Aug. 22, 2011
2011-12 Fordham Non-Conference Men's Basketball Schedule 
Bronx, N.Y. -
The 2011-12 Fordham University men's basketball non-conference schedule was released today and it features a home game in the Rose Hill Gym with Georgia Tech from the Atlantic Coast Conference and a meeting with St. John's University at Madison Square Garden.
Georgia Tech comes calling to the Rose Hill Gym on Thursday, December 29th, the third all-time meeting between the Rams and the Yellow Jackets. It will mark the first time an ACC team has visited the historic venue since North Carolina State played there on December 17, 1965 (Boston College played in the Rose Hill Gym in 1980 as a member of the Big East while Virginia Tech played there in 2000 as a member of the Atlantic 10).
This winter, the Rams will play their 86th season in the Rose Hill Gym, a facility that opened on January 16, 1925 when the Rams hosted Boston College in a game officiated by the Fordham Flash, Frankie Frisch. Over the past 85 years, Fordham has compiled a 584-323 (.644) record in its tradition-rich home venue.
The Rams will open their 108th season of basketball on Saturday, November 12th, as they travel up to Syracuse to take on Syracuse University in the Carrier Dome. This will be the second meeting between the Rams and the Orange in the past five years and the 43rd meeting in the all-time series.
Fordham then returns to the Bronx on Friday, November 18th, to open the home portion of its schedule with a game against Binghamton University, only the second meeting ever between the Bearcats and the Rams, the first won by Fordham in 2007.
The Rams then go back on the road for Thanksgiving weekend, venturing to Chicago to face fellow Jesuits, Loyola University, on Saturday, November 26th. It will be the first ever meeting between Fordham and Loyola of Chicago.
Following the Chicago trip, Fordham comes home for a three-game home stand with contests against Colgate University on Tuesday, November 29th, Lehigh University on Thursday, December 1st, and Hampton University on Monday, December 5th. The Rams will take on the Raiders for the 26th time, the first since a 1995 meeting in the Patriot Championship Tournament. The Rams faced both Lehigh and Hampton last season and lead the all-time series with the Mountain Hawks, 12-7, while the Rams and Pirates will meet for third time.
On Wednesday, December 7th, Fordham travels to the other side of the Bronx to take on Manhattan College in the annual Battle of the Bronx. It will be the 103rd meeting between the Rams and the Jaspers, the most against any opponent for Fordham.
The Rams then travel West Long Branch, N.J., on Saturday, December 10th, to take on Monmouth University before heading up to Albany to play Siena College on Monday, December 12th, in the Times Union Center. It will be the third all-time game with Monmouth, the Rams won the previous two, while Fordham meets the Saints for the 20th time, the first since 2005.
After a week off for finals, the Rams will play at the World's Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, as Fordham takes on St. John's University on Saturday, December 17th, for the 81st time. It will be the Rams' 115th appearance at The Garden, their first since a January 13, 2010 Atlantic 10 contest with Dayton.
Fordham closes out the non-conference season with three home games. Before Christmas, Fordham will host Texas State University on Thursday, December 22nd, the first ever meeting between the Rams and the Bobcats, and then host Georgia Tech on the 29th.
The final non-conference game will be on Tuesday, January 3rd, as defending Ivy League champions, Harvard University, travels to the Bronx to face the Rams for the 12th time.
Fordham's Atlantic 10 schedule will be released at a later date.
The first round of the 2012 Atlantic 10 Championship will be played on Tuesday, March 6th, at the site of the higher seeded team and the championship will then move to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City for the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals from March 9-11, 2012.
Fordham will be guided into the season by second-year head coach Tom Pecora, who immediately energized Fordham fans with a huge win over St. John's, a team that would go on to defeat Duke and eventual national champions, Connecticut, last year. He also lead the Rams to a win over Massachusetts in the final game of the year, a victory that snapped a 41-game Atlantic 10 losing streak.
On the court, the Rams will be led by junior forward Chris Gaston, an Honorable Mention All-Atlantic 10 and Second Team All-Metropolitan Basketball Writer's selection last year, who led Fordham in both scoring and rebounding for the second straight year, averaging 15.9 ppg and 11.3 rpg. He led the Atlantic 10 in rebounding and in defensive rebounding (7.9/game) and ranked ninth in the conference in scoring, seventh in blocked shots and third in offensive rebounding.
