Dont foul. He actually played in the game. Both teams were similar in one way. 10. St. Bonaventure had its own challenge in the first round. Sign Up Today! If I went one more step, I would have run into him. Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again. Syracuse got the subsequent NCAA bid (32 teams at the time) and lost in the second round to Charlotte, 81-59. $3.00 Having set an NCAA record for the highest freshman free throw percentage (88.4 percent) in 1979, Jones went on to become the seventh-leading scorer in program history at the time he finished his career. The St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball (formerly the St. Bonaventure Brown Indians) team is the college basketball team that represents St. Bonaventure University, located near the city of Olean, New York.The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference and plays its home games at the Reilly Center.The Bonnies are currently coached by all-time coaching wins leader Mark . Wake Forest lost its next game, the Eastern Regional finals, to a Jack Ramsay-coached St. Joes team. 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. Lanier averaged 26.2 points and 15.6 rebounds per game. Instead the win over Niagara became a signature game for Stith en route to the Bona Athletics Hall of Fame honor. He earned All-American honors in 1977 and was an eighth round draft choice of the New York Knicks in 1978. Stith fouled a Niagara player, who made both free throws to put the Purple Eagles ahead by a point. I've worked in sports journalism since 1997 and I have covered everything from college football to the Stanley Cup playoffs, high school sports and the NCAA Tournament. The captain of the 1959-60 team when he averaged 20.5 ppg, his No. The games were often the topic of wintertime conversations at school, the neighbors hoop, the dinner table, and really anywhere in the community. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. ", NBA Commissioner Adam Silvers statement regarding the passing of Bob Lanier. Neil J. O'Connell, OFM, 84, former president of St. Bonaventure University, died Thursday evening (March 24, 2022) at the nursing care unit of St. Elizabeth Motherhouse in Allegany . By the time that Stith joined the varsity squad in 1957, the streak of victories in the Olean (NY) Armory had gained national attention. But in the final five minutes, Saint Louis trailed 77-69 and attempted one more rally, despite Collins fouling out with 4:03 left. Coach Donovans team had cruised by DePaul, Providence, Boston College, and third-ranked Bradley earlier that month. I think everybody thought they were going to win. A post-game commentary in The Bona Venture concluded, When a coach is allowed to pass the ball into one of his players and this results in a score for his team, it is apparent that the officials either dont care or are blindor both., On top of this, a story in the Charlotte Observer referred to a clock malfunction in the scoreboard in the final minutes of regulation, leading to anxious inquiries about the time remaining.. Of course not, Crawford replied without a second thought. The good thing was that they played a style that was similar to ours in that they loved to get up and down [the court]. In addition, he was the NBA Rookie of the Year with the Detroit Pistons and played professionally for the Bucks as well. Bad rotations on the defensive end and unnecessary fouls put them in the 1-and-1 (on free throws).. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. We werent in the right places at the right time. Saint Louis began Monday at No. Despite the vast difference in school sizes, the Bonnies were not intimidated by the likes of Ohio State. His 22.5 points per game is still good for third all-time among Bona players. 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). The University's first consensus All-American, he ranks fifth in program history with 2,052 points including the '59-60 season when he averaged 31.5 ppg, the all-time program record. I enjoyed the enthusiasm and the friendships that were formed. Stith had an almost unstoppable hook shot and won more national attention for the program than any other player up to that time. In an interview on the day of the Reilly Center Arena floor dedication in 2007, Lanier wept recalling how devastated he was not being able to play in the Final Four. As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. The men's basketball team's 2019-20 season ended March 12, before it played its first game in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. Three of the seven Bona players fouled out as the team committed a season-high 24 fouls. He even has a mention in pop culture, in the movie "Airplane!," when a young fan recognizes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar disguised as a co-pilot named Roger Murdock and insists the Los Angeles Lakers center doesnt give enough effort. Then, after Adaway missed the back end of a pair of free-throw attempts, Fred Thatch Jr.s 3-pointer cut Bonas lead to 78-74 with 3:03 remaining. You have permission to edit this article. The point guard of the 1977 NIT Championship team, Hagan established the career assists record for the program with 486 (4.7 apg), a total that still ranks fourth today. We didnt finish the way we needed to, said Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt, whose team was 9 for 16 on free throws, including 4 for 9 in the final 3:20. Just how good was the story. 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. A crowd of 12,451 packed Madison Square Garden for the 1pm tip on March 20, and Houston star Otis Birdsong was ready. The Holiday Festival championship was the firstand onlytime that St. Bonaventure faced Ohio State in the extensive basketball history of both schools. The St. Bonaventure University women's basketball team is doing more than taking on the Richmond Spiders on Saturday in an Atlantic 10 matchup. It was always a great experience, especially when Niagara would come in, he said. In 32 games (all starts), he averaged 18.5 points and 8.4 rebounds in 30.1 minutes per game. Nelson-Richards scored nearly half (16) of the Bona points in that half and eventually led all scorers with 24 points. Otis Birdsong, the Houston star who was #4 in scoring in the nation and a UPI first team All-American, led the Cougars with 30 points. 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]. Both The Bona Venture and Olean Times Herald reports of the game referred to numerous traveling infractions called against the Bonnies. ); The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. He became the seventh player in the 35-year history of the league to earn both Rookie and Player of the Year honors and the first St. Bonaventure player to earn the top overall award since Earl Belcherwon two such honors in 1980 and 1981. I didnt know at the time I had torn my MCL. 1 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 1970 NBA draft, after a season in which he averaged 29.1 points a game. As a student at St. Bonaventure (SBU), I had the joy of interning in the Sports Information office and experiencing the excitement of Reilly Center games from a pressbox perspective. Belcher averaged 19.9 points per game and was a member of the NCAA Tournament team in 1978, and also played on the 1979 NIT team. Hollis got into early foul trouble in the 85-72 loss. He ranks fifth in rebounds with 849 including a career-high 305 in 1966-67. The later assistant coach of the program was inducted to the SBU Hall of Fame in 1989. Bird, the #3 scoring leader in the nation, poured in 44 points in the 83-82 loss. Had he missed that shot, there was still time for us, he said. Sage Hill (16-9): Lightning will say goodbye to the San Joaquin League after this weeks games against St. Margarets and Webb. Recruiting buzz is already building just days after the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team's season ended at the hands of the LSU Tigers in the NCAA Tournament. Jump to Sections of this page I lived and died with Bonas, he added. Mater Dei (19-3): Monarchs conclude regular season Friday at potentially undefeated Camarillo and UCLA-bound Gabriela Jaquez. I'm a college/high school sports enterprise reporter at The Buffalo News. Ask Sam Stith, the legendary player who scored over 1100 points in his three varsity seasons at St. Bonaventure University (SBU) from 1957-60. During his time with the Bonnies, he sank 192 three-pointers, good for fourth in program history. Sign Up Today! They responded. 6. In the end, Lucas collected 21 rebounds and missed only seven shots from the field in scoring 32 points. 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. Orange County girls basketball top 25, Jan. 31, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Saturdays OC schedule for the basketball, soccer CIF SoCal Regional playoffs, Marina girls basketball earns its revenge against Gahr, advances to regional semifinals, Boys and girls basketball: Thursdays scores, updated schedule for CIF SoCal Regional playoffs, Strong finish lifts Orange Lutheran past St. Pius X-St. Matthias in boys basketball regional playoffs, St. Bernard falls short against Mater Dei in boys basketball regional playoffs, Live high school updates: CIF Southern California Regional basketball, soccer playoffs, Orange County girls water polo Top 10: Orange Lutheran finishes No. Lanier was also in the movie, The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, about a losing basketball team that attempts to reverse its fortunes with the help of an astrologers advice. Hagan helped clinch the 1977 NIT Championship with clutch efforts in the postseason: He knocked in the game-winning shot for a win over Rutgers, finishing with 26 points. Niagara and Duquesne upended St. Bonaventure toward the end of the regular season with the consecutive setbacks occurring within five days of each other. 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. For St. Bonaventure, there would be no rematch against Ohio State, which eventually suffered an overtime loss to Cincinnati in the NCAA championship game. Bob transcended race, united a campus and, by the way, was one of the best basketball players who ever lived. His recognition included: Associated Press All-American (1959-60 and 1960-61); United Press International All-American (1959-60 and 1960-61); Look Magazine All-American (1960-61); Sporting News All-American (1959-60 and 1960-61); Catholic Digest All-American (1960-61) and ECAC All-East (1960-61) among others. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. He was also A-10 second team in 1983 and the captain of the 1983 NIT team before being selected to the SBU Hall of Fame in 1995. St. Bonaventure needs to capitalize on the remainder of their schedule, including four games against teams that are in the bottom half of the , Starting this weekend, spectators who attend basketball games at St. Bonaventure won't be required to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination for e. Lanier was also known for his legendary extra-large sneakers, size 22, one of which has been on display at the Buffalo History Museum. Winds light and variable.. Cloudy. It was the next-to-last game of his radio tenure that was recalled with fondness. Named MVP of the 1977 NIT, he is St. Bonaventure's career leader in points with 2,238 (1974-78). Lanier played for 14 seasons in the NBA, with the Pistons and Bucks, and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. In a game with likely NCAA implications, Syracuse enacted revenge in the ECAC tournament game at the Manley Field House in Syracuse in early March. Bona also retired his uniform number, 31. Hollis scored 27 of Bonnies first 50 points as they headed into halftime with a comfortable 52-33 lead. Greg Sanders This weeks Orange County high school girls basketball rankings. More Videos. He blocked out. His No. 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. Looking back 45 years later, Satalin recalled, It was certainly a challenge for me to coach against someone of that stature, but I felt ok going into the game. With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. National media, including Sports Illustrated, headed to the corner of Times Square and Barry Street for the February 25 spectacle. Would you like to receive our sports news? 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Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. As a senior in 201112, Nicholson earned Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors in addition to All-American Honorable Mention, and First Team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Defensive team honors. Bonaventure will also institute hygiene and cleaning measures in its athletic department. You have permission to edit this article. In only his fourth season as the Bonnies head coach, Jim Satalin found himself in the national spotlight against famed coached Guy Lewis. Bona inducted Lanier into its athletics hall of fame in 1975, and he was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. 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. College/high school sports enterprise reporter. This page was last edited on 12 October 2022, at 05:16. ALLEGANY - Rev. Mater Dei (19-3): Monarchs conclude regular season Friday at potentially undefeated Camarillo and UCLA-bound Gabriela Jaquez. Get our expert short-term forecast, summary of the weather details and news of any severe weather. The Atlantic 10 announced the pairings Thursday. The Bonnies were 90th on Monday, and should move up with the win. Crean Lutheran (18-3): Saints can clinch the Empire League title outright with a victory against Pacifica on Tuesday. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the A-10 Tournament where they lost to Dayton. They lost their last regular season game at third-ranked Rutgers, 85-80, in a heartbreaking defeat. Promotional Rates were found for your code. He was the kind of guy who did all the dirty work. He had scholarship offers to more than 80 colleges to play basketball, but stayed close to home at Bona. The 5-9 junior guard for the Demon Deacons averaged 17 points per game, but wasnt the scoring leader for the squad. A four-year floor general, Winn was a program-changing recruit for Jim Baron. 2. (); : Hollis layup at the buzzer electrified the Bona crowd in capping off its first post-season tournament championship. Hollis was a second round pick of the New Orleans Jazz in 1977 and also played for the Detroit Pistons (1978-79). David Vanterpool You have permission to edit this article. Still the Purple Eagles of Niagara nearly sent SBU fans home from the Armory in shock. In fact, no college basketball fan can bring up St. Bonaventure without the association of Lanier, the larger-than-life Buffalo native. The students put me on their shoulders and carried me off the court, he recounted, adding that he almost hit his head on the overhang in exiting the Armory court. The Bob Lanier Center for Educational, Physical and Cultural Development is a childrens and youth service in Buffalo, founded in 1994. The Times Herald story related that Satalin juggled his lineup like a master magician.. Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. But when I ran back down the court and tried to pivot, my leg collapsed. "As an ambassador for both the Pistons organization and the NBA, he represented our league, our franchise and our fans with great passion and integrity.". When we looked at that game, I thought, This team is really good, and were going to have to score a lot of points to win this thing, but it should be a great game, he said. For our guys to be able to go out and play a great UCLA team and beat them, to me, hopefully that helps the disappointment back in 1970.". Ten first-half turnovers were a part of the five-point Bona deficit at halftime. Low 29F. Asked about the most memorable games in his Bona career, Stith pointed to consecutive home win #73. MAAC athletes must also sign a "Social Responsibility Pledge for Covid-19" as a condition of participating in championship competition. Stith and Crawford led the Bonnies with 35 and 24 points, respectively. Preview of tonight's St. Bonaventure men's basketball matchup against St. Louis A part of that seemed to be the respect given to Coach Gallagher, who was carried off the floor by Niagara fans after the game. It may not have been the best shot selection on the possession, and Sanders admitted as much after the game in saying, If I had missed, I wasnt going to look at Coach., Satalin admired his confidence in shooting. "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, a New York Post columnist and historian on Bonnies basketball who graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1989. But when I ran back down the court and tried to pivot, my leg collapsed. He also was a longtime spokesperson and chairman of the NBA's "Stay in School" program, later renamed "Read to Achieve," a reading-engagement initiative supported by NBA and WNBA teams. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. Any athlete who tests positive while on campus will be tested a second time at a local testing center and will be quarantined on campus. An All-Atlantic 10 selection as both a junior and a senior, including first team honors and All-Defensive status in 1999-2000, he ranks 18th in all-time scoring with 1,407 career points. Thank you for reading! Tournament Game. Tim Winn In the closing minutes and the Bonnies down 87-86, Sanders made a 22-foot jumper from directly in front of the Bona bench. 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. 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. It was a strong field, but we were really good that year, he said in looking back to that year. : He's the school record-holder in both assists (657) and steals (325) - ranking second in Atlantic 10 history for steals and eighth in assists. He's pictured at the opening of the Bob Lanier Center at the site of Kensington High. Birdsongs scoring prowess hadnt declined during the Cougars run. What made the victory more memorable was that it marked the Bonnies first return to post-season action since the 1983 NIT (a 90-76 loss to Iona). Over his four seasons, Adams helped the Bonnies to 87 wins, which is the most ever for a graduating class. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. ST. BONAVENTURE Bob Lanier, the greatest basketball player in St. Bonaventure University history, died early today surrounded by family in Arizona.