Tuesday night marked the beginning of the season for both the Siena Saints and the No. 23 ranked St. Bonaventure Bonnies. Fans returned to the Reilly Center for regular season action for the first time since March of 2020.
The Bonnies unveiled not one, not two, but three banners on Tuesday night prior to tip-off. The banners celebrated their achievements of Atlantic-10 regular season champions, A-10 Tournament champions, and their berth in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
The celebration was fun, but 7 o’clock hit, the ball went up, and the atmosphere was electric. It may have been the loudest I’ve seen the place in my experience. The Bonnies used an electric second half to power themselves to a dominant 75-47 win.
Bonnies-Saints Recap
To be somewhat expected, the Bonnies came out a little slow, trailing by as many as 10 points eight minutes into the game. It didn’t last long though, as seniors (and NBA Draft prospects) Osun Osunniyi and Kyle Lofton did what Bonnies fans are used to seeing, leading their team to the opening night win. Lofton and fellow guard Jaren Holmes had a game high in points, with 17 a piece.
It was former Canisius high school product Jayce Johnson and guard Aidan Carpenter leading the way for the Saints with 10 points apiece. Senior forward Jackson Stormo had some struggles, being held to six points on just 3-for-10 shooting from the field.
A main reason for the success of the Bonnies was the fact that they were able to win the turnover battle rather handedly. The Bonnies turned the ball over just six times, which is limited in comparison to the 15 turnovers by the Saints. Although Bonnies struggled from behind the arc, they had no problem putting up points in the paint, winning that battle 44-14.
It’s hard to say that things get even better after a blowout win like this one, but they do. The Bonnies are a great three-point shooting team, and as mentioned, that shot left them tonight. Senior forward Domenick Welch shot just 2-for-7 from three. As we know, when he gets hot, there may not be a better shooter on the floor. There will be more attempts from deep by the Bonnies as the season goes on, as the team attempted just 14 shots from that range.
Something to monitor will be the status of Osunniyi throughout the week. The star big man left the game with injury with about 14 minutes to go. He appeared for a few minutes later in the half before exiting again for the rest of the night. Despite the injury, Ossuniyi was a definitive presence on both sides of the floor. He finished with nine points, six rebounds, and seven blocks.
The Bonnies will host the Canisius Golden Griffins on Sunday. It will at home in the Reilly Center at 5 o’clock PM EST.
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