Paxton Payne G, Jr., 6-2/190, Cookeville, TN

from St. Bonaventure Basketball: Bonnies VS Cleveland State, Dec. 7th

Jayson Woodrich F, Jr., 6-7/195, Beachwood, OH

process. My brother was a good coach for me, but when I went to the United States I was by myself for the first time,” Martinez said. “I had to look at it as an opportunity not only for myself, but for my family. Now that I have the chance to play Division I, the next step is to play in the NBA and I really feel I have a chance to do that.” He finished his high school career at North Florida Educational Institute in Jacksonville, posting 8.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game for a squad that reached the state final four last year. There came another interesting St. Bonaventure numerical comparison. “My favorite memory was scoring 31 points in a game,” he says, before smiling when told of the significance that number holds in Bonaventure basketball tradition. Yes, a certain Bob Lanier made the No. 31 famous in college basketball and the late Lanier’s jersey hangs in the Reilly Center rafters as a permanent reminder of his greatness. Filling the stat sheet isn’t among the things Martinez is truly concerned about on the court, though. “I’m an unselfish player; if someone is hot, I’m going to give them the ball and let them roll,” he emphasized. There was a time that baseball, not basketball, seemed like the likely route for Martinez. Growing up in the baseball-rich Dominican Republic, he has the game in his genes. His father played professionally in affiliated ball, reaching the Triple-A level in the St. Louis Cardinals organization before also playing pro ball in Japan for a year. Melian spent time in Japan with his father then, though he was too young to remember those days. Baseball “just wasn’t his thing” though, and after awhile, his family saw the talent Martinez boasted on the basketball court. “He always told me to be myself and not give up on my dreams,” Martinez says of his father, although he may have had baseball dreams for his son at first. “At first he was like, why do you want to play basketball instead of baseball? But he said, I love you and will help you in any way I can.” With great coaching throughout his development, AAU taught him to time his blocking ability and become a strong defensive presence he says, though it was a member of his family who instilled the work ethic he’ll need to achieve his lofty goals at the Division I level. “My brother would have me wake up at 7am and go to the court and work until 1pm. I was just a kid and like, why do I have to wake up at 7am to play basketball? He was like ‘wake up at 7am, that’s it, bro,’” Martinez said. “I was throwing up and he would tell me to stop crying. ‘At the next level it’s going to be like that. You have to be strong. I’m just trying to teach you how strong you need to be.’ I really understand that now and appreciate that. My family really loves me and wants the best from me and I want to do it for them.” That work and natural ability put Martinez on the radar for many programs this past spring. But the trip up the East Coast all the way to Western New York felt right after making his on-campus visit and talking with the Bonnies coaching staff. “Bonaventure treated me like family. Sometimes when you’re on a basketball scholarship visit, you’re treated like a celebrity,” he said. “At Bonaventure you’re not treated like a celebrity; you’re treated like family and I really liked that. I really felt that if I went here they would help me achieve my goals.”

2022-23 St. bonaventure women’s basketball GAME SCHEDULE

NOVEMBER 7 vs. Bowling Green ..............L, 77-61 11 vs. East Tennessee State ...L, 66-58 16 at Siena ...............................W, 69-63 23 vs. Bellarmine # ......................L, 72-65 25 vs. Georgia State # ..................L, 66-51 26 at Cleveland State # ..................L, 64-40 30 at Bucknell .............................L, 59-44

decEMBER 2 vs. Niagara .......................W, 61-57

4 at Kent State ........................L, 64-49 7 at Canisius ...........................6:00PM 9 vs. Binghamton ...............7:00PM 16 at Robert Morris ..................7:00PM 18 at Marshall ..........................1:00PM 21 vs. Colgate ........................1:00PM 28 vs. Buffalo.........................4:00PM 31 at Massachusetts .................2:00PM

january 5 vs. George Mason............7:00PM 8 vs. George Washington ...1:00PM 11 at Duquesne........................6:00PM 14 at Davidson .........................1:00PM 19 vs. Dayton .........................7:00PM 22 vs. Rhode Island ..............1:00PM 25 at Saint Joseph’s .................7:00PM 28 at La Salle ............................2:00PM

february 1 vs. Fordham......................6:00PM 5 vs. Saint Louis ..................1:00PM 8 at George Mason .................7:00PM 11 at Loyola Chicago ................3:00PM 15 vs. Duquesne ...................6:00PM 18 vs. VCU...............................4:00PM 25 at Richmond ........................6:00PM

All game start times are listed in Eastern Time and are subject to change. Home games in bold

# = Hampton Inn Cleveland Downtown Viking Invitational

A BOLDER BONAVENTURE

ignite. inspire. invest.

In recent years, Bonnies fans have turned heads nationwide as they traveled across the country in support of their school. To Brooklyn and Washington, D.C., for the Atlantic 10 Tournament. To Dayton, Ohio, and Dallas, Texas - on 48 hours’ notice - for the NCAA Tournament. To packed houses in Charleston, S.C., and Madison Square Garden in New York City. While the locales have changed, one thing remains the same: the unwavering support of Bona Nation, an amazing display of St. Bonaventure pride that has captured the attention of the nation on multiple occasions. Now, through visions for ‘’A Bolder Bonaventure,” plans are in place to help translate that passionate following into investments that not only benefit each of St. Bonaventure’s nearly 400 student-athletes, but also allow the Athletic Department’s 19 NCAA Division I teams to think bolder than ever before.

On September 12, St. Bonaventure publicly launched the largest fundraising campaign in its history - “A Bolder Bonaventure: Ignite. Inspire. Invest.” - seeking to raise $125 million by May 31, 2025. Part of the overall campaign is a focus on improving our athletics facilities.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT “A BOLDER BONAVENTURE,” SCAN THE QR CODE

REILLY ROSTER

$1,000 or more to the Bonnies Athletic Fund

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