AP

No. 23 St. Bonaventure rallies late to beat Canisius 69-60

Nov 14, 2021, 2:15 AM | Updated: 6:03 pm

St. Bonaventure guard Kyle Lofton (0) drives to the hoop while defended by Canisius guard Ahamadou ...

St. Bonaventure guard Kyle Lofton (0) drives to the hoop while defended by Canisius guard Ahamadou Fofana (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Olean N.Y. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)

(AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)


              Canisius forward Jacco Fritz (10) dunks and his fouled by St. Bonaventure guard Jaren Holmes (5) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Olean, N.Y. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
            
              Canisius guard Armon Harried (11) loses the ball as he's fouled by St. Bonaventure guard Kyle Lofton (0) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Olean, N.Y. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
            
              St. Bonaventure guard Jaren Holmes (5) shoots a 3-pointer while defended by Canisius guard Jordan Henderson (3) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Olean N.Y. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
            
              St. Bonaventure guard Kyle Lofton (0) drives to the hoop while defended by Canisius guard Ahamadou Fofana (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Olean N.Y. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)

OLEAN, N.Y. (AP) — Kyle Lofton and Jaren Holmes scored 17 points apiece and No. 23 St. Bonaventure rallied to beat Canisius 69-60 on Sunday night.

Jalen Adaway added 16 points for St. Bonaventure (2-0) in his season debut after he was suspended for the season opener for an NCAA rule violation.

Malek Green had 14 points and eight rebounds to lead Canisius (0-3) in the 169th meeting since 1920 between western New York’s “Little 3” rivals.

St. Bonaventure came back in the second half without center Osun Osunniyi, who aggravated a back injury while falling to the floor on defense. Osunniyi entered the day leading all active players in blocks, averaging 2.72.

Trailing 51-42 during a timeout with about 11 minutes remaining, St. Bonaventure’s other four senior starters huddled together.

“We looked at each other as seniors and said we are not losing,” Holmes said. “It just shows our togetherness overall, as a group.”

The Bonnies used a 15-3 run to dig out of an 11-point deficit and were up 61-58 inside of four minutes.

“We played much harder in the last 10 minutes of the game,” St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt said. “Almost like a sense of desperation. We know it’s a rivalry, and it’s always going to be a tough game.”

Canisius led for much of the early part of the game and went on a 14-3 run take a 31-26 advantage into halftime. Jacco Fritz dunked for a double-digit lead, 41-30, in the second half.

St. Bonaventure turned up its defensive pressure in the second half and scored 15 points off turnovers, mostly on fastbreaks. The Bonnies also held the Golden Griffins to two field goals over the final 11 minutes.

“We had a couple bad turnovers that we couldn’t defend,” Canisius coach Reggie Witherspoon said. “If you are looking for a momentum shift, typically it’s a couple turnovers that lead to breakaways.”

BIG PICTURE

Canisius: Beat a less-experienced Bonnies team that was battling injuries in 2019, but couldn’t hold on to upset a ranked opponent for first time in 21 opportunities since 1994. The team is searching for its first nonconference win in two seasons after opening with losses at Miami and East Carolina.

St. Bonaventure: Rallied in the second half for a second home win against an in-state rival from the lower-rated Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference — but it wasn’t expected to be such a hard-fought victory. The competition level will rise for program that is ranked in Top 25 for the first time in 50 years as it travels away from home.

SLOW STARTS

St. Bonaventure had to overcome an early 10-point deficit in its opening win against Siena. The trend carried over from a scrimmage with Kent State and exhibition game against Division III Alfred State, Lofton noted, and the Bonnies don’t want it to continue in against more challenging opposition.

“We have to come out strong,” Lofton said. “Every single game, we’ve come out slow. We have to emphasize jumping on them first before they get on us. It’s hard to come back from trailing every game.”

POLL IMPLICATIONS

St. Bonaventure might benefit from No. 20 Florida State’s loss to Florida. But struggling to separate itself from a team predicted to finish near the bottom of the MAAC won’t impress voters.

UP NEXT

Canisius: At Cleveland State on Saturday in the last of four road games to open the season.

St. Bonaventure: Plays Boise State on Thursday at the Charleston Classic in South Carolina — a multiteam event that includes West Virginia, Clemson and Marquette.

___

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

No. 23 St. Bonaventure rallies late to beat Canisius 69-60