The Bona Venture

Issue date: 12/11/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Talbot Eckweiler/The Bona Venture Entering Thursday's game, the Bonnies won seven straight at home.

Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado dunked on the Bonnies less than one minute into the game on Saturday for the first score of the game. The two-point deficit was the closest the Bonnies would get in the 105-53 rout.

"Sometimes it's better to get blown out than to lose by one," coach Mark Schmidt said. "But the players have turned the page."

The Bonnies stayed with the Bulldogs in the Reilly Center last year, in a 76-71 loss on Nov. 25.

"We didn't get beat because we were at Mississippi State," Schmidt said. "We got beat because Mississippi State played well."

The loss dropped the Bonnies' record to 4-3 overall with other defeats coming at the hands of Illinois State and St. John's. Mississippi State is the reigning SEC champion, and Illinois State and St. John's both received Associated Press Top 25 votes this week (three and 14, respectively).

"We did improve our schedule," Schmidt said. "We've won the games we're supposed to win, and we've lost the games we're supposed to lose. We wish we were 7-0, but we've done what was expected."

The combined record of the three teams the Bonnies have lost to is 19-3. Illinois State is undefeated at 7-0, and St. John's stayed within striking distance of No. 5 Duke Saturday before losing its first game, 80-71.

"You always want to try to steal (a win)," Schmidt said. "In order to have a good season, you need to win the games you're supposed to win, and we've done that so far. In order to have a great season, you need to steal some games."

The Bonnies faced off against a Division II opponent, Le Moyne, last night in the Reilly Center. Game results came in too late for press time. Visit www.thebv.org for a complete roundup of the action, including play-by-play coverage.

Savannah State journeys to meet the Bonnies tomorrow.

"Every game, we prepare as best we can no matter who we're playing," Schmidt said. "We've got a great home court. In my opinion it's one of the best home courts in the country and we play well at home. I wish we could play 30 games at home."

Savannah State is coming off a 58-44 loss to Duquesne. The 4-5 Tigers played the No. 13 Georgetown Hoyas (7-0) on Nov. 21 and lost, 63-44. Savannah State coach Horace Broadnax played at Georgetown in the 1980s and won a National Championship in 1984.

The Tigers were 0-28 in 2004-05, but Broadnax has the team headed in the right direction.

"This program is going to grow," Broadnax said in an interview on www.espn.com. "If we're going to compete with the Georgetowns of the world, then we've got to step it up."

The Bonnies' two-game homestand comes before a road contest against No. 6 Syracuse on Dec. 19.

Schmidt said, "You have to take care of what's on your plate first."

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