Photo courtesy of gobonnies.com
BY: WILL NUNN; CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, SPORTS EDITOR
In this season’s first installment of one of the Atlantic 10’s oldest rivalries, the St. Bonaventure University men’s basketball team took down Duquesne University 87-79 Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Leading the Bonnies (13-8, 2-6 A-10), junior guard Darryl Simmons II bested the season-high that he set last week with 31 points. Redshirt junior guard Dasonte Bowen added a season-high 19 points. Senior guard Cayden Charles tallied nine points and nine rebounds and sophomore forward Joe Grahovac scored nine points and grabbed five boards.
The Dukes (11-10, 3-5 A-10) put together a well-balanced scoring attack, with five players in double-figures. Senior forward David Dixon and senior guard Tarence Guinyard led the way with 12 points apiece. Junior guard Jimmie Williams scored 11 points, and redshirt junior guard Brandon Hall and graduate forward John Hugley IV each added 10.
Duquesne came out of the gates hot, leading 14-5 within the first five minutes of the game. The Dukes led by as many as 13 in the first half before Simmons propelled Bonaventure back into the game, cutting the deficit to 39-35 going into the halftime break.
Simmons led all scorers with 14 first-half points, while Bowen tacked on eight points and three assists before the half. Hall, Williams and Hugley each scored seven points in the first half, leading the way for Duquesne.
Six minutes into the second half, the Bonnies took their first lead of the night, 49-48, after a pair of SImmons free throws. Freshman center Andrew Osasuyi threw down a dunk on the next possession to put the Bonnies up three, forcing Duquesne into a timeout.
With six minutes to play, Simmons connected from beyond the arc on back-to-back possessions, pushing Bonaventure’s lead to 68-61. The Bonnies pulled away from that point, leading by as many as 11 to close out the game.
The Bonnies return to the Reilly Center for their next contest, a clash with George Mason University Saturday night. The game is scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m. and will air live on USA Network and the Bonnies Online Network.
