Even after Jordan Nesbitt missed a 3-point attempt that clanked off the rim with less than six seconds left, the Bonnies couldnt let up until after Jalen Adaway hit the front end of two free throws with 5.1 seconds left, which cemented the final margin and helped the Bonnies avoid completely squandering a comfortable, double-digit lead. Marques Green The game was also unique in a way likely unmatched in any NCAA game since 1961. The standing room only crowd was an estimated 2300. In the closing minutes and the Bonnies down 87-86, Sanders made a 22-foot jumper from directly in front of the Bona bench. He ranks fifth in rebounds with 849 including a career-high 305 in 1966-67. I felt comfortable that we would be very competitive in this game for sure.. 2. St. Bonaventure had won 99 straight games at home. To view our latest e-Edition click the image on the left. I didnt know at the time I had torn my MCL. A silky-smooth left-hander with a lethal hook shot and mid-range jumper, Lanier averaged 27.2 points and 15.5 rebounds a game his junior year and 29.1 points and 16 rebounds his senior season. He served as captain his senior season of 1962-63 and was named All-East that year. A distinguished guard for the Bona basketball program, he was co-captain of the NCAA Final Four team of 1970. You have permission to edit this article. : Hagan also posted 13 points in a win over Oregon as well as 14 points in the championship game win over Houston. He was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. Jump to Sections of this page 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. The way that [St. Joes game] ended, I thought, Thats itwe wont even get to the NIT.. Just ask the guy in the co-pilot's seat in 'Airplane!'. His injury didnt scare the Pistons, who, according to an NBA.com story, signed Lanier as he was still in the hospital, recovering from knee surgery that spring. Athletes also will be tested when they arrive on campus, and they will complete a daily health screen through an app before they attend classes or team activities. As a reserve on the Bona team in 1947-48, Donovan knew the history all too well. Sign Up Today! RIP BOB! I survivedI got through it. He was 73. Winds light and variable.. Cloudy. More than anything else, I was petrified that I wouldnt get on the air or something would go wrong. We did that, us being seniors, and we communicated. (This brief stretch may be the only consecutive three-game run of facing top 20 teams in Bona history.). A shower of rain or wet snow possible late. The front page had no story of the consecutive home wins. Coach Donovans team had cruised by DePaul, Providence, Boston College, and third-ranked Bradley earlier that month. Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. 1 seed in 2021, when the . 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. This blog certainly wouldnt be happening without them. We were ready, and they didnt do anything we didnt think they were going to do, Billikens coach Travis Ford said. Providence (#15) upended St. Bonaventure, 82-75, before a Dick Vitale-coached Detroit squad (#19) defeated the Bonnies, 78-62, in the Motor City. St. Bonaventure forward Osun Osunniyi (21) attempts a shot over the outstretched arm of Saint Louis forward Francis Okoro (5). 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. In addition, he was the NBA Rookie of the Year with the Detroit Pistons and played professionally for the Bucks as well. Sanders basket, likely the most critical basket in the 2238 points of his Bona career, was crushing for Houston. The Bonnies prevailed despite 17 turnovers, the last of which could have been most costly. The University at Buffalo athletic department will begin allowing its athletes to return to campus this week to take part in voluntary workout, Some schools are releasing data in the name of transparency, while at least 13 athletic departments at FBS schools,including UB, are citing s, The NFL intends to play games in full stadiums this season. It was just so unbelievable that they lost that game. He just looked at it and thought, Im making this thingits my time and Im making this and thats it. And he didhe had the game of his life.. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. Instead a 16-team NIT opportunity awaited. This page was last edited on 12 October 2022, at 05:16. During NCAA Tournament runs in 1968 and 1970, he scored in double figures in every game he played with dominating performances. Lanier was a longtime spokesperson and chairman of the NBAs Stay in School program, later renamed Read to Achieve, a year-round initiative supported by all 30 NBA teams, 13 WNBA teams, and 6 NBDL teams that promotes the value of reading and online literacy and encourages families and adults to read regularly with young children. In his three seasons, the Bona teams coached by Eddie Donovan amassed a record of 62-13, good for a .827 winning percentage. Tournament Game. And over the last 50 years, its just been remarkable. He also helped Bona to the 1971 NIT with a 21-6 record and 62-17 during his career. College/high school sports enterprise reporter. Laniers touch would have made him great in any era. A bronze pair of his sneakers remains in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Entering the game, Birdsong and the size of Houstons roster were on Satalins mind, but there was a key factor that he liked. 31 jersey that brought the University national fame hangs in the Reilly Center rafters and he was inducted into SBU's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975. David Vanterpool Southern Mississippi took the lead in the second half, in part due to the Bonnies poor foul shooting (20-38), but the team prevailed behind Nelson-Richards. I dont mean this to be trite: We honestly loved each other and would go through the wall for each other, Lanier said, recalling the preseason goal the team had set for itself over beers and burgers at The Burton. 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Collins Sets Single Season Assists Record as Billikens Beat Dayton on Friday Night, Dayton Visits Billikens for Final A-10 ESPN Friday Night Showcase, Legendary Richmond Radio Broadcaster Bob Black to Receive Bob Vetrone Media Award, Hawks, Dukes, Colonials All WIn While Mason Takes Overtime Affair and Rhody Survive Rambler Rally. 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. Love u big guy . Then, they saw it Monday against the Billikens (17-8, 8-4). You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. There was a problem saving your notification. Even with the strong offense, Crawford pointed to a solid defense as pivotal to the Bonnie success in forcing opponents to make passes and plays they didnt want to make., Both Crawford, a 6-4 sophomore forward, and 6-5 senior forward Tom Stith were the leading scorers for the 6-0 Bonnies entering the OSU game, as they had defeated teams that included Utah (#18), St. Joes, and Xavier. However, the idea of the Bonnies even being picked for the NIT that season was uncertain. OLEAN, NY The Olean Elks Club will offer patrons tacos or taco salads with a choice of hot, medium or mild sauce on Wednesday. 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. Rosary (13-7): Kaylee Byon had 30 points and seven assists in a 65-55 victory against Orange Lutheran last week. The games were often the topic of wintertime conversations at school, the neighbors hoop, the dinner table, and really anywhere in the community. In three seasons on the basketball court, Carter became a member of the 1,000-point club with 1,322 points and averaged 19.4 points per game. Bob Lanier (right) hugs friend and roommate Bill Kalbaugh after the two seniors left the court for the final time in their last home game at St. Bonaventure in 1970. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. By the time that Stith joined the varsity squad in 1957, the streak of victories in the Olean (NY) Armory had gained national attention. I'm a college/high school sports enterprise reporter at The Buffalo News. At one point during the run, the Billikens went without a successful shot from the floor for nearly six minutes. Another free throw by Bonnie guard Glenn Hagan extended the lead to 92-89 before Birdsong hit a baskethis last field goal in the final nine minutesto close it to a one-point Bona lead. We did what we had to do., College/high school sports enterprise reporter. Being called for a charge on that last shot, particularly after committing the foul to allow Niagara to take the lead, may have affected his subsequent time in a Bona uniform. This victory is for those guys. Was there pressure in the moment with such a long win streak on the line? It was the little engine that could in St. Bonaventure going against Ohio State, Crawford summarized. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. What he did was incredible down that stretch., One of the most famous baskets in Bona basketball history followed. Looking back, Satalin expressed pride in the four-game streak culminating in the championship. Though receiving one first-place vote, they placed behind the Buckeyes, Bradley, St. Johns, and Indiana. 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. Each ballot cast counted as one vote - each panelist vote counted as one while the top 20 from the fan vote counted as a single ballot as well. My four years here were the best of my lifetime, Lanier told a capacity crowd at the Reilly Center. In 32 games (all starts), he averaged 18.5 points and 8.4 rebounds in 30.1 minutes per game. But coming out of the media timeout, the Bonnies answered with a 7-2 run, then opened their lead to 15 points with less than 10 minutes left in the game. National media, including Sports Illustrated, headed to the corner of Times Square and Barry Street for the February 25 spectacle. After graduating from SBU (1983), I continued to follow the Bonnies. He was honored as a Jim Staunton Champion for Character by the CIF-Southern Section in 2017. Down 40-36 at halftime, the Bonnies faltered in the second half, facing an 11-point deficit with eight minutes remaining. 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. In his senior year, he was the Times Herald's beat reporter for St. Bonaventure's women's basketball team. OC Varsity Scores and Schedules If you have any comments, questions, feedback or corrections for the information related to the scores or schedules, please contact our high school sports department Three of the seven Bona players fouled out as the team committed a season-high 24 fouls. The defensive guy played me for the charge, so I pulled up and banked it off the backboard, Stith remembered. My first time on a plane (age 20) was flying from Bradford (PA) to Washington, DC, to see an SBU-GW game (sadly a 78-64 loss). Then there was 6-8 Tim Waterman, a true center that even Satalin acknowledged was missing from the previous year. Sign Up Today! Though growing up closer to Olean than to Winston-Salem, Chappell took his high school experience from a small town near Johnstown, PA, to become a two-time ACC Player of the Year. His #22 jersey was raised to the Reilly Center rafters upon his 1969 induction to the Universitys Athletics Hall of Fame. The New Years Eve matchup served as the most memorable game in the Bona career of Fred Crawford, who was later named as one of the best players in the schools longstanding basketball history. Greg Sanders St. Bonaventure rallied at the end, sparked byin Crawfords wordssome of Toms [Stith] legendary jump shots. Crawford remembered a key goaltending call against him being a decisive factor in the final seconds. According to a Sports Illustrated account from February 1961, St. Bonaventure was the first independent team chosen for the 1961 NCAA tournament. access for current print subscribers. That achievement belonged to the star 6-8 forward Len Chappellthe Tom Stith equivalent for Wake Forestwho had a 27 point per game average. Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code. 6. Bonnies coach Mark. For the second consecutive year, the Bonnies accumulated a winning record but did not receive an invite the postseason; the team failed to qualify for the National Invitation Tournament and, in accordance with school policy, preemptively ruled out participating in either the College Basketball Invitational or CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.[1]. That 1970 team, Schmidt said, was the greatest Bona team that ever played. That whole dynamic was very interesting., The Bonnies entered the Holiday Festival with the third most potent offense in the country, averaging 92 points a game. 4. "I talked to the team about it, Schmidt said. We had been doing pretty good, so we werent about to change our gameplan, he said. 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. The Bonnies last loss had come to Niagara on February 11, 1948. 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. He was a consensus All-American each season. Flynn, then nine years old, sat with his neighbor at midcourt in the Armory balcony. How it found its way into my assortment of memorabilia was a mystery. On March 16, 1995, the top pop song in the US was Madonnas Take a Bow. By this point in the season, the Bonnies were 21-1, losing only to the top ranked team in the country, Ohio State, in late December. 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. St. Bonaventure won convincingly at Niagara, 88-68, about six weeks prior. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. He rebounded.. It hurt me to my heart that my guys were going (to the tourney) without me, Lanier said. Bob Lanier was a standout at Bennett High School, a superstar at St. Bonaventure, and an excellent pro in the NBA. 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. A team player, he finished his career with 1,396 points which ranks 19th all-time. Its just that youre not there to help them. Earl Belcher Born on Sept. 10, 1948, Lanier is one of the greatest basketball players to come out of Buffalo. A UB athletic spokesperson confirmed Tuesday to The News that the mens basketball program has not determined a report date for its players, m. It was always a great experience, especially when Niagara would come in, he said. They saw it Feb. 1 against Davidson, when the Bonnies nearly wiped out a 16-point deficit and made it a one-possession game with less than 11 seconds left in an 81-76 loss to the Wildcats. Lanier finished his 75-game career as the St. Bonaventure record holder in seven categories: career scoring (2,067 points); career points per game (27.6); career rebounding (1,180); single-game scoring (51 points vs. Seton Hall); single-game rebounding (27 vs. Loyola, Md. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the A-10 Tournament where they lost to Dayton. He specializes in football and all the aquatics but covers many different sports. Nonetheless, St. Bonaventure left the Garden with a 76-73 victory. In the end, Lucas collected 21 rebounds and missed only seven shots from the field in scoring 32 points. The Bob Lanier Center for Educational, Physical and Cultural Development is a childrens and youth service in Buffalo, founded in 1994. The 6-foot-6 forward from Syracuse, N.Y. averaged 20 points per game over his four years with the team. {{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. 12 hrs ago. The 55-point output by Bona against Pete Carrils Tigers was a season low, yet was two points more than opponents average against Princeton.
