Campus Watch

It's not often that teams hit the floor for the season opener looking like they're in mid-season form, but that's what St. Bonaventure did Friday night. The Bonnies shot 77 percent from the field in the first half (17 of 22). They forced nine turnovers with their three-quarter court pressure defense. They led by as many as 21 and coasted to a 72-62 victory over Cleveland State and are now 41-3 in Reilly Center openers.

There was a lot to like on the Bona end. Andrew Nicholson, the 6-9 soph who was last year's A-10 Rookie of the Year, dominated inside in the first half. Guard Michael Davenport scored a career-high 19 off the bench and could provide a valuable scoring option throughout the season. Guard Chris Matthews, a three-point specialist, managed only five shots and five points but countered with six assists and four rebounds. Jonathan Hall of his usual self, scoring 20 and snaring eight boards.

Still, there's work to do. The Bonnies were last in the A-10 in assists-turnover ratio last season and Friday's numbers -- 16 assists, 17 TOs -- isn't the improvement they're looking for. Point guard Malcom Eleby still has to be more assertive offensively, not because the Bonnies need points but because he has to keep defenses honest and relieve the pressure on the scorers. Starter Da'Quan Cook played an uneventful 11 minutes on the inside.

-- Bob DiCesare