BY: BEN ANDREJKOVICS; STAFF WRITER
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — After a six-month wait, St. Bonaventure University basketball fans received their first look at the 2026-27 men’s and women’s teams during Brown and White Night on Sept 22.
The event featured intrasquad scrimmages for both teams, fan competitions and performances from the St. Bonaventure cheer and dance teams.
The night opened with the “Bona Clap,” a longtime Bonaventure tradition led by the cheer team, drawing a loud response from the crowd.
The women’s team took the floor first for introductions, with 10 players returning from last season’s Women’s National Invitational Tournament team.
Head coach Jim Crowley, the winningest coach in program history, received one of the loudest reactions during introductions. Crowley addressed the crowd and emphasized the impact the student section can have on the team, encouraging students to remain loud throughout the season.
Attention shifted to the men’s team, which introduced a roster featuring several new faces and only five returning players.
Several newcomers followed head coach Mike MacDonald from Daemen University, including senior guards Ryan Heath and Zach Philipkoski and redshirt senior center Benjamin Bill. MacDonald, who graduated from Bonaventure in 1988, walked onto the court to Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack.”
MacDonald kept his speech short, telling the crowd he knew everyone came to watch basketball.
Both scrimmages consisted of two six-minute halves, with fouls resulting in points rather than free throws.
The women’s team scrimmaged first, with Team Camo jumping ahead behind two early three-point plays from senior forward Brillana Boyd. Team Camo led Team Black 12-2 at halftime. Team Black kept the second half closer, but Team Camo held on for a 17-10 victory
The student section answered Crowley’s earlier request for energy from the crowd.
“Taking photos for the event brought me close to the energy filled action which was an awesome experience,” said sophomore Mason Pieri.
Following the women’s scrimmage, junior Mackenzie Pettenelli and her father, Neal, won the father-daughter shooting challenge, defeating three other pairs.
The men’s scrimmage followed with both teams finding success from 3-point range. Team Brown led 25-17 over Team White at halftime.
The second half featured several dunks and a late comeback attempt from the White Team. The Brown Team held off the rally for a 43-41 victory.
“The team was very fun to watch, and they seemed to have a great connection together,” sophomore Callan Marcanio said. The men open their season by hosting Youngstown State University on Monday, Nov. 2, at the Reilly Center. The women host D’Youville University on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m.
