No, we didnt think about that, Crawford said. One team in the field was the University of Houston Cougars, coached by Guy Lewis, who ended up winning nearly 600 games in his 30 years as its head coach. Not a lot of people knew what they wanted to be at that age, but I did. As the game went on, you knew that was not going to happen., However, some solace was present in the opponent that cracked the streak. The 2014-15 St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball team represented St. Bonaventure University during the 2014-15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.The Bonnies, led by eighth year head coach Mark Schmidt, played their home games at the Reilly Center and were members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.They finished the season 18-13, 10-8 in A-10 play to finish in a three way tie for . OLEAN, NY The Olean Elks Club will offer patrons tacos or taco salads with a choice of hot, medium or mild sauce on Wednesday. But the All-American center suffered a serious knee injury in the 1970 East Regional title win over Villanova and the game but short-handed Bonnies couldnt overcome his absence in a 91-83 loss to Jacksonville in the national semifinal. In late December of that year, the two universities met for the championship of the highly regarded annual Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Holiday Festival in Madison Square Garden. He also writes about high school football recruiting, including The Register's annual FAB 15 teams that list the top high school football players in the Western U.S. before National Signing Day. He was selected All-A-10 First Team in 2003, the Second Team in 2004 and Third Team in 2002. Adaway (17 points, six rebounds) missed a dunk attempt with less than four minutes left, and Gibson Jimersons free throws cut the lead to six with 3:26 left. Crean Lutheran (18-3): Saints can clinch the Empire League title outright with a victory against Pacifica on Tuesday. If I miss that shot, it means Im the goat, and keep in mind that it would have broken the Bona winning streak, Stith added. They werent a great defensive team. This page was last edited on 12 October 2022, at 05:16. We tried to create a lot. He was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. The University at Buffalo began allowing football players who are from Western New York and who remained on campus during the spring semester to return to campus for voluntary workouts June 15, followed by players who live out of town. And then the worst thing in the world that could happen (vs. Villanova) Billys (Kalbaugh) going down on a break, I turn around, and boom, a guy falls into my knee. The final AP poll placed St. Bonaventure at #3 in the country, two spots behind the NCAA champion Ohio State team that featured Jerry Lucas, Larry Siegfried, Mel Nowell, John Havlicek, and Bobby Knight. In the preview story, an OTH reporter wrote, Its practically unanimous that the hapless men of Siena will be the 99th Armory victim. The reporter was correct: The Saints were marched out of Olean, 99-57. Hollis enjoyed a tremendously successful career, ranking seventh in program history with 1,798 points while he still stands second in rebounds with 939 - 9.2 per game over 109 contests. In launching this blog, I hope that fans enjoy the memories of some special games, both wins and losses, through the years. 1, Disneyland quietly removes controversial lyric from new parade soundtrack, Fannie Mae halts financing for 6,102 condos in Laguna Woods, Tax filing deadline moves to mid-October for most Californians, 2 arrested in Anaheim on suspicion of possessing $463,000 in stolen merchandise, Baram and Tioumentsev win World Junior title hours after their coach, Todd Sand, suffers heart attack, Lake Forest woman filed restraining order against daughter 8 years before being killed in their home, Taco Mesita opens flagship location in Old Town Tustin, California weighs $360,000 in reparations to eligible Black residents, OC Restaurant Week kicks off Sunday, March 5, Lake Forest man convicted of killing stepmom with pickaxe, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. National media, including Sports Illustrated, headed to the corner of Times Square and Barry Street for the February 25 spectacle. Though the Bonnies survived with a narrow victory over Niagara, 69-66, the streak appeared to be coming to an end in the final seconds of regulation. In fact, the Bonnies accepted the NCAA bid a month before the tournament started. By VINNY PEZZIMENTI Olean Times Herald Feb 19, 2023 ST. BONAVENTURE "Hope," St. Bonaventure basketball coach Mark Schmidt said, was all the Bonnies had left with 2.2 seconds left,. Weve got a lot of games left. The Bonnies had just come off consecutive road losses to two Top 20 teams. Woollard averaged just four points per game that season, yet his performance against St. Bonaventure was pivotal in dashing NCAA championship dreams. In March 2018, St. Bonaventure won its first NCAA Tournament game since the 1970 win against Villanova, a 65-58 victory against UCLA in a First Four game in Dayton, Ohio. Donovan called a timeout, and Stith headed to the team huddle with his head down, thinking that he was being pulled from the game for committing the foul. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Nonetheless, the defeat to Rutgers may have shown something to four of the Bona starters: Essie Hollis, Greg Sanders, Glenn Hagan, and Jim Baron. His No. I have been a fan of St. Bonaventure mens basketball for as long as I can remember. During NCAA Tournament runs in 1968 and 1970, he scored in double figures in every game he played with dominating performances. 31 on their uniforms this season, the school's athletic department anno, Lanier made the NBA All-Star Game in seven of his first eight seasons. Would you like to receive our ads to go? 3 national ranking before losing to North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA tourney. I think about the lasting memories and the lasting friendships I have to this day because of those guys I was in a trench with for so long.. For more information on the Centennial Season celebration, visit GoBonnies.com/100. Syracuse started the game in an uncharacteristic man-to-man defense instead of a 2-3 zone, something that surprised Satalin according to an Olean Times Herald post-game story. I enjoyed the enthusiasm and the friendships that were formed. I thought there was enough time left, he recalled. The following games against Oregon and Villanova featured three- and four-point wins, respectively. I lived and died with Bonas, he added. He was honored as a Jim Staunton Champion for Character by the CIF-Southern Section in 2017. An upset loss to Wake Forest in the 1961 NCAA tournament prevented any Bona hopes for a rematch with Ohio State. In the championship played before 12,897 fans, Ohio State charged to a quick 5-0 lead behind a three-point play by Lucas and later led, 17-9. Mark Jones A member of the 1970 NCAA Final Four team, Gantt scored 992 points and averaged 13.6 points per game during his career. The campaign for A Bolder Bonaventure Tour Stop: San Clemente, CA 4 March, 2023, 4 30 PM-7 30 PM Join us as we celebrate the beginning of Dr. Gingerich's tenure as president and launch the Campaign for A Bolder Bonaventure, the largest fundraising campaign in the university's history. Price was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994. The NBA confirmed Lanier's death in a statement by commissioner Adam Silver, which was posted to social media early Wednesday morning. However, the Little Three matchup was not a game to be taken lightly. On the day of the game, a writer for The Olean Times Herald predicted, It could be rough sledding before the century mark is recorded. Niagara entered as a 19.5-point underdog, but was hoping for a post-season NIT invitation. Yes, Wake Forest upset St. Bonaventure on March 17, 1961, in the NCAA Eastern Regional semifinal game before a capacity crowd of 12,000 in Charlotte, NC, a profound disappointment to Bona fans thinking about a national championship. He would play for his hometown New York Knicks and was a member of the inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame class. From the days of Butler Gymnasium and the Olean Armory through to the past five decades in the Reilly Center, St. Bonaventure basketball has remained a constant in the University community for the last century. In his three seasons, the Bona teams coached by Eddie Donovan amassed a record of 62-13, good for a .827 winning percentage. He didnt need to take any shots. GIRLS BASKETBALL TOP 25. It started under Coach Ed Melvin before Coach Eddie Donovan took over the Bona program in 1953. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. Thank you for signing in! A two-time ECAC All-Star (1976, '77), he was a co-captain of the NIT Championship Team in 1977, scoring 24 points in the championship game win over Houston after scoring in double figures in every game of that tournament. In Fall 1976, Jim Satalin knew his team was good. The 1966 Bennett High School graduate was a three-time Converse college All-America selection who helped the Bonnies reach the 1970 Final Four, and he became a Hall of Famer. Bob Lanier He was 73. Winn is also second all-time in steals with 319 and first in steals per game at 3.0 - he's also third all-time in Atlantic 10 career steals. According to a Sports Illustrated account from February 1961, St. Bonaventure was the first independent team chosen for the 1961 NCAA tournament. He is also first in career field goals made (944) and shot a .538 percentage, also grabbing over 600 rebounds. Bonaventure announced Tuesday that it will begin its fall academic semester Aug. 24. Lanier tearfully recounted his emotions during that time in an interview on the day of the Reilly Center Arena floor dedication, which was shared by St. Bonaventure. Donovan, however, kept Stith on the floor and instructed the Bonnies to run a set play. A player in the NBA for Washington and New Jersey, Vanterpool today is a well-respected NBA assistant coach, today with Minnesota and previous with Portland. David Vanterpool The MVP of the 1974 NBA All-Star game, Lanier had his No. Checking back? Stith, who passed the 2000-point mark in the subsequent consolation victory over Princeton, saw his spectacular career at St. Bonaventure come to an end, and, just two months after the Wake Forest loss, Donovan accepted a head coaching position with the New York Knicks. Satalin led a 20-6 squad to Princeton, NJ, to face Rutgers, a matchup with a team that the Bonnies had lost to 374 days prior in the previous season. When I got the job here 11 years ago, we heard the stories about 1970 and how disappointing it was that Lanier got hurt and they didn't have a chance to have a full team going to play Jacksonville," Schmidt said. That achievement belonged to the star 6-8 forward Len Chappellthe Tom Stith equivalent for Wake Forestwho had a 27 point per game average. Mr. Jester was born at St. Francis Hospital in. He specializes in football and all the aquatics but covers many different sports. St. Bonaventure reached the A-10 Tournament championship game each of the last two times it was played, falling to Saint Louis, 55-53, in 2019 and cruising as the No. Want to receive notice about our circulation promotions and contests? Pacifica Christian (18-5): The top-ranked team in Division 4A closes the regular season against 2A Rancho Christian on Saturday. To this point, it wasnt Stiths best moment in a Bona uniform. "For more than 30 years, Bob served as our global ambassador and as a special assistant to David Stern and to me, traveling the world to teach the game's value and make a positive impact on young people everywhere," Silver said in the statement. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The St. Bonaventure University women's basketball team is doing more than taking on the Richmond Spiders on Saturday in an Atlantic 10 matchup. 5. In 32 games (all starts), he averaged 18.5 points and 8.4 rebounds in 30.1 minutes per game. The spirit of St. Bonaventure is bigger than any one man, but no singular soul in 164 years has ever brought more honor, dignity, glory and love to bear at Bonas than Bob Lanier, said Mike Vaccaro, St. Bonaventure class of 1989, New York Post columnist and the foremost historian on Bonnies basketball. Lanier was awarded an honorary doctorate by his alma mater in 1985 and the Gaudete Medal, the universitys highest service award, in 2004. The new Bona coach, 24-year-old Larry Weise, inherited the team later that year. The Buckeyes lost their only game of the season in the NCAA championship game to Cincinnati. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Dan's passion for water sports has earned him the nickname, Aqua Dan, in the newsroom and taken him to multiple U.S. Olympic Swim Trials and many USA water polo events as a reporter. His success in the ensuing seasons propelled the program to new heights, which prompted kids like me to become ardent Bona fans and to keep special memories in all kinds of ways for decades to come. . Neither were we, quite frankly, but we and they were able to outscore teams most of the year. As a reserve on the Bona team in 1947-48, Donovan knew the history all too well. Both teams were similar in one way. That was our feeling. Providence (#15) upended St. Bonaventure, 82-75, before a Dick Vitale-coached Detroit squad (#19) defeated the Bonnies, 78-62, in the Motor City. It was a strong field, but we were really good that year, he said in looking back to that year. pic.twitter.com/8GD9BhKt7C. Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. The defensive guy played me for the charge, so I pulled up and banked it off the backboard, Stith remembered. Get our expert short-term forecast, summary of the weather details and news of any severe weather. There was an error processing your request. The Bonnies last loss had come to Niagara on February 11, 1948. I'm a college/high school sports enterprise reporter at The Buffalo News. 8. After all, the game was played a month before I was born, well before I remember listening to Don McLean call games as a kid. The final OSU starter that evening, forward Bobby Knight, later became one of the most winning college basketball coaches in history. A Bonaventure athletic department spokesperson confirmed Thursday to The News that mens basketball players will return to campus July 18 and 19 for offseason workouts, and womens basketball players will return to campus July 25. We played the best teams, which proved to me that I was right in saying that we were good enough to win this thing, he said. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Love u big guy . Then came February 25 with Niagaras visit to the Armory. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, City mourns Buffalo firefighter Jason Arno as investigation into fatal fire launches, Buffalo firefighter makes 'ultimate sacrifice' in blaze that may have sparked backdraft, Paula's Donuts to move Clarence store that faced backlash for tax breaks to Amherst, Vandal damages 'brokenhearted' Russell Salvatore's tribute park in Lancaster, Chad Hall's departure from Buffalo Bills to Jaguars remains a bit of a mystery. This blog certainly wouldnt be happening without them. I'm a college/high school sports enterprise reporter at The Buffalo News. He finished his career with 1,112 points, 620 rebounds and shot .761 from the free throw line. pic.twitter.com/a3ynIFGshp. Its just that youre not there to help them. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, City mourns Buffalo firefighter Jason Arno as investigation into fatal fire launches, Buffalo firefighter makes 'ultimate sacrifice' in blaze that may have sparked backdraft, Paula's Donuts to move Clarence store that faced backlash for tax breaks to Amherst, Vandal damages 'brokenhearted' Russell Salvatore's tribute park in Lancaster, Chad Hall's departure from Buffalo Bills to Jaguars remains a bit of a mystery. Havlicek won eight NBA championships with the Boston Celtics, and both he and Lucas were named to the 50 greatest NBA player list in 1997. The Bonnies, led by eighth year head coach Mark Schmidt, played their home games at the Reilly Center and were members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. It was always a great experience, especially when Niagara would come in, he said. Unique in its own way, the Armory offered something special for those sitting in the first row of the courtside bleachers: Their feet actually straddled the out-of-bounds lines. The 1994-1995 team brought impressive victories to the Reilly Center that included wins over SEC foes Mississippi State and Mississippi as well as over Louisville, Virginia Tech, and VCU. Despite an overall winning record that included an upset over top-ranked Saint Louis in the A-10 tournament quarterfinals, the Bonnies were not invited to a postseason bid due to an inability to come to an agreement with the College Basketball Invitational. He was, in those years, a box-score stuffer with per-game averages of 2, The question is a slam dunk for any St. Bonaventure alumnus or any Western New York basketball fan who can remember, We played here 50 years ago, but it feels like 10, Billy Kalbaugh told a standing and cheering crowd of, St. Bonaventure will honor the 50th anniversary of the Final Four team on Saturday at the Reilly Center on a busy. St. Bonaventure basketball players return to campus this month. Each player added eight rebounds apiece. The third all-time leading scorer in program history with 2,077 points from 1977-81, he finished his career 15th in rebounds (650) as well as third in free throw percentage (.831). Dan Albano has been a high school sports writer at The Orange County Register since 1993. Sign Up Today! The Latest St. Bonaventure Bonnies Basketball (Olean Times Herald) News | SportSpyder Sign in MLB NFL NBA NHL NCAAB NCAAF MLS Premier More Shop My Podcasts Follow Team News Tweets Players Widgets Loading. But it was Laniers three years with the Bonnies that helped solidify their spot in college basketball lore, and helped catapult Lanier to a Hall of Fame professional basketball career. Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane on salary cap, Gabe Davis expectations, Damar Hamlin update and more, Sabres place Alex Tuch on injured reserve; top-line winger's status is uncertain, Owner of Buffalo CPA firm denies claims of financial, workplace wrongdoing, Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to take year off from coaching, Yellow Corp. to close two trucking terminals, Sabres acquire defenseman Riley Stillman from Vancouver for prospect Josh Bloom, 14 police agencies break up fights outside Boulevard Mall, Democrats explore blue-collar struggles as brand is 'damaged', Erie County comptroller calls for state to investigate Forest Lawn, A humble icon: Western New York basketball personalities recall St. Bonaventure great Bob Lanier, St. Bonaventure to honor basketball great Bob Lanier this season, Erik Brady: Bob Lanier is one of the NBA's best. Glenn Hagan The OTH story summarized the sentiment: It was as final as death. The following morning was a somber one for Bona fans. When the team went belly up in the A-10 tournment, it was like our hopes were dashed, he said. They werent built that way. Lanier died Tuesday in Arizona. ALLEGANY The St. Bonaventure mens basketball team likely let out a collective sigh of relief as the buzzer sounded Monday night at the Reilly Center. Sign Up Today! My wife has never watched a St. Bonaventure (SBU) mens basketball game, but she deserves an assist on leading me to learn more about the loss that effectively ended the hopes of an NCAA championship on a gloomy St. Patricks Day in 1961. The following season in the NCAA Tournament, he poured in 19 points vs. Penn. In 2015, Dan received the Bud Dwyer Jr. media award from the Southern California High School Football Coaches Association. Each team shot 34 free throws with Wake Forest sinking five more than Coach Eddie Donovans squad. In addition, only five baskets were scored from the field by both teams in the final nine minutes of regulation. Wake Forest lost its next game, the Eastern Regional finals, to a Jack Ramsay-coached St. Joes team. Ten first-half turnovers were a part of the five-point Bona deficit at halftime. Bird, the #3 scoring leader in the nation, poured in 44 points in the 83-82 loss. You have permission to edit this article. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. 4. Of course not, Crawford replied without a second thought. If it was a different team that might have been able to milk the clock more or wanted to do that, that might have been [different]. The men's basketball team's 2019-20 season ended March 12, before it played its first game in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. The Bonnies reeled off another four straight victories to end the regular season at 20-5. Meanwhile, Ohio State featured a powerful squad, highlighted by All-American and US Olympic star center Jerry Lucas who averaged 25 points and 18 rebounds a game. Rosary (13-7): Kaylee Byon had 30 points and seven assists in a 65-55 victory against Orange Lutheran last week. RIP BOB! He earned Atlantic 10 Player of the Year twice (1980, '81) and helped the Bonnies to a 70-41 record during his career before earning selection to the Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991. Vanterpool stands 14th all-time in career scoring with 1,474 points and is also among the program's leaders in assists (401, eighth), rebounding (630, 22nd) and three-pointers (106, 19th). But when I ran back down the court and tried to pivot, my leg collapsed. It was a labor of love for Bob, who was one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever been around. The St. Bonaventure Basketball Centennial Season All-Time Team: Jaylen Adams OSU was ranked #1 in both the UPI and AP postseason polls; SBU came in third place in both rankings. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. This outcome was different, however, with Glenn Hagan scoring the winning shot in the 79-77 overtime win. His No. As part of the St. Bonaventure Basketball Centennial Season celebration, the Athletics Department gathered voting from fans and partnered with some of the most well-versed individuals on the history of the program to create an All-Time Team. Bob Lanier, St. Bonaventure and NBA legend, dies at 73. He ranks fifth in rebounds with 849 including a career-high 305 in 1966-67. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? The 73-point output by St. Bonaventure was the lowest of the season. In the 1961 NCAA Tournament, he posted 34 points and 16 rebounds in a first round win over Rhode Island, then had 19 points and 10 boards in a second round setback vs. Wake Forest and scored in double figures in every postseason game he played. Sign Up Today! Lanier graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1970 with a degree in business, and his name is on the basketball court at the Reilly Center in Allegany, an honor bestowed in 2007. An upset against the second-ranked Bonnies would add to its resume. It was the little engine that could in St. Bonaventure going against Ohio State, Crawford summarized. He was a consensus All-American each season. His 40 points hid one other key statistic: He collected a game-high 12 rebounds, an area of the game that some saw tilting toward Houston and its leading rebounder Mike Schultz prior the game. We had so much fun together over the years in Motown . College/high school sports enterprise reporter. According to the OTH writer, they were dazed as though in disbelief that a dear friend had departed from this life.. The Reilly Center Arena court where the Bonnies have played since 1966 was named after Lanier in 2007. Bob Woollard, a 6-10 center later drafted by the New York Knicks, scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds off the Wake Forest bench to contribute to the Demon Deacon win. An eight-time NBA All-Star and member of the 1970-71 All-Rookie team, Lanier scored more than 19,000 points over his 14-year career with Detroit and Milwaukee, averaging 20.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals while shooting 51.4 percent from the field. Posting up: Memories of St. Bonaventure basketball, December 1960: A chance to beat the #1 team in the country, Francis Tommasino: The NIT home win in 1995, The launching of Posting up: Memories of St. Bonaventure basketball. 25 was retired in 2007. The 78-73 setback to Wake Forest in the NCAA East Regional semifinals at the Charlotte Coliseum was unique from the outset. The college transitioned to distance learning and online classes in March. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The Bonnies are fifth in the Atlantic 10 standings, and have six games left in the regular season a stretch run that could help propel the Bonnies into the Atlantic 10 tournament, which begins March 9 in Washington, D.C. Were not trying to get comfortable, or satisfied where were at, said Bona center Osun Osunniyi, who led his team with 21 points and three blocks. This weeks Orange County high school girls basketball rankings. Bremer also had memorable postseason performances - in the 2000 NCAA Tournament, he posted 17 points vs. Kentucky, then had 26 points vs. Pitt in the 2001 NIT and 29 points vs. Syracuse in the 2002 NIT. The 201415 St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball team represented St. Bonaventure University during the 201415 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. He earned a spot in the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. Along with an online fan vote and at games this season resulting in over 2,000 votes, a group of Olean Times Herald columnist and former sports editor Chuck Pollock and former beat writer Mike Vaccaro '89 along with current Olean Times Herald sports editor JP Butler '07 and longtime voice of the Bonnies Gary Nease selected from a group of 60 players for All-Time Team consideration.