Game Preview: Davidson Wildcats
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 27
Time: 9:00 (please note this special start time -- this game will be second of CBSSN's A-10 doubleheader)
Location: Bob Lanier Court in the Reilly Center
Records (A-10)
St. Bonaventure 22-6 (12-4) | Davidson 17-12 (12-4)
Bonnies Statistics | Davidson Statistics
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: WPIG 95.7 FM with Gary Nease and Don Scholla
Twitter: @BonniesMBB
Gameday Central
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
OPENING TIP
A showdown between the two teams tied for second place in the Atlantic 10 Conference is at hand Tuesday when St. Bonaventure hosts Davidson. The Bonnies' 10-game winning streak will be put to the test by a Wildcats club that already beat the Bonnies earlier this season. The team will honor its three seniors, Jaylen Adams, Idris Taqqee and Matt Mobley, in a pre-game ceremony starting at approximately 8:45.
BONA-NOTEWORTHY
• St. Bonaventure's 10-game win streak is tied for the third-longest in Division I and is also the longest Atlantic 10 winning streak in program history.
• The Bonnies have a chance to set a new program record for most wins in the regular season. Their 22 wins are tied for the all-time record. In addition, the last time St. Bonaventure posted three 20-win seasons in a row was 1958-61, when the Stith-brothers led teams won 20 games or more four straight years.
• Using the NCAA's new quadrant system of reviewing a team's season, St. Bonaventure is 4-2 in Quadrant 1 with wins over Rhode Island, Syracuse, Vermont and Buffalo, 4-2 in Quadrant 2 with wins over Maryland, Northeastern, Canisius and VCU, 3-1 in Quadrant 3 and 11-1 in Quadrant 4.
• All-America and A-10 Player of the Year candidate Jaylen Adams leads the Bonnies in their quest for an NCAA berth. He ranks fifth in the nation in three-point percentage at .482 and is fourth in the A-10 in scoring at 20.2 points per game. He and backcourt partner Matt Mobley combine to average 38.1 points per game.
• Mobley has 13 games of 20 points or more this season. He ranks sixth in the A-10 in scoring (17.9), and his 80 three-pointers are third-most among A-10 players.
• Junior forward Courtney Stockard's story is much more than his 11 points and six rebounds per game. His career was in doubt after he sat out the past two years with the same broken foot. He persevered, though, and is now a key contributor for this surging team. Last Saturday, he set career highs of 21 points and 14 rebounds in the win at VCU.
• Junior forward LaDarien Griffin is one of the most improved players in the Atlantic 10. After averaging just 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds a year ago, he is at 8.6 points and 6.5 rebounds this season. He had 14 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two assists against Rhode Island.
Davidson Notes
• Davidson is one of the top shooting teams in the country, anchored by senior forward Peyton Aldridge, a preseason first team All-Conference pick. The Wildcats make 39 percent of their three-point attempts and average nearly 11 three-pointers per game.
• After playing a challenging non-conference schedule, Davidson has surprised some by racing through the A-10 with 12 wins in 16 games. Aldridge leads the Wildcats in scoring (20.5) and rebounding (7.5). Kellan Grady is a candidate for A-10 Rookie of the Year, as he is averaging 17 points per game. Junior point guard Jon Axel Gudmundsson is at 13.5 points and five assists per game.
Series History
This will be the the 10th meeting between the teams and the sixth since Davidson joined the Atlantic 10. The Wildcats hold a 5-4 series lead and have won the last three meetings.
St. Bonaventure vs. Davidson: The Last Meeting
Jan. 19, 2018 at Belk Arena: Wildcats 83, Bonnies 73
Shooting was the difference as the Wildcats made 14 three-pointers and connected on 53 percent of their shots overall, enabling the home team to build a lead and hold it. St. Bonaventure, which fell behind by 11 points early in the second half, could not keep pace, going 10-34 from the field in the second half. The first half was evenly played in every category but three-point shooting. Davidson made nine three-pointers on 19 shots. Davidson then started the second half hot, jumping out to a 51-41 lead 3:35 into the half. The shooting was the opposite for St. Bonaventure, which started the second half 5-20 from the field. St. Bonaventure fought back, cutting its deficit to 58-55 on Idris Taqqee's follow layup at the 14:42 mark. The Bonnies could never pull even, however, as Davidson's hot three-point shooting kept up. The Wildcats surged ahead by 11 at 66-55 by the 7:44 mark.
Senior Class Breaks Wins Record
The Bonnies' two four-year seniors, Jaylen Adams and Idris Taqqee, have now been a part of 82 wins, which is a new program record. The previous record of 80 wins was held by the class of 1980 seniors Delmar Harrod, Bruno DeGiglio and Jim Elenz.
Home Cooking Is Best
The Bonnies have won their last 12 games at the Reilly Center. Since the start of the 2015-16 Atlantic 10 conference schedule, St. Bonaventure is 21-3 against Atlantic 10 opponents at home.
Backcourt One Of Nation's Best
Despite the intense defensive attention they are getting this season, the Jaylen Adams - Matt Mobley pairing remains one of the nation's best backcourts. Not only are they the top scoring teammate tandem in the Atlantic 10, they also are among the A-10 leaders in three-point shooting, assists and steals.
Adams & Mobley Season Combined Stats:
PPG Assists Steals 3-PT% FT%
38.1 8.1 2.9 .422 .855
Drawing Charges Stockard's Call
Courtney Stockard's proficiency in drawing charges has not gone unnoticed. He now has drawn 18 on the season, a team high. St. Bonaventure's coaches chart this statistic on a whiteboard in the team's locker room.
Stockard Continues Strong Season
Entering the season, no player on the roster would have been more accurately described as the "X Factor" than Courtney Stockard. That is because the 6-6 wing missed all of the past two seasons due to a broken bone in his foot. He first broke it in the fall of 2015, then re-injured the same bone in the same foot in the first practice of 2016. During his two years on the sidelines, the St. Louis native became well-versed in the Bonnies' playbook and what the coaches expect. Now a 22-year-old redshirt junior, Stockard is third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.2 points per game, second in rebounding at 6.3 per game and third in assists (2.2). He has scored in double figures 17 times in 26 games. In A-10 play, Stockard has scored in double figures 13 times including a career high 21 points at VCU, as well as three double-doubles. While he established himself as one of the Atlantic 10's best sixth men, Stockard moved inot the starting lineup the past 10 games. Consistent all year, Stockard also has his share of highlight reel moments. He scored 14 points against Maryland including the game-winner on a drive with 3.2 seconds left. Stockard's top moment, however, was the charge he drew in the waning seconds of overtime at Syracuse.
A-10 High In Three-Point Efficiency
The Bonnies lead the Atlantic 10 Conference in three-point percentage at .396, which ranks 24th nationally.
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St. Bonaventure basketball tickets are available via GoBonnies.com/tickets; by calling (716) 375-2500 or in person at the St. Bonaventure ticket office in the Reilly Center between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. For the latest news on St. Bonaventure athletics, stay connected on social media. Follow the Bonnies on Twitter @Go_Bonnies and get men's basketball updates @BonniesMBB. Keep up with the Bonnies on Facebook /GoBonnies and on Instagram @GoBonnies.