As Frank Mitchell threw down the alley-oop dunk off a Dasonte Bowen pass, the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse was sent into a different kind of frenzy. Bonnie fans took over the arena in their corner section adjacent to the Dukes student section as they knew their team was well on their way to a potential season-changing victory over their bitter rivals, the Duquesne Dukes.
That dunk put the St. Bonaventure Bonnies up by double digits, building on a lead they would never squander the rest of the way. An unforgettable second-half shooting spree helped the Bonnies earn an 87-79 victory over Duquesne on Wednesday night.
The Bonnies shot 16-of-24 from the field in the second half, a mark that amounted to a 66.7% clip. They also hit seven 3-pointers on 11 attempts in the last 20.
“We didn’t keep our guard up,” lamented Dukes Head Coach Dru Joyce III. “We didn’t put stops together. You have to be disciplined to get stops. You have to have all five guys working to get stops.”
We never set the tone. We must have a will, and I cannot influence the will. I can motivate to play, or at least motivate in that direction. I can also think of a strategy. But your will is internal. You have to want to defend.”
Duquesne actually led for more than half the game, with the first half’s largest lead of 13. But as the first half came to a close and Duquesne’s lead dropped to four at the break, the arena felt the momentum and control shift. It only took until the 13:52 mark before a Buddy Simmons II free throw gave the Bonnies their first lead of the night at 49-48.
Speaking of Simmons, he had a season-high 31 points that night, including 17 in the second half. He was unstoppable, and neither was Bowen, who totaled 19 points. 11 of those points came for him in the second half, so the dynamic duo combined for 28 points in the second half, which helped continue to extinguish Duquesne’s runs.
Thanks to three threes in about a minute and a half, the Dukes shot back into the lead at 57-56. The Dukes’ offense flattened out and the Bonnies came alive, turning their 62-61 lead into a 76-66 advantage that was recorded in the open with 3:33 left.
As for positives for Duquesne, Tarence Guinyard tied a program record with 12 assists in a game. Joyce III believes he continues to move in the right direction in that area.
“I’m excited about his 12 assists, right? He’s getting better in that category, game by game. His assist numbers keep going up, things we ask him to do, right?” Joyce III explained.
This isn’t the last the Dukes will see of the Bonnies as they complete their season series on February 14 at the Reilly Center.
As for the immediate future, Duquesne will remain in Pittsburgh and prepare for a Sunday matinee against Rhode Island at noon. The game will air on USA Network and will be the third and final time the Dukes will be on national television this calendar year.
Bonus points
The last time Duquesne went the first month of conference play without winning a home conference game was during the 2021-2022 season. That was the year the Dukes infamously went 1-16 in conference play. Not to say the 2025-2026 Dukes are anything like that… it’s just a fact that has Duquesne fans scratching their heads.
The remaining home games for the Dukes are, in chronological order, Rhode Island, GW, La Salle, Davidson and Richmond.
#Bonnies #hot #shooting #stun #Dukes