St. Bonaventure was ice cold from the floor and got beat up on the boards. When that happens, it doesn’t bold well for your chances of winning a basketball game, and the Bonnies experienced that on Saturday.
The No. 9 seed in the East Region was ousted from the NCAA Tournament by No. 8 seed Louisiana State University, 76-61, in a game played at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.
The Bonnies, fresh off winning the Atlantic 10 Championship, were ice cold from the start. They missed 16 of their first 18 shots and scored just eight points in the game’s first 11 minutes. But, LSU, who came in off a loss in the Southeastern Conference title game to Alabama and Nate Oats, wasn’t much better. The Tigers, eighth in the nation in scoring, averaging 82 points a game, had only one made field goal in the first 7:48. The score was 4-2, St. Bonaventure, when the clock ticked under 13 minutes left in the first half. LSU then began attacking the basket more often, and that got their offense going.
In the meantime, the Bonnies were stuck in neutral. Kyle Lofton, their leading scorer on the season, didn’t make a shot until there were 90 seconds left in the opening half. Bona trailed 31-22 at the break, and the 22 points was their lowest-scoring first half all season. As a team, they were a frigid 23% from the floor, including 0-for-10 from three-point range. Bona didn’t sink a three-point attempt until a little over two minutes into the second half.
The Tigers began that second half by scoring the first seven points and they were in control the rest of the way. LSU was led by sensational freshman Cam Thomas, who ended the day with 27 points. Three other starters recorded double-doubles, and the starting five accounted for 71 of the Tigers' 76 points.
St. Bonaventure’s leading scorer was junior guard Jaren Holmes, who totaled 18 points. Junior Osun Osunniyi had 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. Jalen Adaway chipped in with 11 points, and Lofton finished with 10. He never was able to find his shooting touch, as he hit on just three of his 18 shots. It was a tough day for Cheektowaga high school product Dominick Welch as well, shooting just 2-for-10, with all attempts from three-point range.
As a team, the Bonnies shot 33% from the field and were 3-for-20 (15%) from beyond the arc. They were dominated on the boards, as LSU out-rebounded them 46-29.
Out of the 68 teams in the tournament field, 67 will end their season with a loss. However, this was a tough way to close, what was, one of the best seasons in St. Bonaventure basketball history.
There’s a good chance the guys from Olean will be back in this tournament next season, though. Head coach Mark Schmidt didn’t have a single senior on the roster, so everyone could be back from a club that finished 16-5.