By Joe Ceraulo
Contributing Writer
A 50-point second half from St. Bonaventure today propelled the team past Yale, 75-67.
Senior guard Matt Mobley got things started with five points in the opening 90 seconds, but that would be the only early offense for the Bonnies. Yale answered, leading 20-11 at the under-eight timeout.
It wasn’t until five consecutive defensive stands, resulting in four turnovers, that St. Bonaventure got its offense going again. Mobley capped off the run with an electrifying windmill dunk, giving Bona’s a 21-20 lead.
The Bulldogs would recover and held a 29-25 lead at halftime. However, the second half would be all Jaylen Adams and the Bonnies.
A successful one-and-one by junior forward LaDarien Griffin at the 19:06 mark began the St. Bonaventure comeback.
A four-point play by Adams less than five minutes into the half got the Reilly Center crowd on its feet. The play started with a steal of his own, which five seconds later resulted in a made three and a successful free throw to cap off the play.
“It was extremely important, and we all know what this crowd does for us,” Adams said when asked about the crowd’s impact on the comeback. “We couldn’t really get them going in the first half, and I think that was part of the struggle.”
The Bonnies opened the second half on a 21-8 run, as defense turned to offense often for the team. Yale’s 21 turnovers resulted in 21 points, and the Bonnies recorded a season high 15 steals.
The game was all but over when Mobley hit an uncontested corner three off a feed from a driving Adams with 4:52 left. The 65-54 lead was the first double-digit lead of the day for St. Bonaventure.
“The intensity stepped up, and we became more committed to what we were doing,” said head coach Mark Schmidt when asked about any defensive halftime adjustments his team made. “Sometimes it’s not adjustments, it’s guys playing harder and smarter and more together, and in the second half, we did that.”
St. Bonaventure’s next game is Saturday, Dec. 16 against the University of Vermont at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York.
ceraulojg16@bonaventure.edu
