human being., It probably was one of the best things that could have happened to me, Lanier said at the time. In 2015, Dan received the Bud Dwyer Jr. media award from the Southern California High School Football Coaches Association. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. Marques Green He's also seventh in career field goal percentage (.528) and fifth in scoring average at 20.8 points per game. More Videos. George Carter At one point during the run, the Billikens went without a successful shot from the floor for nearly six minutes. When I got the job here 11 years ago, we heard the stories about 1970 and how disappointing it was that Lanier got hurt and they didn't have a chance to have a full team going to play Jacksonville," Schmidt said. On your next view you will be asked to log in or create an account to continue reading. GIRLS BASKETBALL TOP 25. Sign Up Today! An upset against the second-ranked Bonnies would add to its resume. Were moving it [the ball] around, the clock is ticking off, and [teammate] Larry Weise yelled at me when I got the ball to drive to the hoop. Hollis scored 27 of Bonnies first 50 points as they headed into halftime with a comfortable 52-33 lead. Recruited out of Buffalos Bennett High School by Coach Larry Weise, Lanier grew as a freshman into his legendary size-22 sneakers, leading St. Bonaventure back into the national spotlight during his sophomore season in 1967-68. I feel that it was a turning point in my life. After all, losing wasnt common to Stiths career at SBU. We played the best teams, which proved to me that I was right in saying that we were good enough to win this thing, he said. That achievement belonged to the star 6-8 forward Len Chappellthe Tom Stith equivalent for Wake Forestwho had a 27 point per game average. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). In an interview on the day of the Reilly Center Arena floor dedication in 2007, Lanier wept recalling how devastated he was not being able to play in the Final Four. 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. With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Winds light and variable.. Cloudy. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. He was 73. As the game went on, you knew that was not going to happen., However, some solace was present in the opponent that cracked the streak. Thats exactly what the Bonnies did that evening in the Reilly Center, and it was Francis Tommasinos most memorable Bona game behind the microphone in his Bona tenure. And the NIT game with Southern Mississippi was significant on a number of levels, according to Tommasino. The later assistant coach of the program was inducted to the SBU Hall of Fame in 1989. With 30 seconds left, Jim Baron seemingly stole the ball from Rutgers guard Mike Dabney in open court where the Bonnies were poised to score and tie the game at 82. In three years (1971-74), Price played his way into the program record book. St. Bonaventure reached the A-10 Tournament championship game each of the last two times it was played, falling to Saint Louis, 55-53, in 2019 and cruising as the No. I think thats what gave them the two-point advantage, he added. I was in a hospital bed and I watched them bust their butts against Artis (Gilmore) and Pembrook (Burrows) and I know that I could have helped them overcome that. You have permission to edit this article. The men's basketball team's 2019-20 season ended March 12, before it played its first game in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. Belcher averaged 19.9 points per game and was a member of the NCAA Tournament team in 1978, and also played on the 1979 NIT team. We kind of almost gave him that [center] position and hoped that he could handle it. Thosewho have donned the Brown and White over the past 100 years have created memories to last a lifetime with fans of the program. His enormous influence on the NBA was also seen during his time as President of the National Basketball Players Association, where he played a key role in the negotiation of a game-changing collective bargaining agreement. It was Crawford, however, who kept St. Bonaventure in the game, as he demonized Ohio States zone in scoring 18 points in the first half. The Class of 2023 is headlined by former men's . On 2/9, the Brea Olinda varsity basketball team lost their home playoff game against Orange Lutheran (Orange, CA) by a score of 49-40. Unique in its own way, the Armory offered something special for those sitting in the first row of the courtside bleachers: Their feet actually straddled the out-of-bounds lines. Neither were we, quite frankly, but we and they were able to outscore teams most of the year. 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. 6. The Bonnies will play in the A-10 quarterfinals against a yet-to-be-determined opponent on Friday in Washington, D.C. Now starting five seniors, the Bonnies must win three games in three days to defend their title and return to the NCAA Tournament for the seco, Hes coached at the college and professional levels since 1975, a tenure defined by both success and controversy, but his coaching path brings, The senior guard finished 7 for 8 from the floor and 6 for 6 on free throws, and his 20 points helped the Bonnies bounce back from a 75-66 los, The Bonnies lived up to a big-game billing, but a late offensive surge couldn't lift the Bonnies in an 81-76 loss to Davidson, despite Jalen A. He was an intern at The Buffalo News in the summer of 2006, and served as an intern in the Sports Department of the Olean Times Herald his junior and senior years. $3.00 Sign Up Today! Satalin led a 20-6 squad to Princeton, NJ, to face Rutgers, a matchup with a team that the Bonnies had lost to 374 days prior in the previous season. You have permission to edit this article. The Hagan-Baron backcourt flourished against Villanova, which ultimately finished third in the tournament. All of those guys were ready to take the next step, and that game showed them that they could do that.. "For more than 30 years, Bob served as our global ambassador and as a special assistant to David Stern and then me, traveling the world to teach the games values and make a positive impact on young people everywhere," Silver said in a statement this morning. If I went one more step, I would have run into him. As a senior, he averaged 17.5 ppg and was named First Team All-A-10. 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. By the time that Stith joined the varsity squad in 1957, the streak of victories in the Olean (NY) Armory had gained national attention. In addition, he was the NBA Rookie of the Year with the Detroit Pistons and played professionally for the Bucks as well. We hope that you enjoy our free content. The only thing is that I came close to charging the other player. After he retired, Lanier served as the NBA Cares Global Ambassador, working with programs that supported education, family development, youth and health-related causes. I didnt know at the time I had torn my MCL. He took over mid-season for Don McLean, whose career covered 33 seasons, and found himself at Rutgers announcing his first game at the age of 24. I'm a college/high school sports enterprise reporter at The Buffalo News. Bona inducted Lanier into its athletics hall of fame in 1975, and he was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. Posting up: Memories of St. Bonaventure basketball, December 1960: A chance to beat the #1 team in the country, Francis Tommasino: The NIT home win in 1995, The launching of Posting up: Memories of St. Bonaventure basketball.
