Post by cyril baptiste on Feb 1, 2009 11:44:46 GMT -5
EmailPrintDuquesne puts clamps on Bonnies, 74-68
Sunday, February 01, 2009
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The scouting report on Saint Bonaventure, at least according to Duquesne senior guard Aaron Jackson, reads something like this:
"Press the Bonnies into oblivion because they aren't very good at handling the basketball."
A simple plan, yes, but one that the Dukes executed to near-perfection as they forced the Bonnies into a season-high 31 turnovers and pressed their way to a 74-68 victory before a crowd of 3,075 at the Palumbo Center last night.
The 31 turnovers represented the most by a Duquesne opponent since the Dukes forced Saint Francis, Pa., into 31 turnovers in November 1996. And more important, the Dukes (14-6, 5-2 Atlantic 10), who turned the ball over only 10 times -- and only once in the second half -- converted those 31 turnovers into 30 points.
"The coaches really prepared us well with the defensive game plan," said Jackson, who led the Dukes with 19 points and five rebounds. "We knew what to expect from them and that their weakness was ball-handling, so we came out and heated them up with some pressure and we were able to force some turnovers and that led us to transition points and it made a big difference."
Jackson is correct that the forced turnovers made a huge difference in the game, particularly when you consider that the Dukes didn't do much else well.
The Bonnies were better than the Dukes in just about every area except turnovers, as they held a 52-27 rebounding edge and outshot them from the 3-point line and from the floor overall.
Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said that when he looked at the statistics sheet he was convinced the Dukes actually lost but said the mark of a good team is finding a way to win games when they aren't playing at their best.
"To be honest, I don't really know how we won this game but I'm happy we did," Everhart said. "And I'm happy we kept our composure down the stretch and found a way. This kind of game is really good for us, for our guys to show some poise and toughness in a game that was a struggle because I thought we were a little flat.
"If you'd have told me we'd get outrebounded by 25, we'd shoot 35 percent from the floor and 20 percent from 3-point range -- I'd have told you there was no way we were winning, but we did and we did by getting some stops and getting to the free-throw line."
And that brings up the other key statistic that tipped the game in the Dukes' favor -- Duquesne shot 34 free throws (and made 24) while Saint Bonaventure shot only 10.
Saint Bonaventure (12-9, 2-6) trailed early but made a 16-2 run to end the first half and took a 40-39 lead at the half on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Chris Matthews.
The Dukes opened the second half on a 6-0 run, but the Bonnies answered with an 11-1 run and took a 51-46 lead on a layup by Andrew Nicholson with 12:07 to play.
Duquesne, which trailed for most of the second half, battled its way back to within two -- at 66-64 -- with just under four minutes left then tied the score on a jumper by Jason Duty with 3:15 to play.
The two teams then traded baskets before Eric Evans gave the Dukes a 70-68 lead with 1:52 to play with a layup. It was a lead they would never relinquish.
Jackson was one of four Dukes in double figures and he was joined by Bill Clark (17), Evans (14) and Damian Saunders (11). But the big star of the game was Saint Bonaventure freshman Andrew Nicholson, who had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocked shots before fouling out with 27 seconds to play.
Paul Zeise can be reached at pzeise@post-gazette.com.
First published on February 1, 2009 at 12:00 am
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Sunday, February 01, 2009
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The scouting report on Saint Bonaventure, at least according to Duquesne senior guard Aaron Jackson, reads something like this:
"Press the Bonnies into oblivion because they aren't very good at handling the basketball."
A simple plan, yes, but one that the Dukes executed to near-perfection as they forced the Bonnies into a season-high 31 turnovers and pressed their way to a 74-68 victory before a crowd of 3,075 at the Palumbo Center last night.
The 31 turnovers represented the most by a Duquesne opponent since the Dukes forced Saint Francis, Pa., into 31 turnovers in November 1996. And more important, the Dukes (14-6, 5-2 Atlantic 10), who turned the ball over only 10 times -- and only once in the second half -- converted those 31 turnovers into 30 points.
"The coaches really prepared us well with the defensive game plan," said Jackson, who led the Dukes with 19 points and five rebounds. "We knew what to expect from them and that their weakness was ball-handling, so we came out and heated them up with some pressure and we were able to force some turnovers and that led us to transition points and it made a big difference."
Jackson is correct that the forced turnovers made a huge difference in the game, particularly when you consider that the Dukes didn't do much else well.
The Bonnies were better than the Dukes in just about every area except turnovers, as they held a 52-27 rebounding edge and outshot them from the 3-point line and from the floor overall.
Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said that when he looked at the statistics sheet he was convinced the Dukes actually lost but said the mark of a good team is finding a way to win games when they aren't playing at their best.
"To be honest, I don't really know how we won this game but I'm happy we did," Everhart said. "And I'm happy we kept our composure down the stretch and found a way. This kind of game is really good for us, for our guys to show some poise and toughness in a game that was a struggle because I thought we were a little flat.
"If you'd have told me we'd get outrebounded by 25, we'd shoot 35 percent from the floor and 20 percent from 3-point range -- I'd have told you there was no way we were winning, but we did and we did by getting some stops and getting to the free-throw line."
And that brings up the other key statistic that tipped the game in the Dukes' favor -- Duquesne shot 34 free throws (and made 24) while Saint Bonaventure shot only 10.
Saint Bonaventure (12-9, 2-6) trailed early but made a 16-2 run to end the first half and took a 40-39 lead at the half on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Chris Matthews.
The Dukes opened the second half on a 6-0 run, but the Bonnies answered with an 11-1 run and took a 51-46 lead on a layup by Andrew Nicholson with 12:07 to play.
Duquesne, which trailed for most of the second half, battled its way back to within two -- at 66-64 -- with just under four minutes left then tied the score on a jumper by Jason Duty with 3:15 to play.
The two teams then traded baskets before Eric Evans gave the Dukes a 70-68 lead with 1:52 to play with a layup. It was a lead they would never relinquish.
Jackson was one of four Dukes in double figures and he was joined by Bill Clark (17), Evans (14) and Damian Saunders (11). But the big star of the game was Saint Bonaventure freshman Andrew Nicholson, who had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocked shots before fouling out with 27 seconds to play.
Paul Zeise can be reached at pzeise@post-gazette.com.
First published on February 1, 2009 at 12:00 am
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Print: Home Delivery Payment Vacation Address Change Rates Customer Service Delivery Questions Back Copies Specials Gift Subscriptions Newsstand FAQ
Copyright ©1997 - 2009 PG Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.