There’ll be no sweating out the NCAA Tournament selection show this year for St. Bonaventure men’s basketball fans.
The Bonnies followed up a regular season Atlantic-10 Championship by winning the conference tournament title with a 74-65 triumph over Virginia Commonwealth University on Sunday in Dayton, Ohio.
In 2016, St. Bonaventure was hoping to earn an at-large bid to make the NCAA Tournament, but were passed-over by the selection committee. Sunday’s conference championship victory erased the need for that hope this year, as the Bonnies have an automatic bid to the "Big Dance".
This is the second A-10 tournament championship in school history, both having come during the tenure of head coach Mark Schmidt.
The Bonnies were led by junior guard Kyle Lofton, who had a game-high 23 points to go along with six assists, five rebounds and just two turnovers against a strong VCU defense, while also playing 39 of the 40 minutes.
Junior center Osun Osunniyi was a beast in this game. He recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds. One of the best rim protectors in the country, Ossuniyi added three blocks, giving him a total of 13 in the three tournament games. In addition to the blocks, Osunniyi altered numerous VCU shots with his 6-foot-10 frame.
Cheektowaga High School product Dominick Welch added 13 points, while Jalen Adaway was the fourth starter to reach double figures, scoring 10 points.
The Bonnies, who were the best defensive team in the conference this season, did a great job on VCU’s Nah’son Hyland, who was the A-10 Player of the Year. Hyland shot just 4-of-11 from the field, and he actually had more turnovers (five) than made field goals.
Bona’s board work was key to their victory, especially on the offensive glass. They had 13 offensive rebounds, including a couple that led to put-back baskets in the game’s late stages when the Rams were trying to make a run.
St. Bonaventure improved its record to 16-4 and became the first No. 1 seed to win the conference tournament since 2013. Schmidt, who year-after-year does one of the best coaching jobs in the country, becomes the first coach in St. Bonaventure history to lead them to three NCAA Tournament berths. The other appearances came in 2012 and 2018.
The 68-team bracket for the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will be revealed during the annual selection show on CBS, which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 14.