The dream had been realized fairly early in life: Tommasino said that getting the radio job for St. Bonaventure was his dream since second grade. 60 in the NET rankings, the sorting tool the NCAA Tournament committee uses in selecting the 68-team field. Birdsongs scoring prowess hadnt declined during the Cougars run. He scored his 2,000th career point and averaged a double-double in the final week of the 2011-12 season, posting 25.5 points and 11.0 rebounds. A positive test will require each player and staff member on a team to also be tested. The third all-time leading scorer in program history with 2,077 points from 1977-81, he finished his career 15th in rebounds (650) as well as third in free throw percentage (.831). Havlicek won eight NBA championships with the Boston Celtics, and both he and Lucas were named to the 50 greatest NBA player list in 1997. It was an obstacle that turned into an opportunity.. Bona also retired his uniform number, 31. St. Bonaventure needs to capitalize on the remainder of their schedule, including four games against teams that are in the bottom half of the , Starting this weekend, spectators who attend basketball games at St. Bonaventure won't be required to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination for e. He was named by Look Magazine to the All-District Team the same season. He didnt need the ball at all. The Bonnies made Bramah's list of three finalists . 53 is retired and he was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988. They saw it Feb. 1 against Davidson, when the Bonnies nearly wiped out a 16-point deficit and made it a one-possession game with less than 11 seconds left in an 81-76 loss to the Wildcats. Saint Louis began Monday at No. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? A silky-smooth left-hander with a lethal hook shot and mid-range jumper, Lanier averaged 27.2 points and 15.5 rebounds a game his junior year and 29.1 points and 16 rebounds his senior season. In the same year, 1163 students were at St. Bonaventure University. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. An All-Atlantic 10 selection as both a junior and a senior, including first team honors and All-Defensive status in 1999-2000, he ranks 18th in all-time scoring with 1,407 career points. All you have to do is activate your access. Although. Fast forward 178 games to his first post-season call. He blocked out. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. Each team shot 34 free throws with Wake Forest sinking five more than Coach Eddie Donovans squad. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Lanier averaged 26.2 points and 15.6 rebounds per game. St. Bonaventure had its own challenge in the first round. $1,000 is being awarded. This victory is for those guys. He would play for his hometown New York Knicks and was a member of the inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame class. ALLEGANY The St. Bonaventure mens basketball team likely let out a collective sigh of relief as the buzzer sounded Monday night at the Reilly Center. He was selected All-A-10 First Team in 2003, the Second Team in 2004 and Third Team in 2002. He earned Atlantic 10 Player of the Year twice (1980, '81) and helped the Bonnies to a 70-41 record during his career before earning selection to the Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991. He just looked at it and thought, Im making this thingits my time and Im making this and thats it. And he didhe had the game of his life.. Shannon Shepherd, '12, Buffalo Bills beat reporter for Sports Illustrated Would you like to receive our breaking news? "Becky" Millis Field, 59, of Olean, passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, at her home. Flynn said that he cried like a baby after the Niagara loss. for 1 day, Free The men's basketball team's 2019-20 season ended March 12, before it played its first game in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament. Bob transcended race, united a campus and, by the way, was one of the best basketball players who ever lived. In 1960, Ohio State (OSU) enrolled about 18,000 undergraduate students. He pinned the shotit may have been taken by Havlicek against the backboard in being whistled for the violation. Lanier graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1970 with a degree in business, and his name is on the basketball court at the Reilly Center in Allegany, an honor bestowed in 2007. Hagan also posted 13 points in a win over Oregon as well as 14 points in the championship game win over Houston. Promotional Rates were found for your code. As a kid growing up in Olean (NY), I recall the excitement of getting the cardboard schedule of the upcoming season and filling in the results as the year progressed. 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. However, according to an Associated Press writer, many fans in the inevitable capacity crowds of 2000 would smoke in the outside foyer during halftime. But in the final five minutes, Saint Louis trailed 77-69 and attempted one more rally, despite Collins fouling out with 4:03 left. There was a problem saving your notification. Was there pressure in the moment with such a long win streak on the line? I was in a hospital bed and I watched them bust their butts against Artis (Gilmore) and Pembrook (Burrows) and I know that I could have helped them overcome that. 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. And over the last 50 years, its just been remarkable. Mark Jones As many college basketball fans know, the St. Bonaventure basketball fan base is a special one: dedicated, loyal, and vocal. He hauled in 706 rebounds over his career, averaging 8.5 per contest. 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. 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. In the preview story, an OTH reporter wrote, Its practically unanimous that the hapless men of Siena will be the 99th Armory victim. The reporter was correct: The Saints were marched out of Olean, 99-57. We were ready, and they didnt do anything we didnt think they were going to do, Billikens coach Travis Ford said. We get to the tournament and we were just rolling through people. I think people realized, Well, hes not Don, but hes going to do all right.. Lanier died Tuesday in Arizona. An upset loss to Wake Forest in the 1961 NCAA tournament prevented any Bona hopes for a rematch with Ohio State. And just a couple mistakes on the defensive end allowed them hit a couple open threes. Essie Hollis and Hagan led Bona scorers with 25 and 21 points, respectively. Neil J. O'Connell, OFM, 84, former president of St. Bonaventure University, died Thursday evening (March 24, 2022) at the nursing care unit of St. Elizabeth Motherhouse in Allegany . Keep reading with unlimited digital access. Any athlete who tests positive while on campus will be tested a second time at a local testing center and will be quarantined on campus. ); The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. His injury didnt scare the Pistons, who, according to an NBA.com story, signed Lanier as he was still in the hospital, recovering from knee surgery that spring. 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. Riding a seven-game win streak into the NIT, Indiana State relied on the high-scoring forward who averaged 33 points per game that season, but fell to Houston on the road. 2023 CIF Southern Section Girls' Basketball Championships (California) Division 1. 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Bremer ranks ninth on SBU's all-time scoring list with 1,732 points and led the Bonnies to three postseason appearances (NCAA Tournament in 2000 and NIT in 2001 and 2002). 3. Glenn Hagan The Billikens cut the lead to 81-79 with 30.6 seconds left on Thatchs free throws. Essie Hollis I thought there was enough time left, he recalled. 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. Game #179 would be fresh in his mind years later: Coach Jim Barons squad beat the University of Southern Mississippi for a first-round NIT victory, 75-70. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Bad rotations on the defensive end and unnecessary fouls put them in the 1-and-1 (on free throws).. Still the Purple Eagles of Niagara nearly sent SBU fans home from the Armory in shock. Hagan was great at that, getting to the basket and getting [the ball] to the right guys. One of the main article in the sports section headlined, The Fortress Falls100 Never CameJoy for OneTears for Another.. 25 was retired in 2007. Ohio State entered the in-season tournament ranked #1 in the country, while the Bonnies were fifth in the UPI poll. While Bonaventure fans were devastated they lost that game, Flynn remembered, they probably would have been more upset if it had been someone like Canisius. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 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. Athlete, coaches and staff members will be required to wear a mask provided by the school, and equipment such as basketballs will be cleaned before and after each practice or workout. It was the next-to-last game of his radio tenure that was recalled with fondness. Meanwhile, Ohio State featured a powerful squad, highlighted by All-American and US Olympic star center Jerry Lucas who averaged 25 points and 18 rebounds a game. He was an intern at The Buffalo News in the summer of 2006, and served as an intern in the Sports Department of the Olean Times Herald his junior and senior years. What made the victory more memorable was that it marked the Bonnies first return to post-season action since the 1983 NIT (a 90-76 loss to Iona). While Birdsong went quiet offensively, Sanders was just starting his barrage. I think that was the reason for our success., College/high school sports enterprise reporter. In fact, the Bonnies accepted the NCAA bid a month before the tournament started. Welcome! It was an evening where David nearly beat Goliath, and, thanks in large part to Crawfords talents, where a small school from Western New York almost beat the top-ranked team in the country. He was all an A-10 All-Defensive Team pick in three straight seasons. JSerra (10-11): Lions finish the regular season against Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei, so reaching .500 will be a challenge. A miss by Sanders, in Satalins eyes, wouldnt have meant defeat. A member of the 1970 NCAA Final Four team, Gantt scored 992 points and averaged 13.6 points per game during his career. 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. "As fierce and as dominant as Bob was on the court, he was equally kind and impactful in the community," Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a statement. Flynn, then nine years old, sat with his neighbor at midcourt in the Armory balcony. A four-year floor general, Winn was a program-changing recruit for Jim Baron. I lived and died with Bonas, he added. 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. Thank you for reading! Thank you for reading! {{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. Then there was an unusual item, something related to a Bona defeat to Wake Forest Collegeits name at that timein March 1961. Named MVP of the 1977 NIT, he is St. Bonaventure's career leader in points with 2,238 (1974-78). Niagara just had control of the game., Final score: Niagara 87, St. Bonaventure 77. A player in the NBA for Washington and New Jersey, Vanterpool today is a well-respected NBA assistant coach, today with Minnesota and previous with Portland. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. The Reilly Center Arena court where the Bonnies have played since 1966 was named after Lanier in 2007. A prolific scorer, Crawford established the SBU men's basketball scoring record for sophomores with 614 points in 1960-61. 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 native of Silver Creek, N.Y. averaged 18 points per game during his ABA and NBA careers spanning between 1967 and 1976. Theres no way in the world that someone would come into the Armory and beat us, Stith recalled. You have permission to edit this article. Though growing up closer to Olean than to Winston-Salem, Chappell took his high school experience from a small town near Johnstown, PA, to become a two-time ACC Player of the Year. Yes, Wake Forest upset St. Bonaventure on March 17, 1961, in the NCAA Eastern Regional semifinal game before a capacity crowd of 12,000 in Charlotte, NC, a profound disappointment to Bona fans thinking about a national championship. Jerry Trass/Olean Times Herald ALLEGANY, N.Y. Bob Lanier, the greatest basketball player in St. Bonaventure University history, died early today surrounded by family in Arizona. The Bonnies reeled off another four straight victories to end the regular season at 20-5. ); : If I miss that shot, it means Im the goat, and keep in mind that it would have broken the Bona winning streak, Stith added. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). That achievement belonged to the star 6-8 forward Len Chappellthe Tom Stith equivalent for Wake Forestwho had a 27 point per game average. He was named to the Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992. 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. Win #73 was pivotal to Stiths career. According to a Sports Illustrated account from February 1961, St. Bonaventure was the first independent team chosen for the 1961 NCAA tournament. He had scholarship offers to more than 80 colleges to play basketball, but stayed close to home at Bona. On your next view you will be asked to log in or create an account to continue reading. By the time he closed his Bona career, he had scored 1,657 points - a total that leaves him 12th all-time in the program record books. Want to receive notice about our circulation promotions and contests? It was a strong field, but we were really good that year, he said in looking back to that year. 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The referees were no doubt busy in the 40 minutes of play, though the game must have been far longer. Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again. Theyll be in the Pacific Coast League next season. I knew the Bonnies had some good teams in the pre-Lanier era, but knew nothing about the 1960-1961 squad and wondered about this particular loss. On top of that, he hadnt made a basket the entire game. By VINNY PEZZIMENTI Olean Times Herald Feb 19, 2023 ST. BONAVENTURE "Hope," St. Bonaventure basketball coach Mark Schmidt said, was all the Bonnies had left with 2.2 seconds left,. His enormous influence on the NBA was also seen during his time as President of the National Basketball Players Association, where he played a key role in the negotiation of a game-changing collective bargaining agreement. Thank You! He was honored as a Jim Staunton Champion for Character by the CIF-Southern Section in 2017. It hurt me to my heart that my guys were going (to the tourney) without me, Lanier said. 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. He was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. 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. I wanted it because I messed up by fouling [the Niagara player]. Lanier played for 14 seasons in the NBA, with the Pistons and Bucks, and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. As a senior, he averaged 17.5 ppg and was named First Team All-A-10. You have permission to edit this article. They finished the season 1813, 108 in A-10 play to finish in a three way tie for sixth place. He also writes about high school football recruiting, including The Register's annual FAB 15 teams that list the top high school football players in the Western U.S. before National Signing Day. Green left St. Bonaventure as one of the best guards in program history. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. No question, he said. But this was the Armorywhere a loss hadnt been known since Truman was president. On March 16, 1995, the top pop song in the US was Madonnas Take a Bow. The 78-73 setback to Wake Forest in the NCAA East Regional semifinals at the Charlotte Coliseum was unique from the outset. Sign Up Today! To me, it was the best job in the world, he said. Sign Up Today! Ahead 37-36 at halftime, the Bonnies faced a persistent Wake Forest team that forced six lead changes in the second half. The Bonnies managed the game for nearly the entire contest before a controversial foul in the closing seconds sealed the Rutgers victory. In this Dec. 7, 2019 file photo, Bob Lanier speaks during a celebration of the 1969-70 St. Bonaventure mens basketball team as teammate Billy Kalbaugh looks on Saturday at the Reilly Center. The lead story was about area flooding, though a top-page banner indicated that Niagara had used St. Bonaventure as a stepping stone to the NIT Tournament and pointed to more stories in the sports section. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. It made me really focus on what I needed to do to get to where I wanted to go. That was our feeling. The Bonnies had just come off consecutive road losses to two Top 20 teams. 2. It was the little engine that could in St. Bonaventure going against Ohio State, Crawford summarized. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. 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. According to the Bennett Alumni Associations Sports Hall of Fame page, Lanier was an All-High selection as a junior and as a senior for the Tigers, averaging 25 points per game his senior year. Even before the final buzzer, Donovan walked to the Niagara bench to congratulate Gallagher, who got the game ball with Donovans approval. After all, the game was played a month before I was born, well before I remember listening to Don McLean call games as a kid. "For more than 30 years, Bob served as our global ambassador and as a special assistant to David Stern and then me, traveling the world to teach the games values and make a positive impact on young people everywhere," Silver said in a statement this morning. He will be synonymous with St. Bonaventure eternally.. On 2/9, the Brea Olinda varsity basketball team lost their home playoff game against Orange Lutheran (Orange, CA) by a score of 49-40. The MVP of the 1974 NBA All-Star game, Lanier had his No. He began his career at Agway-Felmont Industries and retired from St. Bonaventure University, where he did. In a game with likely NCAA implications, Syracuse enacted revenge in the ECAC tournament game at the Manley Field House in Syracuse in early March. Sign Up Today! St. Bonaventure men's basketball completes home-and-home sweep of Saint Louis. I remember it vividly, he remembered. For the second consecutive year, the Bonnies accumulated a winning record but did not receive an invite the postseason; the team failed to qualify for the National Invitation Tournament and, in accordance with school policy, preemptively ruled out participating in either the College Basketball Invitational or CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.[1]. That would have really been disastrous. Even after Jordan Nesbitt missed a 3-point attempt that clanked off the rim with less than six seconds left, the Bonnies couldnt let up until after Jalen Adaway hit the front end of two free throws with 5.1 seconds left, which cemented the final margin and helped the Bonnies avoid completely squandering a comfortable, double-digit lead. For St. Bonaventure, there would be no rematch against Ohio State, which eventually suffered an overtime loss to Cincinnati in the NCAA championship game. In an interview on the day of the Reilly Center Arena floor dedication in 2007, Lanier wept recalling how devastated he was not being able to play in the Final Four. He tallied 659 points and his skillful play was instrumental in leading Bona to a 65-12 record during his career (1967-70). The 201415 St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball team represented St. Bonaventure University during the 201415 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. I think we could have extended the game and had an opportunity to win, he said. Lanier finished his 75-game career as the St. Bonaventure record holder in seven categories: career scoring (2,067 points); career points per game (27.6); career rebounding (1,180); single-game scoring (51 points vs. Seton Hall); single-game rebounding (27 vs. Loyola, Md. The Class of 2023 is headlined by former men's . When the team went belly up in the A-10 tournment, it was like our hopes were dashed, he said. He was a consensus All-American each season. According to The New York Times, Houston guard Ken Williams hurried downcourt after the turnover and took a shot, seemingly in panic, instead of slowing down the game and setting up a play. Bona center Tim Waterman grabbed the rebound and headed to the foul line, making one free throw. He is the top scoring guard in school history with 1,912 points (sixth overall among all SBU players) and also ranks second on the team's all-time list for three-pointers (270) and third in assists (590). Hollis got into early foul trouble in the 85-72 loss. 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. He helped Bona to three NIT berths and one NCAA Tournament and went on to play for the New York Knicks. Boeheims assessment in the same story echoed respect for the Bona offensive threat in saying, We couldnt play zone here, not with the shooters they have., The Bona backcourt of Baron and Hagan got into early foul trouble, but Satalins squad got 18 bench points from Dan Viglianco (8 points), Delmar Harrod (5 points), and Nick Urzetta (5 points). (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Send us Feedback 2005- 2023 SportSpyder, LLC All rights reserved. His #22 jersey was raised to the Reilly Center rafters upon his 1969 induction to the Universitys Athletics Hall of Fame. The pair of wins against the Billikens should pay dividends for the Bonnies (15-7, 7-4 Atlantic 10 Conference), who completed the season sweep in a rare back-to-back, home-and-home series that started Friday with Bonas 68-61 win at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Mo. But coming out of the media timeout, the Bonnies answered with a 7-2 run, then opened their lead to 15 points with less than 10 minutes left in the game. In the end, Lucas collected 21 rebounds and missed only seven shots from the field in scoring 32 points. He is also first in career field goals made (944) and shot a .538 percentage, also grabbing over 600 rebounds. All of those guys were ready to take the next step, and that game showed them that they could do that.. He was the kind of guy who did all the dirty work. St. Bonaventure vs Buffalo: 2021-22 college basketball game preview, TV schedule Share The St. Bonaventure Bonnies will host the Buffalo Bulls on Saturday in a battle between two of the. Each player added eight rebounds apiece. 1 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 1970 NBA draft, after a season in which he averaged 29.1 points a game. The No. The Bonnies are fifth in the Atlantic 10 standings, and have six games left in the regular season a stretch run that could help propel the Bonnies into the Atlantic 10 tournament, which begins March 9 in Washington, D.C. Were not trying to get comfortable, or satisfied where were at, said Bona center Osun Osunniyi, who led his team with 21 points and three blocks. They made me so proud. Lanier returned to campus less than two years later, in December 2019, when Bona honored the 50th anniversary of the 1970 Final Four team. Sparked by Francis Okoros inside play and Yuri Collins passing Collins had five of his 10 assists in the first five minutes of the second half the Billikens cut Bonas lead to 55-49. As a senior, he helped the Bonnies to the NCAA Tournament and First Four win over UCLA as well as a school-record 26 victories. "It was a labor of love for Bob, who was one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever been around. The win against Bradley, played before 15,497 in Madison Square Garden, came after it ended the Bonnies season in the 1960 NIT. He was also A-10 second team in 1983 and the captain of the 1983 NIT team before being selected to the SBU Hall of Fame in 1995. Tim Winn The team lost 6-7 forward/center Bob Rozyczko and his 17 points per game average to graduation, but the foursome of Hollis, Baron, Hagan, and Sanders brought a 55 points-per-game average into the 76-77 season.