Jan. 29, 2008

Complete Game Notes in PDF Format

GAME DAY CENTRAL
DATE:Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008
SITE:Tom Gola Arena (4,000)
TIP-OFF: 7:00 p.m.
RADIO:WPIG (95.7 FM) & WHDL (1450 AM) - Olean
WXRL (1300 AM) - Buffalo
WHTK (1280 AM) - Rochester
TALENT:Gary Nease (play-by-play)
WEB AUDIO & VIDEO: www.GoBonnies.com
SERIES: La Salle leads, 10-8
UP NEXT:Saturday, February 2, 2008
vs. Duquesne @ 4 p.m.

AT A GLANCE
Still in search of its first road win of the Mark Schmidt era, St. Bonaventure hits the road for the fourth time in Atlantic 10 play as it travels to Philadelphia to take on La Salle. Tonight's meeting is the second in exactly two weeks between the two clubs, as the Explorers came away victorious in the first meeting at the Reilly Center. The Brown and White will look to snap their 11-game road losing streak that dates back to last season. The Bonnies have won just three out of their last 35 A-10 road contests since the 2003-04 season, including a 1-13 mark in January.

SERIES HISTORY
The Explorers have taken five of the last six contests from the Bonnies after dropping six in a row in the series. St. Bonaventure is 3-2 all-time at Tom Gola Arena, but has fallen in its last two appearances. In four career games against La Salle, senior Michael Lee is averaging 13.5 points, 7.5 boards and has scored in double figures in each of the last three contest

THIS DAY IN BONA BASKETBALL
St. Bonaventure is 5-6 all-time when playing on January 30, dating back to the 1975-76 season in the Bona record books - the final season that has actual dates recorded. The Bonnies have won their past two January 30 contest with the last coming in 1999. In that game, the Brown and White outscored Temple 49-31 in the second half en route to a convincing 16-point victory at the RC. Isaac King scored 24 points on a program record eight three-pointers, while Tim Winn contributed 20 points.

HEAD COACHING MATCHUP
ST. BONAVENTURE HEAD COACH
Mark Schmidt
@ St. Bonaventure: 6-13 (First Season)
Overall: 88-103 (7th Season)
Vs. LaSalle: 0-1

LA SALLE HEAD COACH
Dr. John Giannini
@ La Salle: 45-59 (Fourth Season)
Overall: 342-209 (19th Season)
Vs. St. Bonaventure: 3-1

SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS
Since beating the Bonnies on their home floor two weeks ago, La Salle has posted a 1-2 mark in the Atlantic 10, including 0-2 at home. Every game at Tom Gola Arena this season has been decided by 10 points or less with the Explorers coming out on top just two times. La Salle is led by its backcourt combination of senior Darnell Harris and sophomore Rodney Green. One of the best shooters in the nation, Harris ranks second in the A-10 in both three-pointers per game (3.8) and three-point percentage (.489). Both of those statistics both rank in the top 10 nationally. Harris ripped St. Bonaventure for a team-high 21 points, including 19 in the second half, two weeks ago. A prototypical point guard in a 6-foot-5 frame, Green does most of his damage around the hoop, while also leading the team in assists (48) and steals (25). Green's 12.9 points per game feature just eight made three-pointers, but is complimented by a team-high 56 made free throws and a 46 percent shooting clip inside the arc. Freshman Jerrell Williams leads the team with 7.5 boards per game and is third in scoring (9.8). Williams is the reigning conference Rookie of the Week and has claimed the accolade three times this season.

LAST TIME OUT: BONNIES FALL TO URI, 89-77
After failing to stop a high-octane Rhode Island offense in the first half, St. Bonaventure gave the visiting Rams all they could handle over the final 20 before falling 89-77 on Saturday night in front of 5,236 fans on Bob Lanier Court at the Reilly Center. Atlantic 10 preseason All-Conference selection and Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List member Will Daniels scored 24 points as the Rams improved to 17-3 overall and 3-2 in the conference. Junior Jimmy Baron and senior point guard Parfait Bitee each chipped in with 18 and 16 points, respectively, while combining for 11 assists without committing a turnover. The Brown and White (6-13, 0-5) received gutsy efforts from its starting backcourt trio as seniors Tyler Relph and Zarryon Fereti along with junior Tyler Benson combined for 53 points. Fereti led the way with his fifth 20-point effort of the season, going for a game-high 26 on 5-of-9 from three-point range and 9-of-10 from the line. Relph accumulated his 16 points in various ways while adding four assists. Like Relph, Benson also knocked down three long range shots, finishing with 11 points and six rebounds.

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 40.8 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. They also hold two of the top three spots on the team in rebounding, assists and steals. At least one of the three has scored in double digits in every game, two of them in 13 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 (17.2), rebounding (8.0), field goal percentage (.496) and steals (30). The A-10 leader in 20-point games, Lee's five double-doubles are tied for third behind Fordham's Bryant Dunston and La Salle's Jerrell William, 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. Lee and Rhode Island's Will Daniels are the only two players in the A-10 that rank in the top 10 in points per game, rebounds per game and field goal percentage. 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 at 15.1 points per game while sinking a team-high 42 three-pointers. He's led the team in scoring five times and is 12th 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 577 points, good for 79th 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 (37.0) and fourth (36.3) 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.

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 occasions, good for first in the A-10, while Fereti's five 20-point outings are already two more than he had all of last season.