St. Bonaventure Bonnies Win Home Opener Against Arkansas-Little Rock

Behind an improved defense and the continued dominance of Andrew Nicholson, the St. Bonaventure Bonnies were victorious over Arkansas Little-Rock, 77-64, on Bob Lanier Court in the Reilly Center.

After they were left wondering what had occurred in a loss against Canisius just two days prior, the Bonnies came out and took care of business against an inferior team. The team was led once again by preseason Atlantic 10 first-team selection Andrew Nicholson.

Nicholson led all scorers with 25 points using an improved mid-range jump-shot offsetting his inside game. It was the third consecutive game, two if you do not count the exhibition, that Nicholson went over 20 points in a game. 

There were other bright spots besides Nicholson, as Ogo Adegboye improved dramatically from the season opener.

During the season opener, Adegboye looked confused against the defense Canisius threw at the Bonnies. He failed to break down the zone and was only able to supply two assists the entire game. It left many to wonder how a player who was so dominant overseas playing for Great Britain, struggled against a MAAC team such as Canisius.

Adegboye answered those questions today by scoring 17 points and orchestrating an offense that had three players scoring in double-digits. 

Michael Davenport continued on his strong start to the season with a 17-point effort after dropping 19 in the game Friday night. The Bonnies' season may well hinge on the impact both Davenport and Adegboye have to give Nicholson the supporting cast he has lacked thus far in his career.

Freshman Matthew Wright once again garnered big minutes off the bench, enforcing the notion that he is Schmidt's sixth-man off the bench. Wright solidified his spot in the lineup by showing a smooth shot from the outside and played solid defense against faster opponents. His seven points, all in the first half, displayed for the Bona faithful what he can do when he looks for his shot.

The future for the young freshman looks bright, but it is the present the Bona faithful are concerned about. After a disappointing first game, the Bonnies came out and played a complete game in front of their home crowd. 

The Bonnies look to ride their momentum into their next game Friday night against Cornell, a Sweet-16 team from last season. If the Bonnies win at Cornell on Friday, the prospects begin to look up for a special season.