Late spark was not enough as Men’s Basketball lost to St. Bonaventure

St. Bonaventure University defeated the University of Richmond men’s basketball team 66-62 in a tight home game at the Robins Center Feb. 1. 

The game marked the return of junior guard Dji Bailey, who had missed previous games due to an injury. UR head Coach Chris Mooney said that Bailey was practicing well and deserved the start after his struggles with injuries throughout his career at UR. 

The Bonnies took an early lead during the first period, making 57.1% of their 3-point shots. In contrast, the Spiders only completed 12.5% of their 3-pointers and were chasing the game from the beginning. Both teams defended well, but St. Bonaventure ended the half with a lead of 31-26. 

In the second half of the game, UR found some momentum. The Spiders went on a seven-point scoring run in the 17th minute and took the lead for a moment. However, it was the Spider’s 3-point misses that led to their downfall. The Bonnies retook the lead almost immediately and tried to stray away from the Spiders. 

UR tied the game up at 46-46 before the Bonnies once again took the lead. The game was close until the last second, with UR a few points behind each score. The hopes of a late comeback were extinguished as St. Bonaventure won 66-62. 

The Spiders had a 3-point success rate of 20.8% in contrast to their free-throw percentage which was 95.5%, making 21 of 22 shots. It was difficult for UR to keep up with the frequently scoring Bonnies even though they defended well and kept the game close. 

“In conference play, we haven’t been able to make shots,” Mooney said. “Tonight we shot very poorly from three.” 

Mooney was confident in the plays that the team ran even though they did not work out as planned, he said. 

“We’ve done a good job of throwing the ball in and out,” Mooney said. “This is the best opportunity.”

Despite the low shooting success rate, senior forward Tyler Burton scored 22 points, more than doubling the next-highest scorer, senior center Neal Quinn who had 10 points. 

Mooney believes that the best way to overcome this defeat is for the players to sweat it out in practice and gym sessions as early as they can, he said. He and the team are looking forward to playing at their next game against Fordham University at 12 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Robins Center.

Contact sports writer Ryan Stacy at ryan.stacy@richmond.edu