ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — Ten days earlier, Tshiefu Ngalakulondi was a “did not play,” logging exactly zero seconds in his first collegiate contest.

On Monday night, he was the team’s leading scorer and the Bonnies’ official Player of the Game.

Receiving more playing time due to a lopsided score and a lower-tier opponent, the 6-foot-6 freshman forward made the most of his early opportunity, scoring 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, knocking down four 3-pointers and adding three steals to key the Bonnies to an easy 96-48 triumph over Maryland-Eastern Shore in the Reilly Center.

Ngalakulondi wasn’t the only freshman to leave his mark, however. By the waning minutes, it had become the Ngalakulondi and Izaiah Brockington show.

The two first-year players combined to score 30 of their team’s 47 second-half points, dazzling the crowd with their tenacious defense, smooth shooting strokes and athletic dunks. In the end, they came within nine points of outscoring UMES’ entire team (39 points to 48).

Even taking into account the opponent (the Hawks ranked No. 329 of 351 teams per KenPom coming in), they provided the first tangible signs that Bona has a pair of promising young players.

“This is the type of game where, especially in the second half, you can put them in there and they can gain some confidence,” coach Mark Schmidt said. “This will, I think, go a long way in their development.”

Ngalakulondi displayed a smooth stroke over the summer, and demonstrated it again Monday, connecting on 4-of-6 from deep. Brockington was just as good, scoring 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, making all three of his treys and adding five assists and four steals.

As both began to heat up, it was clear: They were having fun.

“It was a lot of fun playing with him out there,” Ngalakulondi, whose first name is pronounced “Chef” said, “sharing the ball with each other, getting each other open looks and just playing with each other.

“He’s my roommate as well, so we have that bond. It’s fun playing with him out there.”

Ngalakulondi, like his coach, believes that Monday’s performance will be a confidence booster.

“The first game, I was a little nervous, but as soon as I got out there, playing with the guys, I felt comfortable with them,” he said, “all the nerves went away and I played to my ability. I play how I usually play.”

Monday was the Bonnies’ fifth-highest scoring game since the start of the 2015-16 season. Two others surpassed or reached career highs in points in the onslaught: LaDarien Griffin, who tied his high with 11 points and Nelson Kaputo, who set a new mark with 15 points in only 21 minutes, besting the 14 he had against Niagara in 2015.

Matt Mobley, who entered Monday as the nation’s third-leading scorer after just two games, collected 10 of the Bonnies’ first 19 points and finished with 19, giving him 75 total points in just three contests.

Bona placed five players in double figures for the first time since a 90-84 triumph over Buffalo last December.

Schmidt was pleased with Kaputo, who was solid after struggling from the field against Jackson State.

“He played well. He’s still bothered by his groin (an injury suffered in the preseason),” the 11th-year coach said. “He’s gaining some more confidence, he’s playing a little bit better, especially coming off the Niagara game.

“And we need him to. The better he plays, the more rest we can give Jay (Adams, when he returns to the lineup) and Matt … I think he’s going to be a big part of this.”

Adams missed his third straight game with an ankle injury he suffered in the exhibition against Alfred. The good news is that he’s no longer wearing a boot on his left foot; the bad news is he still has a bit of a limp. The 6-foot-2 point guard’s status for Friday night’s Emerald Coast Classic game against Maryland is up in the air.

Junior forward Courtney Stockard missed his second straight game with a hip/groin injury. Stockard, too, is a question mark for Friday’s game.

Sophomore Josh Ayeni, who had 16 points Saturday against Jackson State, continues to be plagued by foul trouble.

On Monday, sophomore Amadi Ikpeze earned the start over Ayeni, presumably in an effort to help with that very problem. Ayeni, though, still managed two quick first-half fouls and finished with four fouls and no points in only nine minutes played (he played just 20 minutes due to foul trouble in the win over Jackson State).

Ikpeze finished with four points on 2-for-4 shooting, six rebounds and two blocks in 25 minutes.