Photo courtesy of gobonnies.com
BY: BEN WOJNOWSKI; STAFF WRITER
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — The Mike MacDonald era kicked off Monday, Nov. 2, when the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team fell to Youngstown State University 79-71 in its season opener.
MacDonald took notice of the student section and highlighted the impact the crowd had on the Penguins free-throw shooting down the stretch.
“I thought the crowd was great,” said MacDonald. “I thought the student section was outstanding.”
Bonaventure freshman Josh Friedrich mirrored MacDonald’s comments
“The atmosphere in the student section was amazing,” said Friedrich. “Attending my first Bonaventure basketball game, it exceeded my expectations.”
Senior guard Zach Philipkoski, a Daemen University transfer, made an instant impact for the Brown and White. He led all scorers with 28 points, draining four 3-pointers.
MacDonald praised Philipkoski’s performance at his postgame press conference.
“He’s a really good player,” said MacDonald. “He just knows how to play. He does things the right way.”
MacDonald remains optimistic despite the opening-night loss. He ended his press conference with a message for the Bonaventure faithful.
“Don’t give up on us after one game,” said MacDonald. “It’s a culture of growth that we’re going to have. We’re going to get better as the year goes on.”
Bonaventure hosts Cornell University on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Reilly Center. The game will air on ESPN+ and the Bonnies Online Network.
