There were long stretches of bleak offensive production and patches of shoddy ball security. The Minutemen were out-rebounded and out-hustled, too. Only two UMass players scored in double-figures, every starter committed at least two turnovers and the Minutemen opened its Atlantic 10 Conference schedule with an emphatic 69-55 loss to the Bonnies.

“I thought we got beat in every aspect of the game tonight,” UMass coach Derek Kellogg said.

His chief concern was the overall toughness of his team, an area which continues to plague UMass this season. It’s not the first time Kellogg’s said he’s seeking increased toughness, and not the first time it led to UMass’ demise.

St. Bonaventure attacked the Minutemen throughout the game, forcing a tentative UMass team into foul trouble. Kellogg cited a 37-30 Bonnies rebounding advantage – St. Bonaventure had 12 offensive rebounds – and their 31 free throw attempts.

Typically it’s UMass – which at one point this season led the nation in free throw attempts – acting as the aggressor.

“It really comes down to, in conference play, toughness,” Kellogg said. “The game was a lot more rough than any game we’ve played except for maybe one this season.”

“We probably need to start attacking the rim more and be a little bit tougher … there was a stretch there (in the second half) when maybe we weren’t as aggressive.”

The most aggressive presence around the rim was Bonnies center Youssou Ndoye, who finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. The 7-foot, 250-pound center’s presence commanded the attention of UMass’ front line and forced the Minutemen into foul trouble.

By the 12-minute mark of the second half, UMass reserve center Tyler Bergantino had fouled out and starting center Cady Lalanne was forced to play with four fouls. Bergantino fouled out as UMass cut the St. Bonaventure deficit to 37-34.

From that point on, the Bonnies scored the next 12 points. It was never close again.

“It was frustrating,” Lalanne said on facing Ndoye. “I thought the refs let us play a little bit more, physical, because two big guys picking up fouls kind of changed the game a little bit. You can’t be that physical because of foul trouble.”

“We have to be a little bit smarter on the defensive end,” Kellogg said. “We got hurt when Tyler (Bergantino) fouled out and Cady (Lalanne) had four (fouls). That’s when they went on a big run.”

It’s something Kellogg said he’ll have to account for and adjust to moving forward.

“I’m going to have to change a little bit of how we coach and how we play,” he said. “It’s going to be a little bit more of a grab and hold and push game, which we know would be in conference play.”

Mark Chiarelli can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Mark_Chiarelli.