Bonnies Never Die

There is a First Time for Everything

Posted on April 20, 2015 by bonniesneverdie

The St. Bonaventure Squaws take on D'Youville at Butler Gym in the 1960's (Photo Credit: SBU Archives)

The St. Bonaventure Lassies take on D’Youville at Butler Gym in the 1960’s (Photo Credit: SBU Archives)

St. Bonaventure was an all male school until September of 1942, when female students were first introduced on campus. By 1958, the male to female student ratio was 50:1. Because of these staggering numbers, it should not be much of a surprise that it took a little while for women’s athletics to get off the ground at St. Bonaventure.

Thursday, Oct. 29, 1959 will forever be a historic day in St. Bonaventure history. The Bona women, known as the Squaws, took on the women from Buffalo’s D’Youville College in front of nearly 400 fans at Butler Gym, which was more than four times the number of women on campus.

The Squaws struggled to score early due to their inexperience as they trailed 31-12 at the half. However, the Squaws had a player on their team by the name of Tania Hennig, who became one of Bonaventure’s many scoring stars. Hennig scored 28 points, 19 of those in the second half, but it just wasn’t enough as the Squaws fell to D’Youville 49-37.

The 1959 team was very unorganized but in the following year, the 1960-61 team was the first team to last more than one semester.

The team was made up of 10 players: Marcia Amore, Patt Dunn, Phyllis Gostomski, Tania Hennig, Janet and Judy Repka, Nancy Sieck, Mary Jane Smith, Maria Verso and Mary Ellen Westling. The team was coached by Allegany resident Margaret Peavy and they changed their name from the Squaws to the Lassies. They also had to make their own uniforms, which were white skirts and brown sleeveless blouses.

The team played a few scrimmages against the Olean All-Stars and a game against Niagara that season. The team drew large crowds to their games at Butler Gym, most of which were male dominated. The program was gaining popularity, but was on and off for the next six years before it really took off.

In the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s, the BV and Olean Times Herald virtually ignored the team and almost nothing was written about the teams during the 1967-71 seasons. The only stat that came from those five seasons is that coach Sarah Luna totaled a 22-15 overall record as the head coach of the recently renamed Bonnettes.

In 1971, things changed. After a meeting of college teams in the spring, it was determined that women’s sports would become a priority. After that decision, the team enjoyed more media coverage from many different outlets. Some of the women’s teams on campus went varsity while others decided to stay club and basketball was one of the teams that decided to become a varsity program.

By October of 1971, a team was formed to compete in their first varsity season. The squad was supported financially by the women’s recreation department. The department covered the cost of officials for home games ($35 each) and jerseys, which were standard sleeveless t-shirts. Shorts and sneakers were left up to the players to purchase on their own.

The team consisted of 14 players, half of which were freshman. The team was led by one of those freshman, Darice Howard, who averaged close to 30 points a game. The team finished the season 6-4, and people were starting to take notice. Title IX would have an even larger impact on the team and the controversy surrounding women’s athletics across the country.

Title IX was part of a law put in place in 1972 and enforced in 1975 that eliminated discrimination on the basis of sex in athletics. Regardless of the discrimination, the Bona women continued to win games. In 1975, the team would take a turn for the better, as they hired Mary Jane Telford as their head coach.

Telford took over in the 1975-76 season and the team soon moved from Division III to Division II due to their success under Telford. It was also the first season in which the team played their home games exclusively in the University Center (now known as the Reilly Center). Through the rules outlined in Title IX, athletic scholarships for women became a reality, therefore increasing the talent level of the team.

In their first season in Division II, the team finished 11-7, up four wins compared to the previous season. The following season, the program welcomed their first recruited scholarship players, Lori Danielson and Karen Jessey.

Telford continued to lead the Bonnies to winning seasons before relinquishing her position as head coach and Troy Iacovino took over. Iacovino, a teacher at Olean Junior High School, did not last very long as head coach. After a 7-16 record, the head coaching job was open again. With no great candidates in sight, Telford agreed to return to the helm.

She continued to rack up the wins for the newly named Lady Bonnies and so began the rumors of a move to Division I. Before the 1985-86 season, the announcement was made that Bonaventure athletics would now compete at the Division I level.

In their final season in Division II, the Lady Bonnies finished as Upstate Women’s Basketball Champions, but were not invited to postseason play. Junior Missy Ward was named league MVP,as well as a Division II All-American, the first ever for the women’s program at SBU. She also had become the schools leading scorer and rebounder after just three seasons.

The Lady Bonnies moved right into the Atlantic 10 conference and were given the funds to hire an full time and graduate assistant coach, as well as a plan to phase in 10 full scholarships for the team. Many people criticized the decision to jump right into a tough conference, but their play was better than most expected.

In their first Division I season, the Lady Bonnies finished with a 3-15 record in conference play and a 9-19 record overall, a very respectable first season in Division I.

Telford led the Lady Bonnies through a few more tough, but yet promising seasons before resigning in 1993 due to a disagreement with an angry father in regards to the treatment of his daughter. She compiled an overall record of 201-200 in her 17 seasons as the head coach of the Lady Bonnies.

Since then, the program has grown immensely and has even gained national recognition from their magical season in 2011-12. Not only has the women’s basketball program evolved here at Bonaventure, but women’s athletics as a whole have come a long way.

Player Spotlight: Sam Maheu

Posted on April 8, 2015 by bonniesneverdie

As I move toward the end of the semester, I have decided to try something a little different. My next two posts this week are going to highlight the accomplishments of two standout athletes here at St. Bonaventure.

The first athlete is Sam Maheu. Maheu was a 2010 graduate and a four year starter on the men’s soccer team at St. Bonaventure. Since his freshman year he proved that he was going to be something special not only in this program, but in the entire Atlantic 10 conference.

The high school honor student and soccer standout from Ottawa, Ontario entered the season as a threat off the bench for Mel Mahler and the Bonnies. It took just one game before Maheu found himself in the starting lineup.

He earned his first career start against Bucknell in their second game of the season and recorded just one shot in the 3-1 loss. That was just the beginning of a special career for Maheu.

In a tough season for the Bonnies, Maheu kept his place in the starting line up, and on October 6, he recorded his first collegiate goal against nationally ranked St.Louis. He scored again later in the match, but it wasn’t enough, as they fell to the Billikens 4-2.

The Bonnies earned their first win of the season against George Washington on an overtime winner from who else, Maheu. The Brown and White finished the tough season at 3-12-2 and Maheu finished second on the team in scoring with five goals and two assists. After a solid rookie campaign in which he earned A-10 Rookie of the Week honors, Maheu was named to the A-10 All Rookie team.

In his sophomore season, Maheu finished the season as one of seven players to see the field in all 16 matches, of which he started 14 of them. It was a slower scoring year for Maheu, as he scored one goal and dished out two assists, but was always a dangerous threat to opponents. The Bonnies finished with a much better record as the previous season, as they ended the year at 6-7-3.

Maheu was back to his old ways his junior year, as he tallied five goals and three assists, which led the team. He also led the team in shots and total points. He was one of four players to start all 16 games for coach Mahler and did not waste any time getting started. He tallied one goal and an assist in their opening game, a 3-2 win over Army. He scored the lone goal in a 1-1 tie with rival Canisius and then scored the game winner in a 1-0 win over Rhode Island a few games later. He closed out the season with two straight games with a goal, both in wins over Rhode Island and George Washington, respectively. For his explosive third season, Maheu earned Atlantic 10 honorable mention.

This was it. Senior year for Maheu and the team had still not made an Atlantic 10 tournament appearance. This was something that Mahler and the team wanted to change. He was the spark to this special team, as Maheu led the Bonnies to a 10-9 record overall and a 5-4 record in A-10 play, good enough for the sixth seed in the conference tournament. Not bad considering the team was picked to finish 13th in the preseason poll. They won their first round game against Fordham, 1-0 and they were upended eventually by top overall seed Dayton in the semifinal, 3-1. Maheu finished the campaign with 12 goals and seven assists. He led the conference in points and assists and was second in the league in goals. Coaches took note of his spectacular season, as they voted him Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year.

He was also named to the Top Drawer Soccer team of the season as well as second team NSCAA All-Region.

Maheu finished his career as the fourth all time leading scorer in school history with 25 goals and 14 assists for a total of 64 points. His 12 goal season is good for seventh best in Bonaventure history.

The accounting major finished with a 3.213 GPA and was involved with Phi Eta Sigma, a national honor society.

The Madness Continues: 2011-2012 Men’s Basketball

Posted on March 30, 2015 by bonniesneverdie

You all remember my post from last week I’m sure. It was my freshman year at St.Bonaventure and the women’s basketball team was making their magical run to the Sweet 16. Not only did Bonaventure fans have their eyes on Coach Crowley and women’s team that year, they also were watching out for Coach Mark Schmidt’s men’s team.

In the 2010-2011, the Bonnies finished with an overall record of 16-15 and an 8-8 record in Atlantic 10 play. They were bounced in the first round of the A-10 tournament by La Salle and eventually finished their season with a first round loss in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) on the road to Central Florida. The good news was that Schmidt was returning first team all-conference selection Andrew Nicholson. Nicholson had been racking up the accolades since his freshman year, and was coming off a season in which he averaged 21 points and seven rebounds a game. He returned to the team as the nation’s third leading scorer and was named to the preseason first team all-conference, as well as the Wooden Award Watch List. Besides Ogo Adegboye, the Bonnies returned all of their core players from the previous season. Joining the Bonnies’ roster in the 2011-2012 season were two freshman, guard Jordan Gathers and 7-foot center Youssou Ndoye.

Andrew Nicholson (Photo from Fanside.com)

The Bonnies opened up the 2011-2012 campaign at home against Cornell, and it was mostly good for the Brown and White. They Bonnies led by two at halftime, but dominated in the paint and were able to outscore the Big Red by 19 in the second half to win the opener, 79-58. Nicholson led the way with 24, while Michael Davenport and Matthew Wright chipped in 11 and 13 points respectively. The one bad note from the game was that the Bonnies lost big man Marquise Simmons for the remainder of the season after tearing his Achilles just two minutes into his season debut.

In their next game, Nicholson and company traveled to Ohio to take on Cleveland State, who were receiving votes in the national poll. The game was back and forth and the Bonnies held a five point lead at the half. The Vikings were able to hang around and eventually hit the game winning three with 2.8 seconds remaining to slip past the Bonnies 67-64. Nicholson and junior point guard Eric Mosley were the only two Bona players in double figures.

The Brown and White then traveled to Siena and took down the Saints 64-58 to take hold of the Franciscan Cup. They followed up that game with a tough road loss to Virginia Tech and a disappointing home loss to Arkansas State.

That loss seemed to spark a bit of a fire for Nicholson and the Bonnies as they were on the road again for a quick drive up to Buffalo to take on the Bulls. Despite a two point halftime deficit, Nicholson led the Bonnies to a six point win over Buffalo, 66-60. Nicholson had 23 points and eight rebounds in just 28 minutes. The Bonnies moved to an even 3-3 after that win and would head to Assembly Hall to take on Illinois on national television.

The game was televised on ESPN 2 and Illinois entered the game ranked 24th in the nation. In a defensive battle, each team was paced by their star players, Nicholson for the Bonnies and Brandon Paul for the Fighting Illini. Despite 17 from each of them, the Illini did just enough to slip by the Bonnies, 48-43.

Schmidt and the Brown and White won four of their last five non-conference games as they headed into A-10 play, with the only loss coming at the buzzer against NC State, a game played at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y.

In the conference opener, the Bonnies had four players score in double figures as they were able to hold on to their early lead and defeat George Washington, 66-56 at the Reilly Center.

A cold second half shooting performance saw the Bonnies suffer a minor setback on the road at Duquesne, 66-52, but the way they bounced was a very important part of the season.

Bonaventure hosted the Dayton Flyers at the Reilly Center and the Flyers came into the game receiving votes in the national poll. Who else would be there to step up in the big game? You already know the answer to that question. Nicholson again did what he does best, as his 30 points carried the Bonnies to victory over the Flyers, 81-73. Senior Da’Quan Cook and junior Demetrius Conger each had 14 points to help pace the Brown and White.

The next game was a tough matchup for the Bonnies as they took on the Xavier Musketeers at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati. It was a tale of two teams in this one, as the Bonnies shot 28 percent in the first half while the Musketeers shot 50 percent, and opened up a 13 point lead at the half. Behind star players Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons, Xavier was able to hold on to their early lead and beat the Bonnies 77-64. Nicholson was the Bona high scorer with 20.

After the loss, the Bonnies won four of their next six games to keep pace with leaders in the A-10 conference. Then came the matchup with the top team, Temple.

The Owls came to the Reilly Center and it was a battle from start to finish. The scoring for both teams was balanced and the Brown and White held a 31-30 lead at the half. Four thousand fans packed the Reilly Center to root on the Bonnies but the Owls were just too much for them, as Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt led the Owls to a 76-70 victory. The win put the Owls at 9-2 in the conference, while the Bonnies fell to 6-5.

To close the season, the Bonnies won four of their last five to finish A-10 play with a record of 10-6, earning them the four seed in the A-10 tournament.

In the first round, the team would face off against the fifth seeded St. Joseph’s Hawks in Atlantic City, N.J. Despite the Hawks only shooting 39 percent in the first half, they were able to knock down four shots from beyond the arc to keep them within just three at the half. The story for the Brown and White were the points in the paint. They outscored the Hawks 46-22 in the paint, and that domination was due to the 25 points and ten rebounds from Nicholson. Charlon Kloof chipped in 19 for the Bonnies. The second half was back and forth but Bonaventure was able to hold on to the three point lead, as they slipped past the Hawks 71-68. Carl Jones scored 24 for the Hawks in the loss.

The semifinals saw the Bonnies pitted against rival UMASS. It was a tough start for the Bonnies as Nicholson got into foul trouble and had to go to the bench early. That was not as big of a problem as most fans would think, as there were other players ready to step up and pick up the slack. The Bonnies held a seven point lead at the half and at one point, extended the lead to 16 points. The Minutemen cut the lead behind double digit points from four of their players, but the Bonnies were able to hold on and move to the championship game, 84-80. Nicholson still finished with 19, but Demetrius Conger led all scorers with 22. Chris Johnson and Charlon Kloof were also in double digits for the Brown and White.

St. Bonaventure players and coaches pose for a photograph after defeating Xavier 67-56 to win the NCAA college basketball championship game in the Atlantic 10 men’s tournament in Atlantic City, N.J., Sunday, March 11, 2012. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

So here it was, a matchup against Xavier in the A-10 championship. Winner goes to the NCAA tournament. Nicholson and the Bonnies came out quick and rarely looked back. Xavier was cold in the first half and the Bonnies took advantage. The two teams headed to the break with the Bona lead at 13. The lead was extended to 17 early in the second half but the Musketeers continued to chip away. Mark Lyons and Tu Holloway would not let Xavier go down without a fight, but in the end, Nicholson was too much, as he scored 26 points to go along with 14 rebounds. The Bonnies got by Xavier 67-56 and they were going dancing.

Later that night, the Bonnies were selected as the 14 seed in the East region and would take on the three seed in that region, ACC champion Florida State. The game would be at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. and of course I made the 15 hour drive down to see the game.

The Bonnies were the team that people didn’t know about, but they soon would. The Bonnies jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead which led to a Florida State timeout as the Bridgestone Arena was rocking with Bona fans. The game did not go as many would have expected, as the Bonnies held a 6 point lead at the half. The advantage continued into the second half until there was just under seven minutes to go. Florida State tied the game at 52, which was the first tie of the game since 0-0. They eventually took a 55-52 lead with 5:18 to go, but the Bonnies never backed off. Conger and Nicholson kept the Bonnies in the game and with just 27 seconds left, Conger drilled a huge three from the corner to cut the Seminole lead to just two. Luke Loucks then went to the line for Florida State but could only make one and the Bonnies had the ball down three with 14 seconds to go. I repeat, the Bonnies were down three, not two. I say that because Da’Quan Cook got the ball in the lane and went up for two and missed. He got the offensive rebound and while everyone in a brown jersey was spotting up around the three point line, Cook went back up for two and missed. Florida State corralled the rebound as the buzzer sounded and just like that, the run was over.

It was a magical season that nobody wanted to end. Students sat in the seats of the arena, stunned. Some were even crying.

As we know, Nicholson was drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic and is still a part of their roster. He was A-10 player of the year his senior season and was voted A-10 tournament MVP. He also earned some honorable mentions for a few All-American teams.

I will never forget that trip to Nashville that I took with a few of my friends and this team has given all of us Bona fans a season we will never forget.

Flashback Friday: Oh How Sweet It Was

Posted on March 20, 2015 by bonniesneverdie

My apologies to those who have been following this series. I was out of the country for vacation and did not have a chance to post last Friday.

We are back this week in the middle of March Madness, so what better way to honor that by taking a look back at the women’s basketball team from 2011-2012.

It was my freshman year here at St. Bonaventure and I knew that the basketball games were a hell of a time. I had always been a college basketball fan and knew that I would not be missing any home games. The men’s team was supposed to have some success this year, and they exceeded expectations, but that is for another story. This story is focused on the Cinderella run that coach Jim Crowley and the Bonnies went on to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

Coach Crowley was bringing back his two senior leaders, forward Megan Van Tatenhove and guard Jessica Jenkins. The team was coming off a 21-12 season in which they reached the second round of the women’s NIT, losing to Syracuse after defeating Lehigh in the first round.

The Bonnies opened up the season on the road with three straight games away from home. They faced off with St. John’s to begin the campaign. The Red Storm entered the season as the 25th ranked team in the country, but that did not intimidate Van Tatenhove and company. She led the way for the Brown and White with 16 points and seven rebounds as the Bonnies recorded their first win over a ranked team in program history as they took down the Red Storm 64-58. Jenkins and redshirt senior guard Armelia Horton eached added 14 to pace the Bonnies.

The Brown and White took care of their next three games as they defeated Canisius and West Virginia on the road, as well as Morgan State in their home opener. In their game against West Virginia, Jenkins went for a game high 23 points and joined the 1,000 point club.

In their second home game of the season, the Bonnies hosted Delaware and All-American Elena Delle Donne. The Bonnies were without Horton and in the end, Delle Donne was just too much. The Fightin’ Blue Hens led by 13 at the half and never looked back, as Delle Donne finished with 26 points and 18 rebounds, handing the Bonnies their first loss of the season.

After that first bump in the road, Jenkins and Van Tatenhove led the Bonnies to seven straight wins. During the win streak, Crowley and company started receiving votes in the national poll. Right after Christmas, the Bonnies headed to the Monmouth University Holiday Classic to take on the Villanova Wildcats and had to do so without first team all A-10 selection Megan Van Tatenhove.

The Bonnies hung with the Wildcats, who were also receiving votes, as they were tied at 22-22 at the half. The second half was a different story. Laura Sweeny and Megan Pearson combined for 30 points to the lead the Wildcats, as they outscored the Bonnies 33-22 in the second half as they pulled away for a 55-44- win. That was the last loss the Bonnies would see in a while.

They closed out the non-conference schedule with wins over Norfolk State (Jenkins was 8-10 from three) and Sacred Heart, which set the record for the most non-conference wins with 13.

The team entered A-10 Conference play projected to finish sixth. They quickly proved the coaches wrong and showed they were a much, much better team than that preseason prediction.

Behind a double-double performance from Van Tatenhove, the Bonnies opened up conference play with a 61-53 win over Duquesne. It was the next game that would set the tone for the rest of the season.

The Bonnies hit the road as they met up with preseason A-10 favorite Temple in Philadelphia. The scoring between the two starting fives was balanced, but the Bonnies were able to get out to a 40-31 halftime lead, after shooting over 50% from the field. The second half was a bit colder for both teams but that was no problem for the Bonnies, as they held on to take down the Owls 74-65. Van Tatenhove once again led the way with 20 points and seven rebounds while Horton and Cece Dixon added 15 and 12 respectively.

Two wins later, the Brown and White were on the road again to face the Charlotte 49ers. The Bonnies struggled from the field and fell behind by as much as 13 in the second half, and it appeared that the win streak would once again come to and end. Jessica Jenkins would not let that happen. She finished 6-10 from three and in the process, broke the Atlantic 10 record for career three point field goals. The Bonnies pulled out the win to continue the streak, 68-63.

Bonaventure cruised through the rest of the season behind great play down the stretch from Van Tatenhove and Jenkins (she had a 32 point game against George Washington). They finished the regular season with an overall record of 26-2 and a perfect 14-0 in A-10 play. They also got as high as 19th in the national ranking. In the quarterfinals and semifinals of the tournament, the Bonnies handled La Salle and St. Joseph’s with relative ease and met up with the Dayton Flyers in the championship game.

In the championship game, the Bonnies struggled to score and fell behind early, as they trailed 27-17 at the half. In the second half, the comeback was on, but it just fell short as the Bonnies fell 56-53 to the Flyers.

Despite not earning the automatic bid, the Bonnies received an at large bid as a five seed in the Raleigh Region. The Brown and White would head to Tallahassee to take on the 12 seed Florida Gulf Coast. Van Tatenhove saw this as her chance to shine, as she led the way with 18 points and four rebounds as they took down the Eagles in overtime 72-65. The Bonnies had the lead at the half, but the Eagles had a late surge to take the game to overtime, where the Bonnies doubled them up 14-7. They moved on to the round of 32 to take on the upset minded, 13 seed Marist Red Foxes.

In this one, Jenkins and Van Tatenhove set the tone from the start as the Bonnies jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Van Tatenhove recorded yet another double double, while Jenkins hit six threes to finish with 22 points as the Bonnies advanced to the Sweet 16 to take on top seed and basketball powerhouse, Notre Dame.

It was a hell of an effort from the Brown and White, but they never had a chance against the Fighting Irish. They trailed the Irish by 20 and the half and the starters were pretty much done, as the game finished 79-35 in favor of the Fighting Irish.

It was a magical season for the Bonnies and their performance didn’t go unnoticed across the nation. Van Tatenhove and Jenkins were both named first team all A-10 and coach Jim Crowley was named ESPN National Coach of the Year. Jenkins was also a Naismith Award finalist, which goes to the best player in the country.

That was the best basketball year for the school with the men winning the Atlantic 10 and going to the tournament as well, and I could not have been more happy about my first year with St. Bonaventure basketball.

Flashback Friday: A Trip to the Final Four

Posted on March 6, 2015 by bonniesneverdie

The 1969-70 season was a landmark season for St.Bonaventure athletics. This special group of basketball players, with one in particular, took Bonaventure fans on a trip they would never forget.

Bob Lanier and Bill Kalbaugh were returning for their senior seasons at Bonaventure and looked to make a statement before they graduated. They did that, and then some. After reaching the regional third place game in 1968, this team knew what it took to make a run in the NCAA tournament.

Entering the 1969-70 season, St. Bonaventure was ranked 17th in the national preseason poll. Fans and people across the country knew about the Brown and White. They created a national buzz from years past, and would only create more as the season went on.

The Brown Indians opened up the season at home against Detroit College, and wasted no time making a statement. Lanier led the way for Bonaventure with 36 as they cruised to a 106-54 win to start the season. Sophomore guard Paul Hoffman chipped in 18 for the Brown and White.

Lanier and the Brown Indians would win their next three games over Xavier, Detroit University, and Duquesne before heading down to New York City for the Holiday Festival.

In their first round game, Lanier and sophomore forward Matt Gantt led the way for Bonaventure, as they scored 33 and 20 respectively, as they destroyed NYU, 107-60. They advanced to the semi-finals to take on St. Joesph’s at Madison Square Garden. The big stage was not a worry for the Brown and White, as all five starters scored in double figures. Bonaventure cruised past the Hawks 96-61, and into the final to face Purdue.

Bob Lanier (Photo from SBU Archives)

In front of nearly 16,000 spectators at MSG, Bob Lanier and the Brown Indians put on a show. Lanier was on fire, and was scoring from everywhere on the court. He was manhandling the Boilermakers, and they had no answer for the Bona big man. Lanier scored a season high 51 points as the Brown and White defeated Purdue 91-75 to claim the Holiday Festival championship.

The Brown Indians showed no signs of slipping up, as they handily won their next five games over Baldwin Wallace, Loyola (Md.), Kent State (Lanier led the way with 42 points), DePaul, and Canisius.

The team then hit the road to take on the Villanova Wildcats. The Brown and White entered the game at 12-0 and were in the top ten in the national rankings. Lanier and the Brown Indians were in for a battle, as the Wildcats hung around the entire game. In the end, the Wildcats used balanced scoring (four players had 13+ points) to upend Bonaventure 64-62, handing them their first loss of the season.

The team bounced back after the tough loss with a close win over rival Niagara at home. Gantt, Kalbaugh, and Lanier combined for 64 points as they were able to slip past the Purple Eagles, 89-81, despite 36 points from two-time First Team All-American Calvin Murphy. Murphy eventually went on to play 13 seasons in the NBA for the San Diego/Houston Rockets, who have retired his number 23 jersey.

That got the ball rolling for the Brown and White.

In the following game against Belmont Abbey, 11 players found their way onto the score sheet, including six in double figures, as the Brown Indians scored an all-time high 131 points in their 67 point victory. In the coming weeks, the Brown Indians got as high as number three in the national rankings.

After the demolishing of Belmont Abbey, the Brown Indians won their next eight games and entered the NCAA tournament with an overall record of 22-1 and ranked number four in the nation. In the much smaller, 25 team tournament, Bonaventure was placed in the East bracket and faced off with Davidson in their first round game.

The Wildcats, who entered the contest 22-5 overall, were led by junior guard Brian Adrian. Like any other NCAA tournament game, this would be a tough test for Lanier and the Brown Indians.

The scoring remained even throughout the first half. Lanier and Adrian exchanged baskets and at the end of the half, they had 16 and 14 points, respectively. The Wildcats held a 36-34 advantage at the break. The second half was all Bonaventure. The Brown Indians outscored the Wildcats 51-36 in the second half as they were able to pull away and beat Davidson, 85-72. Lanier led the way with 28 points and 15 rebounds, while Gantt also had a double-double, adding 19 points to go along with 16 boards. Kalbaugh chipped in 17 as well for the Brown and White.

In the East Regional Semifinal, the Brown Indians would meet up with the North Carolina State Wolfpack. The Wolfpack entered the game with a record of 22-7 overall, and were led by senior forward, Vann Williford, who was averaging just over 24 points a game. Bonaventure was in control of this game early, and never really let it slip away. They led by ten at the half, 41-31, and were able to hold on in the second as the lead never dipped below nine, as they took down the Wolfpack 80-68. All five starters scored in double figures for the Brown and White, including double-doubles for Lanier, Gantt, and junior forward Greg Gary. The Wolfpack could have used that type of balance, as Williford was only one of two players in double figures for N.C. State. He finished with 35 points and 12 rebounds.

Bob Lanier on crutches after tearing his ACL versus Villanova (Photo from SBU Archives)

It was on to the Elite Eight, where Bonaventure had a chance to avenge their only loss of the season. The play of the starters again propelled the Brown and White to victory, as they blew out the Wildcats 97-74, to reach the Final Four for the first time in school history. However, this exciting victory was overshadowed by a huge loss. With 9:39 remaining in the second half, the Brown Indians led convincingly 71-51, and were on yet another fast break but this time, only four Bona players were running up the court. As the fans and other players began to notice the absence, Lanier lay at the other end of the court clutching his right knee. Chris Ford of Villanova had been bumped on a drive and fell into Lanier’s leg, bending it awkwardly as he fell to the ground. The news was as bad as it could have been. Lanier had torn his ACL and would need surgery, thus ending his season. He tried to play again after coming out but soon realized that he could not run and was immediately taken out.

Bonaventure would have to carry on without their best player in the biggest game in school history, as they met up with Jacksonville in the Final Four. Jacksonville, the so-called Cinderella team of this year’s tournament, was coming off an upset win over top-ranked Kentucky in their Regional Final, 106-100. As always, the Brown Indians didn’t go down without a fight.

Led by 7’2″ junior center Artis Gilmore, Jacksonville felt that they were going to handily cruise into the National Championship game, and were looking ahead to facing UCLA. Bonaventure had other ideas. Gantt set the pace early for the Brown and White, as they surprised everyone and jumped out to an early 13-3 lead. Although Bonaventure was able to keep it close throughout the game, it was foul trouble (which was later attributed to poor officiating) that ultimately hurt the Brown and White. Gantt was in serious foul trouble along with Gary, and with 10:45 remaining in the game, Gantt fouled out. Jacksonville swelled the lead to 12, but Bonaventure were able to cut it to just six with two minutes to go. Gary, Paul Hoffman, Mike Kull, and Tom Baldwin also fouled out for the Brown Indians. Despite the rally, the comeback fell short, as they were defeated by Jacksonville 91-83. Gantt led the way with 16 while Vic Thomas, Kalbaugh, and Hoffman were also in double figures. Gilmore was too much to handle without Lanier, as he finished the day with a monster stat line of 29 points and 21 rebounds.

In the third place game, the Brown Indians fell to New Mexico State, 79-73. Greg Gary led all scorers with 22 points and also pulled down 11 rebounds.

Bonaventure finished the season 25-3 and were the third ranked team in the country based on the final AP national rankings.

Bob Lanier was drafted first overall in the 1970 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. He played 10 seasons with the Pistons before spending his final four seasons in Milwaukee with the Bucks. In his career, he was a eight time NBA All-Star and scored 19,248 (20.1 ppg) while pulling down 9,698 rebounds (10.1 rpg). His number 16 jersey was retired by both teams and his number 31 jersey hangs in the rafters of the Reilly Center.

When you walk into the Reilly Center now, there is a large display dedicated to the great Bob Lanier as well as a giant banner hanging on the back wall, reminding fans of the magical Final Four run that was the 1970 season, which still leaves fans thinking to this day, “What if…?”

Flashback Friday: We Had a Football Team?

Posted on February 27, 2015 by bonniesneverdie

It’s that time of the week again and this week we are going way back into Bonaventure sports history. It all began in the late 1890’s when we were still just St. Bonaventure College. The first game on record was Thanksgiving Day, 1892. The competition was just intramural and no actual intercollegiate games were noted until 1903.

The team began to open some eyes in their intercollegiate competition. In 1906, the Brown and White went undefeated and did not give up a first down. In 1909, the team was undefeated yet again and were not scored on by any opponent. Impressive stats to say the least and not too long after, the Brown and White were playing in their first intercollegiate football season.

In 1915, James “Shine” McLaughlin became the head coach after proving himself with a brilliant career in athletics at Colgate. It was not any easy job for McLaughlin. The program was just beginning and it was tough to convince recruits to join the young team. He did well and helped the program grow, but his record did not portray all the hard work he did. He finished with a record of 13-22-6 in his seven years of coaching for an overall win percentage of .371, the lowest of any coach at St. Bonaventure.

The next three coaches that took over for the Brown and White, Alfred Carmot (1922-23), Glen Carberry (1924-25), and Fred Ostergren (1926-29), were all crucial to the progression of the program. Although none of the three had a winning record at the end of their tenure, they continued to build the football program at St. Bonaventure and raise the bar to new heights.

Up until 1928, all of the games were played on campus, but that would change as 10,000 seat Bradner Stadium was built in Olean. The first game was held there on September 17 of that year, which saw the Brown and White take down Niagara, 25-8.

In 1930, former assistant coach Carroll “Mike” Reilly was named the head coach after Ostergren’s departure. Reilly coached the team for 13 seasons and was one of the most loved and respected coaches in Bonaventure history. He was the first coach to post at least a .500 career win percentage, as he finished his career 44-44-7. It was not strange for the football coach to also coach basketball, as the past three had done it, but Reilly was a bit more involved to say the least. In his time at Bonaventure, Reilly coached football, basketball, and baseball. On top of that, he was also the athletic director. The team posted winning records in 1931, 1932, 1933, and 1935. In 1935, the “Dream Backfield” of Clem Faust, John West, John Labas, and “Whitey” Painton led the Brown and White to a 6-2-1 record, their best record since 1915. After that season, halfback Clem Faust was named a Little All-American, the first Bona player to receive national recognition. After coach Reilly’s passing, the school named the athletic arena after him, so we can now remember him when we are screaming like crazy at the next basketball game.

The team did not play between 1943 and 1945 because of World War II, but the first season after the war was one to remember.

A sell-out crowd at Forness Stadium (Photo from SBU Archives)

After the war, enrollment increased significantly and there was a push for Bonaventure to become a big-time football program. To begin that journey, Bonaventure signed coach Hugh Devore, a former All-American at Notre Dame and coach at Providence College. Along with the exciting signing, former mayor Fred Forness donated $100,000 (equivalent to about $1.3 million in today’s economy) to build a new stadium on campus. Forness Stadium was built on the campus of St. Bonaventure and because of time constraints, it was not able to be substantially bigger than Bradner Stadium, like they had wanted.

Bonaventure scores their first touchdown against Canisius in their 1946 match-up (Photo from SBU Archives)

Bonaventure opened the 1946 campaign with a home game against Youngstown on September 28. In the first game at Forness Stadium, the Brown Indians (Yes, that was our old name) came up short, as they fell 20-14. This loss, however, would not be a true indication of what was to come. The Brown and White then won two straight, defeating Scranton (33-7) and Niagara (29-7). To decide the Little Three Championship, Bonaventure would take on Canisius in Buffalo. Over 35,000 people packed the stands to see these two battle for the Little Three bragging rights. Noted as one of the most iconic games in school history, the Brown Indians took down Canisius 13-0. Bonaveture won their last three games over St. Vincent, Bowling Green, and U.S. Merchant Marine (two of which were shutouts) and for the first time in school history, were selected to play in a bowl game. Coach Devore and the Brown Indians would head to Lexington, Kentucky to take on the Muhlenberg Mules in the Tobacco Bowl.

The Brown and White fell behind early, as they trailed 13-6 after the first quarter. The first Bona touchdown was punched in by Phil Colella, after Leo Haggerty broke away on a 45 yard run to Muhlenberg’s four yard line. It was a back and forth offensive battle, as both teams gained well over 300 yards of offense and the game headed to the fourth quarter tied at 19. In the fourth, Muhlenberg scored first on a 94 yard drive which was capped off by a Carminello Sbordone rushing touchdown, which gave the Mules a 26-19 lead. Bonaventure answered when David Curtin found Frank Lovoulo for a 38 yard touchdown, their second connection of the game. The ensuing place kick by Ted Mezejewski was no good, so the Brown Indians trailed 26-25. Bonaventure had one last drive with a chance to win the game. The Brown and White marched the ball all the way to the Muhlenberg five yard line, but Curtin was intercepted by George Bibighaus to seal the victory for the Mules.

Financing the team was beginning to be an issue, as the school searched for options to save the program. Sensing that this was the case, Devore resigned in 1950 after four seasons, finishing with a 25-9-1 record (.735). Shortly after his resignation, Canisius discontinued their football team and following year, Niagara did the same, thus ending Little Three football.

The 1950 season was not all doom-and gloom. A Bonaventure player by the name of John “Jack” Butler capped off his amazing career in the Brown and White by setting the ECAC Pass-Receiving record in his senior season. After going undrafted and being picked up on the basis of a recommendation, Butler went on to have an amazing NFL career, as he spent nine seasons with Pittsburgh Steelers. In those nine seasons, the accolades he earned are numerous. He was a four time pro-bowler, a three time first team All-Pro selection, he was part of the NFL 1950’s Decade Team, and also the NFL 50th Anniversary All Time Team. Most important of all, in 2012, Butler was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Butler passed away on May 11, 2013.

Football continued under coach Joe Bach in 1950-51 but in 1952, the board decided to end the football program after 60 years. Bach finished with a record of 12-6 in his two seasons at the helm.

The school also had a club football team that ran from 1968-1971.

This story has been the most fun and by far the most interesting one to research and write so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

Go Bonnies!

Here are a few highlights from St. Bonaventure’s game versus Pittsburgh in 1950

Flashback Friday: 2004 Baseball Team

Posted on February 20, 2015 by bonniesneverdie

Why is this team being highlighted? It has only been 11 years since they played, there is no way they can be an iconic Bonaventure sports team. This team, led by coach Larry Sudbrook, was the Bonnies’ first and only Atlantic 10 baseball title. How did they get there? Let’s take a quick trip back a few years and take a look at the 2004 St. Bonaventure baseball team.

The Bonnies were coming off a disappointing year, according to coach Sudbrook, as they were 22-19 but missed the A-10 tournament. Their focus was to get back to the tournament as they did in 2002, where they lost in the semi-finals to the eventual champion, George Washington.

The team in 2004 was a young team, but that wasn’t going to hinder Sudbrook’s expectations for his squad. Across the board, the roster didn’t have a ton of experience on it, but Sudbrook deemed this recruiting class his best yet and was sure they had the talent to compete in the conference. They had five position players returning from the team last season and would hope that they would be the core group of leaders for this team. The returners included junior catcher Damian Blakeley, senior shortstop Eric Wilson, junior second baseman Craig King, senior center fielder Matt Landahl, and sophomore left fielder Dan Bratys.

Three freshman would start in the field for the Bonnies. Kiernan Malone would earn the nod at first base, Matt Marduesz would be starting at third and Brian Pellegrini would start in right field. Pellegrini is definitely a name that you won’t forget by the end of this season.

The pitching staff was young. They returned only one of their top four starters from the season before, so the development of their young pitchers would be very important to the team’s success.

The Brown and White kicked off their season with their annual trip to Florida, where they would play eight games in eight days.

They had to wait until their third game to pick up the opening win of the season, as they took down Valparaiso 6-4. The Bonnies were able to hold off a late rally from the Crusaders, and were led by Landahl and Marduesz who both had two hits, while Marduesz knocked in an RBI.

Behind a gem from Landahl, the Bonnies capped their Florida trip with a 12-0 shutout win over Columbia. Landahl threw a complete game, giving up only three hits while fanning six. Pellegrini tallied three RBI on a homer in the top of the third. The Bonnies returned home with a 3-5 record.

As the games continued up north, the Bonnies split a lot of their series with their opponents. Eric Wilson was off to a good start for Bonaventure, who was 9-10 overall and 4-2 in A-10 play. Wilson was leading the team in a few batting categories (HR, RBI, doubles, and slugging) and was named A-10 player of the week for April 5-11.

The rivalry games against Niagara, Buffalo and Canisius were always ones to circle on the calender, but this season would be a bit different. It was the first time that the teams would compete in the Big 4 Classic for the Bisons Cup. In the first semifinal, the Bonnies took on Canisius under the lights at Dunn Tire Park in Buffalo. The Golden Griffins jumped out to an early lead, but Damian Blakeley started the comeback with a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth, as the Bonnies scored six runs to take a 7-3 lead. Canisius’ rally fell short, as the Bonnies held on to move to 16-16 on the year with the 8-5 win. Canisius fell to 2-30.

In the title game, the Bonnies would take on the Purple Eagles of Niagara. The scoring was relatively low in the first five innings, as the Bonnies led 2-1 heading into the sixth. The two teams traded runs in the sixth and seventh and the Bonnies took a 5-4 lead into the ninth inning. Mike Altai of Niagara came through with a two out, two RBI triple to regain the lead for the Purple Eagles. The Bonnies, as they had done many times this season, rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. Landahl smacked an RBI double to cut the lead to 7-6 and would eventually score to tie the game on a wild pitch. Niagara added one in the top of tenth and the Bonnies were unable to answer, as they fell in extras and dropped to 16-17 on the year.

On Friday, May 14th, the Bonnies hosted UMASS in a double header with a chance to clinch a spot in the A-10 tournament. All they had to do was win one of the games and they would lock up a place in the postseason. UMASS took the first game of the double header 5-4, and so the pressure was on. Behind a solid pitching performance from two freshman, the Brown and White held off the Minutemen in game two, and punched their ticket to the A-10 tournament with a 4-2 win. “It’s a great accomplishment considering how many freshmen we are playing, and it’s also great for our seniors,” said Bonnies coach Larry Sudbrook in an interview with gobonnies.com. The Bonnies clinched the second seed in East and would face off with Fordham in the first round.

The teams met in Norwich, Connecticut for their first game of the A-10 tournament, and the Rams were the first team on the board. The Bonnies were able to erase the early Fordham lead, as they scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning thanks to RBIs from Joe Rizzo and Eric Wilson. Freshman pitcher Mike Proctor, as well as Brian Pellegrini were able to hold off the Fordham comeback, as the Bonnies held on to win 5-4. They would advance to play top seeded Rhode Island in game two.

The Bonnies needed quite the rally, but were able to take down the Rams in exciting fashion, 7-6 in 11 innings. Bonaventure entered the top of the ninth down 6-2, but we able to tie up the game, thanks to Brian Pellegrini’s two RBI single. In the top of the 11th Dan Bratys scored on a sacrifice fly, which held as the winning run. Rhode Island’s Dan Batz, the A-10 player of the year, was 4-5 in the loss.

The comeback kids were at it again. The Bonnies rallied again, scoring three runs in the top of the ninth as they were able to squeak by the Richmond Spiders 10-9 and clinch a spot in the A-10 championship game. Pellegrini came on in the bottom of the ninth and went 1-2-3 to preserve the win for Sudbrook and the Bonnies.

They would face Rhode Island again in the championship game and the Bonnies just kept rolling. They knocked off the Rams 3-2, giving them their first ever A-10 championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament. Brian Pellegrini was named tournament MVP.

The Bonnies were drawn to play against national powerhouse Miami (FL) and would travel to play them on their home field on June 4th. “I think no matter who we faced, it is an honor for St. Bonaventure,” said Larry Sudbrook in an interview with gobonnies.com. “Miami is going to definitely be a challenge. We have to focus on staying relaxed all week … this is going to be an experience of a lifetime for our team.”

In the first game of the NCAA Regional, the Bonnies hung tough with the Hurricanes, but didn’t quite have enough for the comeback, as they fell 6-3. Miami jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but the Bonnies settled in and we able to hold them to just one more run in the final six innings. The Bonnies scored two in the ninth thanks to RBIs from Malone and Blakely to cut the lead to 6-3, but that was all they could create. The Bonnies wold now have to face Florida Atlantic just 24 hours later in a must-win elimination game.

Unfortunately, the Bonnies’ magical season came to and end against Florida Atlantic in disappointing fashion. Florida Atlantic jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first three innings and it was just too much for the Bonnies, as they fell 14-2.

It was a tough way to end, but the team had nothing to hang their heads about.

Eric Wilson was voted first team all conference and Brian Pellegrini was selected for the second team. Pellegrini was also named to the 2004 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team as selected by Collegiate Baseball magazine.

Coach Sudbrook earned himself a contract extension and is still at the helm for the Bonnies.

It was an improbable run for the team and the school as a whole, and it will be for certain that this A-10 champion team of 2004 will always be remembered in Bonaventure sports history.

Flashback Friday: Men’s Basketball 1999-2000

Posted on February 13, 2015 by bonniesneverdie

It had been a long 22 years in Olean, New York. The Bonaventure faithful were used to seeing post season basketball in the 1960’s and 70’s. Then the 1999-2000 season came along.

The Bonnies, led by coach Jim Baron, were not on people’s radar in the Atlantic 10. The team only had three seniors and were a relatively young and inexperienced squad. The one thing they did have was talent, and it showed early.

The Bonnies jumped out to their best start to a season since the 1970 campaign, which finished with a trip to the Final Four. An 84-71 win against rival Niagara at the Reilly Center on January 2 moved the Bonnies to 8-2 on the season. They had already collected a few quality wins over UNC Charlotte, Southern California, and Colorado State. Their two losses were not bad losses either. They fell to Kent, who was sixth in the RPI and to UNC Charlotte, who was 62nd. The Bonnies were starting to turn some heads.

On January 6th, the Bonnies were on the road against UMASS, where they hadn’t won in 12 long years. Senior point guard Tim Winn had been the key to their success thus far, as well as play from senior forwards David Messiah Capers and Caswell Cyrus, who were a big part of the Bonnies 70-60 victory over the Minutemen. Cyrus led the way for the Brown and White, as he scored 22 points to go along with 11 boards to help the Bonnies dominate the battle inside. Capers added 12 while big man Peter Van Paassen chipped in 17 points. J.R. Bremer, who was establishing himself as one of the best bench players in the Atlantic 10, scored 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field.

Were the Bonnies for real? A few days later, they would answer that very question.

It was time. Top 25 Temple was in town for a showdown at the Reilly Center. This game was a chance for the Bonnies to prove themselves as a serious contender for the A-10 title. This game could make or break the season for the Brown and White, and when it was all said and done, all we can do is look back and say, “That’s how the cookie crumbled.”

J.R. Bremer

Not much has changed at the Reilly Center. It truly is a home court advantage. Thirteen minutes to go and the Owls were up 14. Things were not looking good in Olean but the Bonnies were able to claw themselves back into the game thanks to a flurry of three pointers. With about four minutes to go, Temple coach John Chaney was given a technical foul for his tirade toward the referee, but it wasn’t a typical coaching tirade. Chaney was livid because he was hit in the back of the head by a cookie that was thrown by St. Bonaventure fans. The Bonnies were also given a technical for the misconduct, and after the free throws, the Bonnies had the ball down 51-44. Bremer saw this as his moment to take over. After the Bonnies and Owls exchanged baskets, Bremer hit a three with 2:20 left to cut the lead to 55-52. After missed free throws, Winn missed a three but Bremer corralled the rebound and scored in the lane while getting fouled with 28 seconds remaining. He missed the free throw and the Bonnies were down two after two Temple free throws, 56-54. Bremer ended up with the ball in the corner with ten seconds left and he drained a three with 2.8 seconds left to give the Bonnies the lead. Temple missed the shot at the buzzer to win and the fans stormed the court. The Bonnies were for real.

The Bonnies were now on the verge of cracking the top 25 and were pegged as the team to beat in the A-10. However, they struggled a bit down the stretch, and limped into the A-10 tournament as the second seed in the east, finishing 19-8.

The Bonnies slipped past Xavier in the quarterfinals 72-69, and did so behind Capers’s 16 points and Cyrus’s 15. In the semifinals, Tim Winn led the way with 20 as the Bonnies beat Dayton, 56-50, likely punching their ticket to the NCAA tournament. Who else would they meet in the final other than the sixth ranked Temple Owls?

This game was not nearly as close as their past meetings, as the Owls handled the Bonnies easily, 65-44. “I thought Temple was outstanding,” said Bona coach Jim Baron. “They played like a Final Four team.”

The rest is history.

On a projection screen in the Reilly Center, the Bonnies and their fans heard their name called on Selection Sunday for the first time in 22 years. The drought was over. The Bonnies were selected as the 12 seed in the Midwest region, and would take on the fifth seeded Kentucky Wildcats.

It was a match up that people across the nation had their eyes on. “St. Bonaventure is going to beat them,” said Temple coach John Chaney. The Wildcats were an early seven and a half point favorite, but the Bona faithful knew it would be a battle.

The Wildcats (22-9) were led by guards Tayshaun Prince and Keith Bogans, as well as center Jamaal Magloire, all future NBA players. Winn and the Bonnies were not intimidated, as the Cats and Bonnies would be the first game of the 2000 NCAA Tournament.

The Bonnies gave the Wildcats all they could handle. Bonaventure erased a 13 point lead in the second half, and then rallied from five down in the final eight seconds of the first overtime. Unfortunately, the magic ran out as the Bonnies fell short in double overtime, 85-80. Bonaventure took the lead with 5:15 to go in the game as they went on an 18-4 run, but were not able to hold on as Tayshaun Prince hit a three to tie it at 63 with just seven seconds left in regulation. David Messiah Capers was fouled on a three point attempt and calmly sank all three free throws with less than a second to go to send the game to double overtime. Prince led Kentucky with 28 while Bogans added 19. Winn led the way for the Bonnies with a double-double (10 points and 10 assists) while Patricio Prato added 20 and J.R. Bremer chipped in 17.

Winn and Cyrus earned some post season honors, as both were named to All-A10 teams (Winn first and Cyrus third). The two were also invited to play in the Portsmouth tournament in front of hundreds of pro scouts. Winn was also selected to play in the NABC College All-Star Game.

Tim Winn

Caswell Cyrus was chosen second overall the United States Basketball League Draft by the Dodge City Legend. David Messiah Capers also signed a contract with the New Jersey ShoreCats of the USBL.

It was a season to remember for Bona fans and I am pleased to say that I have been lucky enough to see the Bonnies in the NCAA Tournament as well, when they made the dance in 2012. This is just the first installment of a look back at the iconic sports teams in St. Bonaventure history so I hope you will take the trip with me back down memory lane.

GO BONNIES!