Box Score Nov. 23, 2010
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Bronx, N.Y. -
The Fordham University-Long Island University men's basketball game tonight featured something old and something new for Ram fans. The new came in the form of an improved offense, an offense that shot 50% in the game, including 46.2% from behind the arc as the Rams hit 12 three-pointers. The old was in the form of Fordham committing 20 turnovers and shooting 46.2% from the free throw line which proved to be too much for the Rams to overcome as they fell to the Blackbirds, 82-70, in the Rose Hill Gym.
With the loss, Fordham falls to 1-3 on the year while Long Island improves to 4-0.
"Our margin of error is so small and you can't win when you commit 20 turnovers," said Fordham head coach Tom Pecora. "I thought we had to keep the game in the sixties to have a chance to win but we played at their tempo and couldn't keep up with them."
Fordham's Chris Gaston kept his double-double streak intact, scoring 15 points and adding eleven rebounds for his fourth straight double-double and the 23rd of his career.
The 12 Fordham three-pointers, six of them by freshman Branden Frazier who scored a game-high 24 points, were the most for a Fordham team since the Rams connected on 13 long-range shots in a win over Stony Brook last December. But the 20 Fordham turnovers were turned into 26 points by Long Island, who also hit 19 of its 24 free throws on the night compared to Fordham, who shot 6-for-13 from the charity stripe.
Long Island entered the game averaging almost 90 points per game and the game was played at that speed, with the Rams able to keep pace for 29 minutes before succumbing to the Blackbirds.
The Rams trailed by two at the half, 40-38, but a Chris Gaston layup just under a minute into the second half knotted the game at 40. After the two teams exchanged baskets, Long Island scored six straight points to take a 48-42 lead with 15:57 left.
The Blackbirds would lead by six again two minutes later, 52-46, following a pair of Julian Boyd free throws when two Frazier three-pointers over the next minute tied the game at 52, the eighth and final tie of the night. After Kenny Onyechi hit a jumper to put Long Island up two, Brenton Butler nailed a three-pointer to give Fordham a 55-54 lead with 12:12 remaining.
But the Fordham offense then went cold as the Blackbirds scored the next 12 points, five from C.J. Garner, to take a 66-55 lead on a Jamal Olasewere layup with 7:56 left in the game.
Two Gaston free throws cut the Fordham deficit back to nine, 66-57, with 7:33 left but that was as close as the Rams would get.
Long Island opened the game with an 8-2 lead over the first three minutes before Fordham responded with an 18-3 run to take its biggest lead of the night, 20-11, following a Frazier layup with 9:06 left in the half. Frazier and Alberto Estwick each scored five points in the run.
The Blackbirds whittled away at the Fordham lead, eventually taking a 27-26 lead with four minutes remaining in the half and the game would be tied three times over the final four minutes, the last time at 35 with 1:33 remaining. Long Island then scored five straight points before an Estwick three with 36 seconds left made it a 40-38 game at the break.
Frazier shot 9-for-15 from the field, including six-for-nine from behind the arc, to record his 24 points while Gaston added four assist and two blocks to go with his double-double. Estwick added 14 points and four assists for the Rams while Butler finished with 13 points and eight assists.
The Rams will next be in action on Saturday, November 27th, as they host the University of Hartford Hawks in the Rose Hill Gym at 1:00 p.m.
Notes
The Long Island win breaks a seven game Fordham winning streak in the series with the Blackbirds... The Rams still lead the all-time series, 10-3... Butler's 13 points brings his career total to 1,177, placing him 20th on the Fordham all-time scoring list, one point behind Jermaine Anderson (2002-06)... Butler's two three-pointers in the game give him 182 for his career, fifth best on the Fordham career list... Fordham outrebounded Long Island, 31-28, and have outrebounded each opponent this year... Marvin Dominique grabbed ten rebounds, his third double digit rebounding game of the year... The Rams were outscored in bench points, 19-2.
