March 1, 2008

Final Stats

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Behind a career-high 25 points from senior Tyler Relph and a gutsy team effort on the defensive end, St. Bonaventure put an end to its 14-game road losing streak in convincing fashion with a 70-50 win over Saint Louis on Saturday afternoon at the Scottrade Center.

The Bonnies led for all but 51 seconds and used a 16-3 run in the first half to break open the game en route to the wire-to-wire win. The win also snaps a six-game losing streak for the Brown and White and gives them tremendous momentum heading into Wednesday's senior night against Dayton.

Relph, one of the three seniors that will be honored prior to the game, went 8-of-10 from the floor, including a perfect 6-for-6 from long range with four assists and four rebounds. Relph's torrid shooting headlined a 52 percent (25-48) night from the field for the Bonnies, including 67 percent (10-15) from three.

As good as St. Bonaventure's offense was it was the defense that set the tone. St. Louis managed just 25 points in each half and finished a mediocre 35 percent from the field. The 50 points given up by the Brown and White equaled a season-low. The SLU scoring tandem of juniors Tommie Liddell III and Kevin Lisch were limited to 8-of-27 from the field.

"Today was the first time all season that we played hard and executed for the full 40 minutes," said head coach Mark Schmidt. "I feel really good for our guys because they've worked hared all season and just haven't been able to come away with a road win. Today they got what they deserved."

For the fifth consecutive game, the Bonnies finished with a positive assist/turnover ratio with 11 helpers and eight turnovers. The battle on the boards also went in St. Bonaventure's favor by way of a 32-26 margin.

Big men Michael Lee and D'Lancy Carter had a lot to do with the team's solid shooting day and positive rebound margin. Lee went for 16 points and five boards in a full 40 minutes of work, marking his 23rd game in double figures this season. Carter set the tone with 10 points in the first half and finished with 12 for the game. He also added team-best seven rebounds.

Carter scored 10 points in the first half in front of a large group of family and friends.

The Bonnies owned the lead the entire opening 10 minutes and took a 10-5 lead after a three-pointer by freshman Hillary Haley from the top of the arc.

Saint Louis took its first and only lead of the game at the 9:08 mark, 13-12, following an 8-3 run.

The Billiken lead was short lived as the Brown and White responded just 51 seconds later with a 16-3 run, highlighted by a pair of 8-0 runs that resulted in a 28-16 lead with 3:31 left in the half.

The first 8-0 run came behind five points from Lee, all of which came in the paint and a three-pointer from Relph. Following the Billikens' lone field goal of the six-minute span, the Bonnies embarked on their second 8-0 run, again, with Lee and Relph as the main catalysts. Carter executed a nice post move for the first bucket, while Lee and Relph's field goals both came from long range and capped the runs.

The double-digit lead held up for the Bonnies as they went into the break with a 36-25 edge.

Despite a three-pointer by Lisch on Saint Louis' opening possession of the second half, It was more the same from the Bona defense early on in the final frame. The Bonnies limited the Billikens to just a pair of field goals over the opening 13 minutes.

The Brown and White took full advantage of the SLU offensive troubles, bulking their lead up to 21, 54-33, with 7:35 left in the game. Following Lisch's field goal, the Bonnies outscored SLU 18-5 over 12 minutes.

Again, it was Relph doing most of the damage with nine points on two three-pointers and an old-fashioned three-point play.

With the game at hand, St. Bonaventure went nearly four minutes without a field goal allowing the Billikens to reel-off 10-straight points and climb back into the game, at 54-43.

St. Bonaventure's third senior Zarryon Fereti put the game away following the four-minute media timeout, sinking a three-pointer and a pair of free throws in consecutive possessions.

Bonaventure will return to the Reilly Center on Wednesday, March 5, for the final time this season and the last time in the careers of Zarryon Fereti, Michael Lee and Tyler Relph. The trio of seniors will be honored prior to taking on Dayton at 7 p.m.