Photo courtesy of gobonnies.com
BY: WILL NUNN; CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, SPORTS EDITOR
Being the captain of any team is a lot of weight on one’s shoulders. Being the captain of a struggling team in March is something only a few can successfully handle.
Dasonte Bowen is pulling double duty. The captain of the St. Bonaventure University men’s basketball team is also the starting point guard and the team’s primary ballhandler and offensive facilitator.
In his second season at St. Bonaventure, the redshirt junior guard will lead an unraveling team into the Atlantic 10 Championship beginning on Wednesday, March 11, in what will be his first appearance in a conference tournament game of any kind.
The Boston, Mass. native began his college career at the University of Iowa, where he spent two seasons playing in the Big Ten. He transferred to Bonaventure prior to his junior season and started the first 10 games of the season before an injury ended his year prematurely.
The injury has given Bowen a better understanding than most that opportunities can be snatched away in the blink of an eye.
“A year ago today I wasn’t able to play due to an injury,” said Bowen. “So I can’t take any opportunity I get to go out there for granted.”
At the onset of his redshirt junior year, Bowen struggled offensively, being held under 10 points in each of the first six games of the season and shooting just 27% from the field over that span. The team was firing on all cylinders, however, winning its first five games and 10 of its first 11.
After the hot start, the Bonnies season fell apart, finishing the A-10 regular season at 4-14. Bowen keeps his head held high, however, and uses his faith as a source of motivation amidst the struggles of the season.
“I just know I’m still blessed to be out there,” said Bowen. “Jesus Christ put me in this position, so how could I overlook that just because of the results of the season right now.”
Being team captain adds another incentive for Bowen to perform as a leader. He feels an added sense of responsibility to his teammates, who entrusted him with the sacred title.
“At the beginning of the season they felt it was right to give me that position,” said Bowen. “My guys trusted me as a leader so I can’t only be there when things are going right. When things are going wrong I still have to be the same guy every day, motivating everybody to keep moving forward regardless of the results.”
Despite the team’s faltering performance, Bowen has found his stride on the offensive end, scoring in double figures in eight of the last 11 games, including a career-high 19 points in a win over Duquesne on Jan. 28.
Bowen attributes his recent scoring surge to having games under his belt and becoming comfortable in game action post-injury.
“I think it was just getting my legs under me,” Bowen said. “Up until our first game this year I hadn’t played in an official game in almost a year. It takes a little while to get used to gameplay regardless of how much working out you’ve been doing. I started to get a feel for how the game was flowing and I was able to thrive after that.”
Averaging 10.6 points and a team-best 4.9 assists per game in the regular season, Bowen noted his consistent work ethic and ability to adjust as key in his success as the maestro of the Bonaventure offense.
“Just staying consistent,” said Bowen. “Staying in the gym, putting in the work I’ve been putting in, and being ready to adjust to different ways teams are guarding me and guarding us as a whole.”
As the postseason begins at the Atlantic 10 Championship, Bowen and the Bonnies are focused on playing their best ball when it matters most.
“I’m most excited just to get rolling,” said Bowen. “We just want to try to get hot going into the tournament because all it takes is to be playing the right way at the right time.
The month of March is brutal and unforgiving. It requires every ounce of energy and willpower that one has. The season will be on the line every time the Brown and White take the floor going forward.
The Bonnies will have to win five games in five days to capture the A-10 crown, and one slip up will end their season. For Bowen, the mindset doesn’t change with the added pressure.
“It’s the same thing every time just to give it my all,” Bowen said. “Any time I’m able to get on the court, any game, you should treat it like your last. If you give it everything you got you can live with the results at the end.”
While the mentality remains the same, the preparation changes with the many unknowns that March holds.
“Once the tournament comes [preparation] may be a little different,” said Bowen. “You don’t know what the next game might hold. Usually, you’ve played these teams once or twice already, so it’s not less preparation, but you know what these guys do so you have to go out there and stop them and be able to execute our game plan.”
It’s no secret that this season has not been as the Bonnies players or fans had envisioned. The 4-14 record in conference is the worst by the Bonnies since the 2007-08 season, the first of Head Coach Mark Schmidt’s 19-year tenure.
Despite the difficulties, the Bonaventure faithful have shown up to support their team, something Bowen is grateful for.
“We appreciate the ones that are still supporting us,” said Bowen, “the ones that are staying loyal through the ups and through the downs. We definitely see them and we’re grateful that we still have somebody rocking with us when we get out there to compete.”
Anything can happen in March, and with the backing of the fanbase, Bowen has high hopes that the Bonnies can find a groove in Pittsburgh.
“If you get rolling at the right time,” said Bowen, “who knows what can happen in the tournament.”
