access for current print subscribers. As a senior, he averaged 17.5 ppg and was named First Team All-A-10. The Olean Times Herald storyheadlined Pipe-Dreamer Couldnt Have Improved on Bonas Victorycredited that basket with 15 seconds left as deciding the game and keeping the streak alive. Earl Belcher On top of the streak, it was Tom Stiths final home game in a Bona uniform. He also helped Bona to the 1971 NIT with a 21-6 record and 62-17 during his career. (This brief stretch may be the only consecutive three-game run of facing top 20 teams in Bona history.). "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. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). He was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. In the 1961 NCAA Tournament, he posted 34 points and 16 rebounds in a first round win over Rhode Island, then had 19 points and 10 boards in a second round setback vs. Wake Forest and scored in double figures in every postseason game he played. St. Bonaventure reached the A-10 Tournament championship game each of the last two times it was played, falling to Saint Louis, 55-53, in 2019 and cruising as the No. The backcourt dished out 14 assists, while both Hollis and Sanders fouled out of the game. The NCAA announced the cancellation of all winter and spring sports championships because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Marques Green A bronze pair of his sneakers remains in the Basketball Hall of Fame. 6. In his three seasons, the Bona teams coached by Eddie Donovan amassed a record of 62-13, good for a .827 winning percentage. In fact, the Bonnies accepted the NCAA bid a month before the tournament started. No question, he said. He didnt need the ball at all. Thank goodness we had a strong first half.. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the A-10 Tournament where they lost to Dayton. A Bonaventure athletic department spokesperson confirmed Thursday to The News that mens basketball players will return to campus July 18 and 19 for offseason workouts, and womens basketball players will return to campus July 25. Over his four seasons, Adams helped the Bonnies to 87 wins, which is the most ever for a graduating class. This blog certainly wouldnt be happening without them. Its just that youre not there to help them. A prolific scorer, Crawford established the SBU men's basketball scoring record for sophomores with 614 points in 1960-61. 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. JSerra (10-11): Lions finish the regular season against Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei, so reaching .500 will be a challenge. He became an eight-time NBA All-Star who averaged more than 20 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, and had his uniform number (16) retired by the Pistons and the Bucks. Flynn, then nine years old, sat with his neighbor at midcourt in the Armory balcony. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. 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. J.R. Bremer He was picked to the SBU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988 and his No. He was named by Look Magazine to the All-District Team the same season. 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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. "It was a labor of love for Bob, who was one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever been around. The final 14 seconds were sweat-producing, as described by The Times Herald, and found Weise, the 5-11 senior guard and subsequent Bona head coach, sinking two foul shots in the final two seconds to seal the win. The MVP of the 1974 NBA All-Star game, Lanier had his No. Sign Up Today! They lost their last two regular season games before falling in double overtime to St. Joes in the Atlantic 10 tournament and finding themselves with a record of 17-12. In three seasons at St. Bonaventure, the 6-foot-11 center became one of its most prolific players and became a hallmark not just of the basketball program but as the longtime face of the schools athletic program. George Carter Athletics | St. Bonaventure University Tommasino, the voice of the Bonnies from 1988-1995, called 180 games over that span. 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. As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. Afterward, according to an OTH story, both Bona and Niagara fans stopped by the Niagara locker room to say nice going to a nice guy. The story added that Gallagher was as gracious in beating the Bonnies than he was in his previous nine losses or so to them. A team player, he finished his career with 1,396 points which ranks 19th all-time. Thank you for reading! If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. 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. He played professionally for the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Buffalo Braves and Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA and his No. Hagan led all scorers, including the Herron brothers of Villanova, with 26 points, and Barron added 13 points in only 22 minutes of play. A positive test will require each player and staff member on a team to also be tested. His 22.5 points per game is still good for third all-time among Bona players. 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. I have been a fan of St. Bonaventure mens basketball for as long as I can remember. Jump to Sections of this page A UB athletic spokesperson confirmed Tuesday to The News that the mens basketball program has not determined a report date for its players, m. The Times Herald story related that Satalin juggled his lineup like a master magician.. Crawford didnt remember a unique strategy designed to stop Lucas and the other Ohio State stars. But when I ran back down the court and tried to pivot, my leg collapsed. GIRLS BASKETBALL TOP 25. All you have to do is activate your access. The campaign for A Bolder Bonaventure Tour Stop: San Clemente, CA 4 March, 2023, 4 30 PM-7 30 PM Join us as we celebrate the beginning of Dr. Gingerich's tenure as president and launch the Campaign for A Bolder Bonaventure, the largest fundraising campaign in the university's history. No one can mention the 1970 St. Bonaventure men's basketball team without bringing up Bob Lanier. Sanders performance earned him tournament MVP honors. A four-year floor general, Winn was a program-changing recruit for Jim Baron. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? St. Bonaventure guard Kyle Lofton scores two points over Richmond Spiders forward Nathan Cayo last February. Was there pressure in the moment with such a long win streak on the line? A win may have vaulted the team into the 32-team NCAA tournament. He is also first in career field goals made (944) and shot a .538 percentage, also grabbing over 600 rebounds. The Universitys webpage of Stith offers an apt description: When the game was on the line, he became the Go To Guy, and he seldom disappointed. Win #73 included. In only his fourth season as the Bonnies head coach, Jim Satalin found himself in the national spotlight against famed coached Guy Lewis. 60 in the NET rankings, the sorting tool the NCAA Tournament committee uses in selecting the 68-team field. The referees were no doubt busy in the 40 minutes of play, though the game must have been far longer. The Bonnies shot 36 percent from the floor, far lower than their 57 percent success rate per game to that point in the season. A look at the front page of The Olean Times Herald (OTH) on Monday, February 27, 1961, revealed little about the tumultuous event that took place two days prior at the Olean Armory. Because I think that's really important -- legacies and tradition. Bonas mens basketball players will return to campus July 18 and 19 for offseason workouts, and womens basketball players will return July 25. Watch this highlight video of the Brea Olinda (Brea, CA) basketball team in its game Brea Olinda vs Canyon Game Highlights - Jan. 13, 2023 on Jan 13, 2023. They werent a great defensive team. Saint Louis opened the second half with a 9-1 run in the first 2:31, which forced the Bonnies to call an early timeout. Bob transcended race, united a campus and, by the way, was one of the best basketball players who ever lived. Thosewho have donned the Brown and White over the past 100 years have created memories to last a lifetime with fans of the program. Others considered (listed alphabetically): Aliso Niguel, El Dorado, Kennedy, Santiago, Tustin, Valencia, Please send feedback on rankings to Dan Albano at dalbano@scng.com or @ocvarsityguy on Twitter and Instagram. Essie Hollis and Hagan led Bona scorers with 25 and 21 points, respectively. They made me so proud. Providence (#15) upended St. Bonaventure, 82-75, before a Dick Vitale-coached Detroit squad (#19) defeated the Bonnies, 78-62, in the Motor City. He was that kind of guy, he remembered. "I talked to the team about it, Schmidt said. ); single-season rebounding (416); and average rebounds in one season (16) in 1969-1970. Entering the game, Birdsong and the size of Houstons roster were on Satalins mind, but there was a key factor that he liked. AJ Bramah, a Robert Morris transfer and the first Bona target to announce a decision date, plans to verbally commit on Friday. It was the Bonnies only victory in the final five games of the season, as they lost at Marquette in the ensuing round of the NIT despite Vanterpools 27-point performance. I didnt even know at the time I tore my knee up. Despite the vast difference in school sizes, the Bonnies were not intimidated by the likes of Ohio State. I lived and died with Bonas, he added. 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. 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. Preview of tonight's St. Bonaventure men's basketball matchup against St. Louis The Bonnies made Bramah's list of three finalists . (); : But the win Monday should give the Bonnies a reminder that no lead is safe, especially as the regular season gets shorter. We get to the tournament and we were just rolling through people. Would you like to receive our sports news? Promotional Rates were found for your code. His 247 steals were at the time a school record and a total that still ranks fourth in program history. The OTH called it the upset of upsets in Little Three basketball history. And win #100 was never reached. After he retired, Lanier served as the NBA Cares Global Ambassador, working with programs that supported education, family development, youth and health-related causes. However, the Little Three matchup was not a game to be taken lightly. He didnt need to take any shots. His #22 jersey was raised to the Reilly Center rafters upon his 1969 induction to the Universitys Athletics Hall of Fame. The Latest St. Bonaventure Bonnies Basketball News | SportSpyder Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The Bonnies were badly outrebounded, 42-23, with Oregon star and second team USBWA All-American Greg Ballard nearly matching the Bona total with 15 rebounds. In 1960, Ohio State (OSU) enrolled about 18,000 undergraduate students. He also was the interim head coach for the Golden State Warriors for 37 games in 1994-95, after Don Nelson stepped down. He blocked out. St. Bonaventure had its own challenge in the first round. Preview of tonight's St. Bonaventure - Olean Times Herald | Facebook Mr. Jester was born at St. Francis Hospital in. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. He will be synonymous with St. Bonaventure eternally.. {{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. ); The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. The 2014-15 St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball team represented St. Bonaventure University during the 2014-15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.The Bonnies, led by eighth year head coach Mark Schmidt, played their home games at the Reilly Center and were members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.They finished the season 18-13, 10-8 in A-10 play to finish in a three way tie for . Brea Olinda High School (CA) Girls Varsity Basketball - MaxPreps.com It was just so unbelievable that they lost that game. Siena visited the Armory on February 23. He was selected All-A-10 First Team in 2003, the Second Team in 2004 and Third Team in 2002. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. 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. I remember it vividly, he remembered. Ahead 37-36 at halftime, the Bonnies faced a persistent Wake Forest team that forced six lead changes in the second half. Bona also retired his uniform number, 31. The message among the Bonnies was about fundamentals. 1 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 1970 NBA draft, after a season in which he averaged 29.1 points a game. Every time they [St. Bonaventure] rallied, there was Butler hitting a shot, Flynn said. The St. Bonaventure University women's basketball team is doing more than taking on the Richmond Spiders on Saturday in an Atlantic 10 matchup. Lanier returned to campus less than two years later, in December 2019, when Bona honored the 50th anniversary of the 1970 Final Four team. He was a 1961 graduate of Olean High School and a member of the U.S. National Guard. That achievement belonged to the star 6-8 forward Len Chappellthe Tom Stith equivalent for Wake Forestwho had a 27 point per game average. RIP BOB! Win #100 was denied by the same team upon which the win streak started: the Purple Eagles of Niagara University. An eight-time NBA All-Star and member of the 1970-71 All-Rookie team, Lanier scored more than 19,000 points over his 14-year career with Detroit and Milwaukee, averaging 20.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals while shooting 51.4 percent from the field. I think about the lasting memories and the lasting friendships I have to this day because of those guys I was in a trench with for so long.. Her directive to me was clear: In preparing to move, my childhood boxes collecting dust in the basement needed to be sorted out. The Bonnies reeled off another four straight victories to end the regular season at 20-5. 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. 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. Stith, a subsequent Hall of Fame inductee at St. Bonaventure, was chosen as the second overall pick of the 1961 draft by the New York Knicks, while Washington selected Wake Forest player Norm Snead as its quarterback in the second spot of the NFL draft the very same year. They made us pay for it. He was inducted into the SBU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990. Nick Mogavero, the coach who cut Lanier, told The News in 1990 that he wanted Laniers stamina and coordination to catch up with his 6-foot-6, 240-pound frame. 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. He finished his four-year career at St. Bonaventure with 2,103 points, 887 rebounds and 244 blocks in 123 games (118 starts). That would have really been disastrous. 16 jersey retired by the Pistons and Bucks, to whom Lanier was traded in 1980. The catalyst of the celebrated St. Bonaventure "nervous defense," he helped to initiate a total change in defense which later led to the zone press. 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. Then there was an unusual item, something related to a Bona defeat to Wake Forest Collegeits name at that timein March 1961. Winds light and variable.. Cloudy. Checking back? Glenn Hagan An apparent late whistle against Baron on the steal affected the outcome. A cause of death was not immediately given, but Lanier had been battling bladder cancer in the last few years, and had also undergone various surgeries on his neck and knees. 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]. He more than handled it for us. 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. I thought there was enough time left, he recalled. pic.twitter.com/8GD9BhKt7C. The 78-73 setback to Wake Forest in the NCAA East Regional semifinals at the Charlotte Coliseum was unique from the outset. From that list, a group of 20 program greats have earned selection to the Centennial Season All-Time Team. At Bennett High School, Lanier dominated even after he was cut from Bennetts basketball team as a sophomore, but honed his basketball skills with Lorrie Alexander, the athletic director at the Masten Avenue Boys Club. The Latest St. Bonaventure Bonnies Basketball (Olean Times Herald) News | SportSpyder Sign in MLB NFL NBA NHL NCAAB NCAAF MLS Premier More Shop My Podcasts Follow Team News Tweets Players Widgets Loading. 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. The Buckeyes lost their only game of the season in the NCAA championship game to Cincinnati. Years later, Lanier was instrumental in bringing the Final Four team back to campus every few years for an under-the-radar reunion few people knew was happening. The games were often the topic of wintertime conversations at school, the neighbors hoop, the dinner table, and really anywhere in the community. He was named to the Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992. Hagan also posted 13 points in a win over Oregon as well as 14 points in the championship game win over Houston. 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. He ranks fifth in rebounds with 849 including a career-high 305 in 1966-67. Thank You! 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. 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 NBA statement said Lanier died following a brief illness. Want to receive notice about our circulation promotions and contests? The Atlantic 10 announced the pairings Thursday. He scored 40 points in the NIT Championship Game in 1977 and had a career-high of 46 points against Detroit earlier that year, also pouring in 30 points in the second round of the NIT with a win over Oregon. Weve got a lot of games left. Low 29F. ST. BONAVENTURE (14-17) You have permission to edit this article. For more information on the Centennial Season celebration, visit GoBonnies.com/100. Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. St. Bonaventure men's basketball completes home-and-home sweep of Saint He is tied for the SBU single game record for assists with 14, and second in steals for a game with seven. A consensus All-American twice (1969, '70), Lanier finished his career as the St. Bonaventure record holder in seven categories including points (2,067), rebounding (1,180), single-game scoring (51 points vs. Seton Hall), single-game rebounding (27 vs. Loyola MD), single-season rebounding (416), single-season shooting percentage (.586) and average rebounds in one season (16.0 rpg) in 1969-70. He played professionally with the Virginia Squires of the ABA and the New York Nets of the NBA before earning SBU Athletics Hall of Fame honors in 1974. Named MVP of the 1977 NIT, he is St. Bonaventure's career leader in points with 2,238 (1974-78). 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. I'm a college/high school sports enterprise reporter at The Buffalo News. The Bonnies will play in the A-10 quarterfinals against a yet-to-be-determined opponent on Friday in Washington, D.C. Now starting five seniors, the Bonnies must win three games in three days to defend their title and return to the NCAA Tournament for the seco, Hes coached at the college and professional levels since 1975, a tenure defined by both success and controversy, but his coaching path brings, The senior guard finished 7 for 8 from the floor and 6 for 6 on free throws, and his 20 points helped the Bonnies bounce back from a 75-66 los, The Bonnies lived up to a big-game billing, but a late offensive surge couldn't lift the Bonnies in an 81-76 loss to Davidson, despite Jalen A. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Bob Lanier, St. Bonaventure and NBA legend, dies at 73. 2014-15 St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball team In the latter story, Coach Donovan conceded, We were called with an unusually large number of traveling violations, but I guess we were traveling., The Bona defeat was also mentioned in a 1968 Sports Illustrated story by Curry Kirkpatrick, who described it as a game still remembered for its odd officiating and for a Wake Forest fast break started by the coach from his bench. That specific second-half play, as related in an article years later in The Buffalo News, had the Wake Forest coach taking the ball from one of the Bona guards, who was about to offer an in-bounds pass, and throwing it to Packer for a basket. We missed a lot of open shots and free throws, said Bonas Dominick Welch, who scored 19 points and had four steals. 53 is retired and he was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988. During football season, he partners with Steve Fryer and Jonathan Khamis on OCVarsity's Gridiron Show and hosts a weekly podcast on Trinity League football. Timmy was a key factor on that team. CHUCK POLLOCK Olean Times Herald ST. BONAVENTURE St. Bonaventure's men's basketball team couldn't have picked a better time to put up its biggest point total of the season and its junior guard, Daryl Banks Players: Daryl Banks III His success in the ensuing seasons propelled the program to new heights, which prompted kids like me to become ardent Bona fans and to keep special memories in all kinds of ways for decades to come. 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. Vanterpool helped lead the Bonnies back to national respect, taking Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors in 1991-92. Hollis enjoyed a tremendously successful career, ranking seventh in program history with 1,798 points while he still stands second in rebounds with 939 - 9.2 per game over 109 contests. St. Bonaventure basketball fans came to the Reilly Center hoping to see their team shoot the lights out in its first win of the season. The key to SBU's 1970 Final Four team, his No. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch.