By JOHN WAWROW
St. Bonaventure Bonnies Dion Wright (21) and Youssou Ndoye (35) celebrate their victory following an NCAA basketball game against VCU at the Reilly Center in St. Bonaventure, New York, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015. St. Bonaventure defeated VCU 73-71. (AP Photo/Jen Fuller)
VCU St Bonaventure Basketball
St. Bonaventure Bonnies Jaylen Adams (10) celebrates following a basket during the second half of an NCAA basketball game against VCU at the Reilly Center in St. Bonaventure, New York, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015. St. Bonaventure defeated VCU 73-71. (AP Photo/Jen Fuller)
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OLEAN, N.Y. (AP) — Marcus Posley scooped in a 6-footer off the backboard at the buzzer, lifting St. Bonaventure over injury-depleted No. 18 VCU 73-71 on Saturday.
It was Posley’s second straight winning basket. On Wednesday night, Posley went end-to-end in the final 5 seconds and scored on a layup in a 62-61 victory at Davidson.
Posley finished with 15 points and Dion Wright scored 17 in a game St. Bonaventure (13-8, 6-4 Atlantic 10) never trailed.
Holding the ball at the top of the key until there were a couple of seconds left, Posley drove to his right and got a scooping side-armed shot off high off the backboard and dropped in just as the buzzer sounded. The basket immediately sparked a wild celebration as the soldout crowd mobbed the Reilly Center court.
As Wright stood on the scorers’ table and celebrated, Rams coach Shaka Smart looked down in dejection and walked toward his bench after the officials ruled the basket was good.
Terry Larrier scored 15 points for VCU (18-5, 8-2), which lost for the second time in three games. The Rams were missing leading scorer, Treveon Graham, who aggravated an ankle injury in a 72-60 win at George Mason on Wednesday. They’re also minus Briante Weber, who sustained a season-ending knee injury last weekend.
The Bonnies burst to a 9-1 edge in the opening minutes and never relinquished the lead.
The Rams did make it close.
Lewis hit two free throws to cut the Bonnies lead to 71-69 with 52 seconds left.
Youssou Ndoye drove the lane on St. Bonaventure’s next possession, but his shot bounced too hard off the board.
Jordan Burgess then tied the game by driving the lane with 17 seconds left. It marked the only time the Rams had pulled even.
The Rams trailed by as many as nine points in the final 10 minutes.
The Rams dubbed HAVOC pressing defense didn’t have much bite against St. Bonaventure, which was quick in pushing the ball up the court.
Bonnies freshman guard Jaylan Adams had nine points and seven assists and committed just two turnovers.
The injuries are testing VCU’s depth. Though they entered the game with nine players who had scored in double-figures this season, Graham and Weber accounted for 502 combined points — nearly a third of the Rams’ offense.
The Rams had a seven-game road win streak snapped.
St. Bonaventure improved to 5-2 in its past six.
TIPS-INS
VCU: The Rams opened missing seven of their eight seven attempts. … Senior forward Jarred Guest made his first start of the season in place of Graham.
St. Bonaventure: The Bonnies had won their previous two games against ranked opponents, both last season. They beat then No. 19 St. Louis 71-68 in the A10 quarterfinals, and knocked off No. 21 Massachusetts 78-65 at home on Jan. 29 to snap what had been a 24-game skid against ranked teams.
UP NEXT
VCU: Hosts La Salle on Wednesday night.
St. Bonaventure: Hosts UMass on Wednesday night.