I have been a fan of St. Bonaventure mens basketball for as long as I can remember. 2. He was that kind of guy, he remembered. The NCAA Division I council approved a plan last month that allows for required summer activities for up to eight hours a week in basketball to begin July 20, and to last up to eight weeks or until the schools first day of classes. After he retired, Lanier served as the NBA Cares Global Ambassador, working with programs that supported education, family development, youth and health-related causes. Bona inducted Lanier into its athletics hall of fame in 1975, and he was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. I dont mean this to be trite: We honestly loved each other and would go through the wall for each other, Lanier said, recalling the preseason goal the team had set for itself over beers and burgers at The Burton. The Class of 2023 is headlined by former men's . In the 1960-61 season, he scored 37 points against St. John's. By the time that Stith joined the varsity squad in 1957, the streak of victories in the Olean (NY) Armory had gained national attention. Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again. The 78-73 setback to Wake Forest in the NCAA East Regional semifinals at the Charlotte Coliseum was unique from the outset. Orange Lutheran (17-7): Lancers play JSerra, Santa Margarita and Anaheim this week. Asked about the most memorable games in his Bona career, Stith pointed to consecutive home win #73. St. Bonaventure, NBA basketball legend Bob Lanier passes away The basketball success in that era was known for something else during Stiths playing days: a prominent home-game win streak. ST. BONAVENTURE Bob Lanier, the greatest basketball player in St. Bonaventure University history, died early today surrounded by family in Arizona. Category: Posting up: Memories of St. Bonaventure basketball Stith, who passed the 2000-point mark in the subsequent consolation victory over Princeton, saw his spectacular career at St. Bonaventure come to an end, and, just two months after the Wake Forest loss, Donovan accepted a head coaching position with the New York Knicks. He earned All-American honors in 1977 and was an eighth round draft choice of the New York Knicks in 1978. "I talked to the team about it, Schmidt said. Tom Stith, the two-time All-American and runner-up national player of the year that season, scored 34 points, while Freddie Crawford added 29 points. Coach Donovans team had cruised by DePaul, Providence, Boston College, and third-ranked Bradley earlier that month. The losswhat became the last setback of the 76-77 season may have been historic for St. Bonaventure. A miss by Sanders, in Satalins eyes, wouldnt have meant defeat. He carried a 26 points-per-game average during the tournament, yet prior to the Bona game, Lewis remarked, Hed be the first to tell you he hasnt had a good tournament. One high point of Birdsongs season was scoring 43 in a nationally televised loss to UCLA at Pauley Pavilion in January, proving that explosive games were possible. In addition, he was the NBA Rookie of the Year with the Detroit Pistons and played professionally for the Bucks as well. Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. He began his career at Agway-Felmont Industries and retired from St. Bonaventure University, where he did. They responded. The good thing was that they played a style that was similar to ours in that they loved to get up and down [the court]. The Bonnies were badly outrebounded, 42-23, with Oregon star and second team USBWA All-American Greg Ballard nearly matching the Bona total with 15 rebounds. Brea Olinda vs Canyon Game Highlights - Jan. 13, 2023. He more than handled it for us. In an email to The News, the athletic department outlined its protocols for athletes who return to campus. St. Bonaventure announces 2023 Hall Of Fame class | sbusports This blog certainly wouldnt be happening without them. Thank you for signing in! The St. Bonaventure University women's basketball team is doing more than taking on the Richmond Spiders on Saturday in an Atlantic 10 matchup. In fact, no college basketball fan can bring up St. Bonaventure without the association of Lanier, the larger-than-life Buffalo native. He tallied 659 points and his skillful play was instrumental in leading Bona to a 65-12 record during his career (1967-70). He helped Bona to three NIT berths and one NCAA Tournament and went on to play for the New York Knicks. Lanier averaged 26.2 points and 15.6 rebounds per game. No, we didnt think about that, Crawford said. His 22.5 points per game is still good for third all-time among Bona players. After the final buzzer in the Bradley Center, Tommasino signed off for the final time, taking along the fond memories of many Bona games courtside and a most inspiring NIT win over Southern Mississippi. 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. He was inducted into the SBU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990. 25 was retired in 2007. I think people realized, Well, hes not Don, but hes going to do all right.. Fred Crawford He also knew that the end of the Bona season would mark the end of the announcing role, as he would be moving to Virginia for family reasons. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announced Monday that it will not allow athletes to return to campus in June or July for offseason workouts and that the MAAC will begin its fall sports competition Sept. 11. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the A-10 Tournament where they lost to Dayton. Both The Bona Venture and Olean Times Herald reports of the game referred to numerous traveling infractions called against the Bonnies. Thosewho have donned the Brown and White over the past 100 years have created memories to last a lifetime with fans of the program. Dan's passion for water sports has earned him the nickname, Aqua Dan, in the newsroom and taken him to multiple U.S. Olympic Swim Trials and many USA water polo events as a reporter. 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. The Billikens cut the lead to 81-79 with 30.6 seconds left on Thatchs free throws. After graduating from SBU (1983), I continued to follow the Bonnies. Lanier died Tuesday in Arizona. {{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. Orange County girls basketball top 25, Jan. 31 The final AP poll placed St. Bonaventure at #3 in the country, two spots behind the NCAA champion Ohio State team that featured Jerry Lucas, Larry Siegfried, Mel Nowell, John Havlicek, and Bobby Knight. Named MVP of the 1977 NIT, he is St. Bonaventure's career leader in points with 2,238 (1974-78). You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. 16 jersey retired by the Pistons and Bucks, to whom Lanier was traded in 1980. 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. The Reilly Center fans were energized for the post-season matchup with Southern Mississippi. We kind of almost gave him that [center] position and hoped that he could handle it. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Bona's Final Four team basks in Reilly Center glow on its 50th anniversary, What we said 50 years ago when St. Bonaventure made Final Four, Remembering Bob Lanier: His trademark soft touch made him an all-time great, Oklahoma RB Eric Gray at the NFL scouting combine, Ohio State C Luke Wypler speaks at the NFL scouting combine, UB players mom sings stirring rendition of national anthem on senior night, Serena Williams says her daughter doesn't like playing tennis. I think that was the reason for our success., College/high school sports enterprise reporter. There was a problem saving your notification. "He was a close friend who I will miss dearly, as will so many of his colleagues across the NBA who were inspired by his generosity. He finished his career with 1,112 points, 620 rebounds and shot .761 from the free throw line. Bird, the #3 scoring leader in the nation, poured in 44 points in the 83-82 loss. His No. Fast forward to February 12, 1977. A look at the front page of The Olean Times Herald (OTH) on Monday, February 27, 1961, revealed little about the tumultuous event that took place two days prior at the Olean Armory. In the lone game St. Bonaventure has ever played against Oregon, Sanders only missed five shots, going 11 of 16 from the field and a perfect eight-for-eight from the free throw line. The Bonnies last loss had come to Niagara on February 11, 1948. 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. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes, Abdul-Jabbar mutters, as he breaks character. He also was a longtime spokesperson and chairman of the NBA's "Stay in School" program, later renamed "Read to Achieve," a reading-engagement initiative supported by NBA and WNBA teams. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 9. Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. Olean Times Herald Obituaries - Legacy.com