In Davidson, North Carolina, Noel Brown played a crucial role in St. Bonaventure’s triumph over Davidson, securing a 64-61 victory in their final regular-season game on Saturday.
Brown showcased impressive efficiency, making six of his seven field goal attempts and converting all four of his free throw opportunities, contributing significantly to the Bonnies’ overall score (21-10, 9-9 in the Atlantic 10 Conference). Melvin Council Jr. added to the effort with 15 points, achieving a shooting record of 6 for 13, which included making two out of six from the three-point line. He also collected eight rebounds and made four steals. Jonah Hinton chipped in with 11 points, hitting four of 11 from the field, and one out of six from three-point land.
On the opposing side, the Davidson Wildcats (16-15, 6-12) had Connor Kochera leading as the top scorer with 25 points. Reed Bailey contributed to Davidson’s tally with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Bobby Durkin managed eight points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
The game was tightly contested, as both teams went into halftime tied at 34-34. Council added 10 points to St. Bonaventure’s score during the first half. Although Davidson briefly led at 36-34 shortly after halftime, Brown’s 16-point performance in the second half sealed the win for the Bonnies. In the final moments of the game, the Bonnies had to defend against a last-second three-pointer attempt by Davidson’s Durkin to secure their win.
The result sees St. Bonaventure tying for seventh place in the conference standings, giving them a potential first-round bye in the conference tournament set to commence on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Davidson holds the 12th spot.
