Jan. 26, 2008

Complete Game Notes in PDF Format

GAME DAY CENTRAL
DATE:Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008
SITE:Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center (5,780)
TIP-OFF: 7:00 p.m.
TELEVISION: Time Warner SportsNet
Olean (Ch. 9) & Buffalo (Ch. 13) on Tape Delay
TALENT: Ben Wagner (play-by-play)
Michael Mennenga (analyst)
RADIO:WPIG (95.7 FM) & WHDL (1450 AM) - Olean
WXRL (1300 AM) - Buffalo
TALENT:Gary Nease (play-by-play)
Dr. John Watson (analyst)
WEB AUDIO & VIDEO: www.GoBonnies.com
SERIES: Rhode Island leads, 32-22
UP NEXT:Wednesday, January 30, 2008
at La Salle @ 7 p.m.

AT A GLANCE
St. Bonaventure gladly returns home for just its third home game in the last 48 days as it welcomes Rhode Island to Bob Lanier Court. The Brown and White are still in search of their first Atlantic 10 victory and will try to put an end to their current four-game losing streak. The Rams were bumped from the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls after a three-week stint, but are still receiving a high number of votes in both. Tonight also marks the first meeting between first-year head coach Mark Schmidt and the program's former head coach Jim Baron.

SERIES HISTORY
The Rams enter tonight's contest having won four of the last five from St. Bonaventure and own a 32-22 edge in the all-time series. Current URI head coach and former Bona coach Jim Baron has been apart of each of the last 27 meetings between the two schools. Baron is 7-3 vs. the Brown and White over his six years as a Ram and went 8-9 against Rhode Island when guiding the Bonnies. St. Bonaventure has claimed four of the last six meetings at home and is 12-12 at the Reilly Center. Rhode Island owns the longest win streak in series history at 16 games, dating from 1986-93.

THIS DAY IN BONA BASKETBALL
playing on January 26, dating back to the 1975-76 season in the Bona record books - the final season that has actual dates recorded. The Bonnies past two January 26 contests both came at the Reilly Center against UMass. The most recent game in 2005 resulted in a 82-78 double-overtime loss.

HEAD COACHING MATCHUP
ST. BONAVENTURE HEAD COACH
Mark Schmidt
@ St. Bonaventure: 6-12 (First Season)
Overall: 88-102 (7th Season)
Vs. Rhode Island: 0-0

RHODE ISLAND HEAD COACH
Jim Baron
@ Rhode Island: 103-98 (Seventh Season)
Overall: 309-300 (21st Season)
Vs. St. Bonaventure: 7-3

SCOUTING THE RAMS
Tonight marks the 11th game of the season for the Rams away from the Ryan Center. Rhode Island has enjoyed the friendly confines of its home arena this season, evident by its 9-0 record. The Rams are 5-0 on neutral courts this season and 2-3 in true road games. Rhode Island picked up 14 of its Atlantic 10-best 16 wins during the non-conference portion of its schedule. The third-best scoring tandem in the conference, senior Will Daniels (18.6) and junior Jimmy Baron (15.9) combine for 34.5 points per night. Daniels, a preseason All-Conference selection and Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List member, ranks in the top 10 in the conference in scoring, rebounding (7.0) and field goal percentage (.507). Baron's 15.9 points per game are fueled by a team-high 66 three-pointers - a figure that is third-best in the A-10 and 17th nationally. In their seventh season under St. Bonaventure alum Jim Baron, the Rams have sported the same starting lineup in every game this season and have outscored their opponents by an average 11 points per contest.

LAST TIME OUT: BONNIES TRIPPED UP BY DUKES ON THE ROAD
Duquesne went deep on its bench to make up for the injury absence of shot-blocking Shawn James, returning to its two-unit rotation to quickly open a 14-point lead, and the Dukes went on to beat St. Bonaventure 83-67 on Wednesday night. Kieron Achara had 18 points and 12 rebounds and Duquesne (12-5, 2-2 in Atlantic 10), off to its best start since it had the same record in 1980-81, ended a two-game losing streak despite playing without its leading scorer and rebounder. Michael Lee scored 23 points, but St. Bonaventure (6-12, 0-4) lost its 11th in a row on the road dating to last season and its 10th straight under new coach Mark Schmidt. The Bonnies have lost four in a row overall and seven of eight. Dukes coach Ron Everhart went back to the two-platoon system he first introduced at this time a season ago. Duquesne has used that system at times this season, but Everhart has shortened his bench against some opponents when he felt the Dukes had matchup problems.

20/20 Vision
Seniors Michael Lee and Zarryon Fereti are starting to make a habit of scoring 20 points in the same game. They each have scored 20 points more in three games this season. Lee has reached 20 points on 11 occassions good for first in the A-10, while Fereti's four are already one more than he had all of last season.

HOME SWEET HOME
St. Bonaventure has enjoyed the friendly confines of the new Bob Lanier Court at The Reilly Center, boasting a 4-2 record. As a team, the Bonnies are 12 points better at home (70.2) and have a positive assist/turnover ratio. No one has enjoyed home more this season than senior Michael Lee who is averaging over nine points more at home (22.5) than on the road (13.1). Lee has scored 20 or more points in five of the team's six home contests.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE
The play of St. Bonaventure's three seniors will dictate the Bonnies success this season in the Atlantic 10 with such a young roster. Zarryon Fereti, Michael Lee and Tyler Relph have answered the call so far this season. The trio is averaging 40.4 points per game, 63 percent of the team's scoring. Each of them are in the program's top 100 scorers of all time and they hold the top three spots on team's current leading scorers list. At least one of the three has scored in double digits in every game, two of them in 12 games and three occasions when all three have it double figures.

SAVING HIS BEST FOR LAST
Senior Michael Lee is off to a furious start in his final season in the Brown and White. Lee leads the team nearly every statistical category, including scoring (17.7), rebounding (8.1), field goal percentage (.508) and steals (29). The A-10 leader in 20-point games, Lee's five double-doubles are second behind Fordham's Bryant Dunston for the league lead, giving him 12 for his career to go along with 61 games in double figures. He has also led the team in both scoring and rebounding 11 times. Below is a look at how Lee stacks up amongst the conference leaders.

WELCOME BACK
After missing the final four games of the 2006-07 campaign, senior Zarryon Fereti has returned to team and looks better than ever. Last year's third leading scorer (12.1 ppg), Fereti is second on the team with 14.5 points per game while sinking a team-high 37 three-pointers. He has led the team in scoring four times and is 16th in the Atlantic 10 in scoring. Earlier this season, Fereti became the third current Bonnie to enter the top 100 on the all-time scoring list and currently has 551 points, good for 81st place.

THEY KEEP GOING AND GOING
With a roster that features just eight scholarship players and four newcomers, loads of minutes have fallen on the team's returners. No one has felt the effects of the thin roster more than seniors Michael Lee and Zarryon Fereti. Fereti and Lee rank second (36.9) and third (36.6) in minutes per game, respectively, in the A-10. Each of them has only played under 30 minutes in one game this season and have gone the full 40 in five contests.