Feb. 15, 2008

Game Notes 

AT A GLANCE
With four of its final seven games at the Reilly Center, St. Bonaventure will look to make a push for an A-10 Tournament berth tonight against George Washington. Both teams are currently on the outside looking in on the 12-team field and tonight's game will prove crucial to each team's postseason hopes. The visiting Colonials have yet to win a game on the road this season and take on a Bona club that is 5-4 on Bob Lanier Court. St. Bonaventure will try to rid itself of its current two-game slide and four-game losing streak to George Washington.

SERIES HISTORY
The Colonials have taken the last four meetings and 9 of 11 from St. Bonaventure. After going 18-7 in the first 25 meetings between the two teams, the Bonnies have won just five games in the last 25 meetings. All five of those wins have come at the Reilly Center where the Brown and White are 13-8 against the Colonials. George Washington has scored 80 or more points in all six games against the Bonnies under Karl Hobbs, going 5-1. The Colonials own the longest win streak in the series at nine games, stretching from 1990-93.

THIS DAY IN BONA BASKETBALL
St. Bonaventure is 6-5 all-time when playing on February 16, dating back to the 1975-76 season in the Bona record books - the final season that has actual dates recorded. The Brown and White last win on this date came in 2002, at the Reilly Center as the Bonnies overcame an eight-point deficit with 10 minutes to go for an 90-84 win over Fordham. Five players scored in double figures led by J.R. Bremer's game-high 27 points. The Rams shot 62 percent from the floor but were plagued by 24 turnovers.

HEAD COACHING MATCHUP
ST. BONAVENTURE HEAD COACH
Mark Schmidt
@ St. Bonaventure: 7-16(First Season)
Overall: 89-106 (7th Season)
Vs. George Washington: 0-0

GEORGE WASHINGTON HEAD COACH
Karl Hobbs
@ GW: 120-79 (Seventh Season)
Overall: same
Vs. St. Bonaventure: 5-1

Scouting the colonials
Like the Bonnies, George Washington has been dampened by its inability to win on the road. The reigning Atlantic 10 Tournament champions, the Colonials are 0-10 on the road this season heading into tonight's contest on Bob Lanier Court. Oddly enough, George Washington has come away victorious in its last two visits to the Reilly Center. George Washington's road struggles can be partly attributed to a young roster and the play of senior guard Maureece Rice. A preseason All-Conference selection and 2007 A-10 Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Rice's 9.9 points per game ranks third on the team and is six points below his season average in 2006-07. Rice has shown flashes of his junior season in conference play with a pair of 20-point efforts. The Colonials sport an extremely athletic frontcourt in junior Rob Diggs and Wynton Witherspoon and sophomore Damian Hollis. Diggs leads the team in both scoring (13.9) and rebounding (7.7), while Witherspoon ranks in the top three on the team in every statistical category. Hollis, the son of former Bona great Essie Hollis, has continued to impress in his second season with 7.5 points and 6.2 boards.

no longer a freshman
So-called freshman Matt Morgan has turned the corner in his first season in the Brown and White. Now with 21 games under his belt, Morgan looks as though he's made the adjustment to the collegiate game and coach Mark Schmidt and the Bonnies are reaping the benefits. The Handover, Md. product has won back-to-back A-10 Rookie of the Week honors and is fourth on the team's in both scoring (7.2) and rebounding (4.1) in conference play. Over the last six games, Morgan has scored in double figures four times and has accumulated more points over that span than he did in his first 15 games.

Bonnies In FEBRUARY
St. Bonaventure is 110-153 in the month of February for a .421 win percentage dating back to 1975. The Bonnies are 3-15 at home over the last four seasons and 63-64 all-time. The Brown and White have won just one of their last 14 games on the road in February. Below is a look at how the current Bonnies have fared in February.

* - Assists Per Game

two tyler's make a right
In their nine games in the starting lineup together, senior Tyler Relph and junior Tyler Benson have combined to given the Bonnies some stability with their consistent play. The duo has combined for 17.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game over the nine-game span. The most impressive statistic is their 1.67 (70/42) assist/turnover ratio. Benson has been the primary source to the positive assist/turnover ratio, dishing out 27 assists while committing just nine turnovers. Relph has picked up the slack at the offensive end, collecting 10.8 points and 4.8 helpers per game.

TWO IN A ROW
Freshman forward Matt Morgan earned his second consecutive A-10 Rookie of the Week award on Sunday after an impressive performance off the bench against Charlotte. Morgan is the fourth A-10 freshman this season to win the award in back-to-back weeks and the fifth two-time recipient. The Landover, Md. product topped his season-high in points for the third time in the last five games with a career-best 17 points on Saturday night against the 49ers. Morgan added seven rebounds, including five on the offensive end, while shooting 8-of-9 from the floor in 25 minutes.

Saving His Best For Last
Senior Michael Lee is having a career year in his final season in the Brown and White. Lee leads the team nearly every statistical category, including scoring (17.0), rebounding (8.0) and steals (38). 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. Lee is tied for second in the league lead with seven doubles and third in 20-point games (12). He has also scored in double figures 18 times and has led the team in both scoring and rebounding 14 times. Below is a look at how Lee stacks up amongst the conference leaders.

just around the corner
With eight games remaining in the regular season, some of St. Bonaventure players are approaching some personal and program milestones. Below are some numbers to keep track of.

Michael Lee
2 field goals away setting a career season-best
4 assists short of 100 for his career
6 double figure games away from 70
7 three-pointers shy of 50 for his career
8 points shy of becoming 21st player to hit 1,300
30 points away from become one of the program's top 20 all-time scorers
64 rebounds short of the top 10 in school history

Tyler Relph
8 three-pointers shy of passing 2005 graduate Patrick Lottin for 5th place in career threes
15 rebounds shy of 200 for his career
16 assists shy of his first 100-assist season
23 points shy of 800 for his career
97 points shy of entering the top 50 all-time in scoring

Zarryon Fereti
7 rebounds shy of doubling his season total from 2006-07 (50) and 150 for his career
11 field goal makes away from 200 for his career
14 trifectas short of entering the top 10 single-season list in made threes
34 minutes away from 1,500 for his career
79 points short of 700

Tyler Benson
1 three-pointer away from 50 for his career
1 assist shy of 50 for the season
42 point away from doubling 2006-07 season total (86)
60 minutes played away from 1,000