The St. Bonaventure Bonnies took on the Xavier Musketeers for a spot in the National Invitational Tournament title game. Tip-off took place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Tuesday night(29.03) at 7 p.m. ET, and as both teams entered the matchup on hot streaks, with a couple of playoff wins.
There isn't a better time for a face-off than this legendary basketball arena that has seen many famous names enter with grace.
Bonnies
Bonnies have managed to survive their last two games by winning by the smallest of margins - 3 points only. First was Oklahoma (70-68) and then Virginia (52-51).
St.Bonaventure impressed with a reliable free-throw shooting percentage before the game. Bonnies had an excellent starting line-up, but we see they are not the most consistent teams in attack. Their leading scorer is Jalen Adaway with 15.7 points per game and 47.8% FG, but their main man is Osun Osunniyi - who scores, takes rebounds, and blocks the rim.
Musketeers
Xavier Musketeers were also an in-form roster. They thrashed Florida by 16 points (72-56) and won against Vanderbilt (75-73) and Cleveland (72-68) before facing the Bonnies.
Xavier is a very balanced team. Unlike St.Bonaventure, they do not rely on a stable 5-man-unit. Only two players have more than 30 minutes per game on the court, while all five starters for their opponent have recorded 30 or more minutes. On top of that, three players have two or fewer minutes missed. Jack Nunge has 13.3 points per game which is the team's highest.
However, he can boast an impressive 54% FG - his career-high (almost 10% higher than previous seasons). The 7ft-tall forward will lead his team in Madison Square Garden and the other versatile player in Xavier - Colby Jones. He averages 11.2 points per game but is an impressive rebounder and passer (7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game).
Xavier Musketeers - the heroes of Madison Square Garden
After winning 4 out of their last 5 games, Musketeers looked pretty convincing in the pre-match. The predictions were just as easy as someone attempting to buy Tether and win big.
Jack Nunge is a prospect that will definitely make money in the future. He topped the list with 18 points scored in just 20 minutes, with a brilliant shooting - 7 out of 9 attempts, and 100% from the 3-point line (1/1), and SEVEN offensive rebounds. Colby Jones made another stellar performance - he scored 16 but grabbed 8 rebounds and made 4 assists.
The other big contributors to Xavier's success were Zach Freemantle (with 80% FG - 8/10) and Adam Kunkel, who both recorded 18 points.
What happened to Bonnies?
To be honest, Bonnies were priding themselves with a good free-throw shooting and recorded another good stats - 10% above Musketeers. However, their defense felt lacking, and the lack of depth in their roster "ensured" they would struggle at times.
