OLEAN — They arrived at the Reilly Center armed with a few tricks of the trade:

oversized heads of Bona coach Mark Schmidt and guard Chris Matthews mounted for display, the

pre-arranged chant of "Where's my iPod?" at the ready to torment Duquesne's B.J. Monteiro, who

was arrested in October in connection with an electronics theft. Add a bare-chested Brown

Indian from the days of old and such was the snapshot of a student section packed to capacity

Tuesday night for St. Bonaventure's first postseason game on its home court since 1995.

The heightened stakes and full-fledged campus flavor served at times to unnerve some of the

best. Damian Saunders, Duquesne's first-team All-Atlantic 10 forward, launched the game's

first shot from beyond the arc and found nothing but air. Bona senior guard Jonathan Hall,

second in the conference in field goal percentage, missed two layups and was all muscle on his

first free-throw attempt while managing just four points on 1-of-7 first-half shooting from

the floor.

Halftime came with the Bonnies leading, 34-30, and the game in search of a calming,

steadying influence amid the frenetic pace set by two teams intent on flooring it in

transition. And it was as the final 20 minutes unfolded that Andrew Nicholson, Bona's

mega-talented center, came of postseason age and helped the re-emerging program reach a

milestone — an 83-71 victory over the Dukes good for the school's first A-10 Tournament

win since 2002.

Nicholson, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, surely qualifies as the most frustrated player in the A-

10. He was the conference's top freshman last year, a second-team all-conference selection

this year, and yet he's seldom afforded the treatment that typically accompanies such status.

Officials tend to pick on him unmercifully, hitting him with fouls seemingly on the inhale and

the exhale.

And as they add up, his time on the court is minimized — as is his ability to achieve

an offensive flow. Nicholson hasn't averaged less than 32 minutes a game because Schmidt likes

to rest him.

Everyone knows the trend, which is why Duquesne made it Priority No. 1 to challenge

Nicholson on the inside, primarily with Saunders providing the test. And it worked for a while

as Saunders scored the game's first two baskets.

"It's just about composure," Nicholson said. "I got to play through it."

Nicholson showed discretion, challenged selectively and, with just one foul against him,

went on an offensive blitz late in the first half and early in the second. Bona erased a small

deficit and began to take control as Nicholson's rebound basket and a conventional three-point

play off a jam launched a 14-0 Bona run that made it 59-45.

Nicholson's a joy to watch when he's permitted to play unencumbered by foul trouble. He

finished with 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He went 9 of 11 from the foul line. Seven

rebounds and three blocks complemented a stat line marred only by four turnovers born of the

incessant double-teaming he faced.

Duquesne coach Ron Everhart has seen more than enough of him. Nicholson came in averaging

24.3 points and shooting 69 percent in four career meetings against the Dukes.

"He's been terrific every time we've played against him," Everhart said. "He's always been

great in the post, he's always been good popping out and shooting the ball. But he was really

good off the dribble tonight too. From my perspective that was sort of a new dimension."

"There's just something about it," Nicholson said of games with Duquesne. "They're a little

chippy so it brings everything out of me. I just go at them every time."

A large segment of the student crowd flooded the floor after the game, savoring the moment,

moments that could become more common as Nicholson receives the respect he has earned.

"When he's in the game we're a much better team," said Bona's Schmidt. "And I'm a much

better coach."