The St. Bonaventure Bonnies had just about as good a case as any other team that was left out of the NCAA Tournament. But having to settle for a berth in the NIT, not even a No. 1 seed and a home game could help St. Bonaventure on Wednesday night, losers at home to Wagner, 79-75 in the first round of the 2016 National Invitational Tournament.
NIT 2016 scores and bracket: No. 1 seed St. Bonaventure upset at home by Wagner
When St. Bonaventure was left out in the cold on Selection Sunday, A-10 commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade expressed her displeasure at the Bonnies getting left out.
“I am shocked the committee did not select this team,” McGlade wrote, “It’s a tremendous disservice and disappointment to these student-athletes, the SBU nation and the A-10.”
That disappointment continued on Wednesday night, with the No. 8 seed Wagner Seahawks pulling out to a big lead early to take a 40-26 lead into halftime on St. Bonaventure's home floor.
A three-pointer by Jaylen Adams with 3:03 remaining pulled the Bonnies to within two points, but they never got closer than that. Adams led St. Bonaventure in defeat with 24 points. Ramone Saunders led Wagner with 21 points, pulled down seven rebounds and dished out four assists in the win.
Wagner moves on to face the Creighton Bluejays in the second round, 72-54 winners over the Alabama Crimson Tide on Tuesday night.
Bracket
NIT Wednesday scores
First round
No. 8 Wagner 79, No. 1 St. Bonaventure 75
No. 3 Georgia 93, No. 6 Belmont 84
No. 1 Monmouth 90, No. 8 Bucknell 80
No. 3 Virginia Tech 86, No. 6 Princeton 81 (OT)
No. 4 George Washington 82, No. 5 Hofstra 80
No. 4 Georgia Tech 81, No. 5 Houston 62
No. 2 BYU 97, No. 7 UAB 79
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