SAINT BONAVENTURE, N.Y. (AP) — Jaylen Adams set career highs with 44 points and a school-record 10 3-pointers and St. Bonaventure beat Saint Louis 79-56 on Wednesday night to with its fifth straight.
Adams shot 10-of-14 from 3 in scoring his second 40-point game in as many games, a feat last accomplished at St. Bonaventure by Bob Lanier in 1969 and Tom Stith in 1959.
“Early on, I was able to get some shots to go. I had some easy ones in transition that got me going early. Then, once a shooter makes his first couple, it felt like I could not miss out there. I was really locked in,”Adams said.
“Coach just gives me the confidence for me to go out there and be myself,”Adams said.”My teammates understand that I would like to lead the team, so just going out there and trying to be the best leader I can be, make good shots and let the game come to me and they gave me a little bit more than I bargained for tonight.”
Courtney Stockard added 14 points for the Bonnies (17-6, 7-4 Atlantic 10), who made 11 3s and forced 16 turnovers.
Saint Louis closed to 43-40, but Adams made four 3s and a dunk amid a 20-4 run for a 62-44 lead with 7:05 to play. Adams’ record-setting 3 made it 73-48 with 3:26 left. Adams’s 3 sparked a 15-1 run in which he hit back-to-back three pointers and the Bonnies led 36-28 at halftime behind his 17 points.
Javon Bess had 13 points and 16 rebounds and Jordan Goodwin added 11 points for the Billikens (13-12, 6-6), who saw their three-game win streak end.
Jaylen Adams needs 32 points to break into the top 10 all-time leading scorers at St. Bonaventure.
