Box Score Nov. 13, 2012
Final Stats
Pittsburgh, Pa. -
Over the first three minutes of the second half, everything came together for the Fordham men's basketball squad as the Rams opened the period hitting four straight baskets to tie the game at 39. Unfortunately for the Rams, the other 37 minutes of the game didn't go as well as Fordham fell to Robert Morris University, 74-58, in the second round of the 2012 NIT Season Tip-Off at the University of Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center.
With the loss, Fordham falls to 0-3 on the year while Robert Morris improves to 1-2.
The Rams fell despite a game-high 21 points from Branden Frazier, who also dished out a game-best seven assists.
The Rams trailed by eight at the half, 37-29, but opened the second half with a 10-2 spurt to tie the game 3:13 into the half. Chris Gaston got the run started with a layup 13 seconds into the second and, following a Lucky Jones jumper for the Colonials, he put another layup in to make it a six-point game, 39-33, with 18:22 remaining before back-to-back Bryan Smith three-pointers over the next 1:35 tied the game at 39 for the Rams.
Robert Morris responded with a Stephan Hawkins jumper and Coron Williams three-pointer put the Colonials up five, 44-39, with 13:49 left but a Frazier three-point play trimmed the deficit back to two, 44-42, 14 seconds later.
The Colonials used a Jones bucket and free throw to go up five, 47-42, with 12:45 remaining, before a Frazier jumper made it a 47-44 game with 11:54 left. But that was as close as Fordham would get as Robert Morris ran off 12 straight points to take a 59-44 lead with 6:06 on the clock.
The Rams attempted a comeback, using an 11-2 run to cut the Robert Morris advantage to six, 61-55, following a Smith three-pointer with 3:42 left but the Colonials scored their last 13 points from the free throw stripe.
Fordham scored the first five points of the game on a Frazier three and a Gaston layup 2:28 into the game before Robert Morris ran off eleven straight points to take an 11-5 lead with 14:33 left in the half.
Three Frazier free throws cut the Colonials' lead to three, 11-8, and the Rams trailed by three again with 11:11 remaining on a Frazier dunk when Robert Morris netted eight consecutive points to take a 26-15 lead with 8:24 left in the half.
A Canty dunk and Frazier trey over the next 1:12 made it a 26-20 game and the Rams trailed by six again with a minute left but a Velton Jones layup at the buzzer allowed the Colonials to take the eight-point halftime lead.
Smith finished with 12 points and six rebounds for the Rams while Gaston added eleven points, six rebounds and two blocks.
The Rams return to action next Monday as they will participate in a NIT Season Tip-Off consolation pod. Game site and opponent will be announced on Wednesday.
Notes
Gaston has now scored 1,462 career points, ninth all-time at Fordham, and pulled down 937 rebounds, fifth all-time for the Rams... Robert Morris has now taken both meetings with the Rams... Fordham recorded 14 assists on 19 baskets tonight... The Rams fall to 0-7 all-time in Preseason NIT game.
