Photo courtesy of gobonnies.com
BY: WILL NUNN; CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF; SPORTS EDITOR
The St. Bonaventure University men’s basketball team has won three straight games to kick off the season. After a defensive struggle in the season opener against Bradley, the Bonnies offense kicked into gear, earning an 89-70 win over Canisius University on Saturday and a 75-66 win over Siena University on Wednesday.
Senior forward Frank Mitchell led the way for the Bonnies against Canisius, recording season-high marks of 20 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Joe Grahovac added career-highs with 12 points and three blocks. Bonaventure’s 89 points scored as a team eclipsed its season high of 87 last season, and is the most points scored in a game by the Bonnies since a 91-72 win over Saint Joseph’s University on Jan. 26, 2024.
The Bonaventure offense came out of the gates hot against Canisius, scoring 50 first-half points. Freshman guard Achille Lonati burst onto the scene with 11 points, going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in nearly 11 minutes of first-half action. The Pavia, Italy native did not score in just five minutes in his collegiate debut against Bradley.
The high-octane offense continued in Wednesday’s victory over Siena. Junior guard Darryl Simmons II led the Bonnies with 24 points, shooting 9-of-13 from the field and knocking down both of his three-point attempts. Bonaventure shot a season-high 52.5% from the field and racked up 13 assists on 31 made field goals. Simmons increased his season average to 20.0 points per game and 40.9% from beyond the arc.
Bonaventure’s triumph over Canisius was thanks in part to their work in the paint and on the boards. The Bonnies outrebounded Canisius 42-22 and outpaced Golden Griffins 44-26 on points in the paint.
The Bonnies also grabbed 20 offensive rebounds–including eight from Mitchell–compared to just seven for the Golden Griffins, leading to a 22-6 Bonaventure advantage in second chance points.
For the first time this season, the Bonnies were outrebounded against Siena. The Saints had a 32-31 edge in total rebounds and 15-13 on the offensive glass. Despite this, the Bonnies controlled the paint for most of the night, outscoring Siena 46-20 in the paint. Mitchell led the Bonnies in rebounding with 10 total, four of which were offensive. 12 of Mitchell’s 13 points came in the paint. Mitchell is averaging 15.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game thus far.
Even with the improvements on the offensive side of the ball, the Bonnies stepped up defensively to close out their win against Siena. Bonaventure recorded season highs with 10 steals and eight blocks, and forced 14 Siena turnovers, scoring 21 points off turnovers.
Scoring 12 points and adding four rebounds against Canisius, senior guard Cayden Charles continued to make his presence known for the Bonnies, recording a team-high plus/minus of +19 in the win. Charles stuffed the stat sheet again against Siena, tallying 15 points and nine rebounds. Through three games, Charles is averaging 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 48.1% shooting.
The Bonnies look to continue their winning ways when they host Youngstown State University Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Reilly Center. The Penguins come into the contest with a record of 2-1, coming off a 115-53 victory over Penn State University Shenango on Monday.
