Box Score Dec. 4, 2010
Final Stats
Bethlehem, Pa. -
Prior to the game, Fordham head coach Tom Pecora gave senior guard Brenton Butler the unenviable task to guard Lehigh's leading scorer C.J. McCollum, who entered the game averaging more than 20 points a game. Butler responded not only by holding McCollum to more than ten points under his average, he also provided an offensive element with a season-high 25 points as he led the Rams to a 74-67 win over the Mountain Hawks in the Stabler Arena.
With the win, Fordham snaps a 21-game road losing streak and improves to 3-4 on the year, while Lehigh evens its record at 4-4. The Rams' last win on the road before tonight was on January 28, 2009 at St. Bonaventure.
The game was a matchup of the 2010 Patriot League Rookie of the Year (McCollum) and the 2010 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, Fordham's Chris Gaston. Thanks to Butler's defense, Gaston won the matchup, finishing with his fifth double-double of the year, scoring 18 points and grabbing a career-high 20 rebounds while Butler held McCollum to 12 points, well under his 23.7 ppg average entering the game.
The game started slowly for the Rams, who trailed 11-0 three minutes into the game and again by eleven 16-5, with 14:39 left in the half. A Butler three-pointer ignited a 10-0 Fordham run as the Rams pulled to within one, 16-15, on a Gaston layup with 12:12 remaining in the period.
A Butler layup six minutes later gave Fordham its first lead of the night, 23-22, but the Mountain Hawks took a six-point lead, 35-29, on a McCollum dunk with just under two minutes left in the half. A Brandon Frazier free throw and two more from Alberto Estwick over the final 1:50 made it a 35-32 game at the break in favor of Lehigh.
A Butler jumper and pair of free throws in the first two minutes of the second half gave the Rams a three-point lead, 38-35, before a Michael Oyo jumper and a McCollum free throw knotted the game at 38 with 17 minutes remaining.
A Gaston layup with 16:52 left keyed a 10-0 Fordham run as the Rams took a 48-38 lead following the second of two straight Estwick three-pointers with 14:19 left in the game.
An Ojo free throw halted the Rams' run but a Gaston dunk made it a 50-39 game with 13:29 remaining.
After the Mountain Hawks shaved the Fordham lead to eight, 50-42, Fordham responded with an 8-2 spurt to take its biggest lead of the night, 58-44, on a Gaston layup with 8:41 remaining.
The Fordham lead would remain in double figures for most of the last eight minutes and the closest Lehigh would get would be the final seven-point deficit.
Butler converted 12 of his 14 free throws, both career-highs, as part of his 25 points and he added five assists, while Estwick chipped in with 18 points, hitting three of his five shots from behind the arc. Frazier closed the game with nine points, six rebounds and four assists.
The Rams will next be in action on Wednesday night, December 8th, as they host the Manhattan College Jaspers in the Rose Hill Gym in the annual Battle of the Bronx at 7:00 p.m.
Notes:
The win was the eighth in the past nine meetings with Lehigh for the Rams, who now lead the all-time series, 12-7... The last time the two teams met was in February of 1995, Fordham's final year in the Patriot League... Gaston's previous career-high for rebounds was 18 set against Duquesne in the season finale last year... Butler's previous career-high in free throw made (ten) and in free throws attempted (12) were both also set in the season-finale at Duquesne last year... The 25 points brings Butler's career total to 1,222, moving him ahead of Jason Harris and into 17th place on the Fordham all-time scoring list... Estwick's 18 points ties his season-high (he also scored 18 against Hampton)... Fordham outrebounded Lehigh 45-38, the fifth time the Rams have outrebounded an opponent this year... The Rams held the Mountain Hawks to shooting 33.3% (22-66) from the field, the lowest shooting percentage for a Fordham opponent this year.
