Box Score Nov. 29, 2012
Final Stats |
Photo Gallery 
Bronx, N.Y. -
You have to forgive some members of the Fordham men's basketball squad tonight who looked like they were playing in their first collegiate home game ever. The thing was, for four of the Rams, they were. But the home cooking didn't benefit the Rams as they dropped the annual Battle of the Bronx game to Manhattan College, 65-58, tonight in the Rose Hill Gym.
With the loss, the Rams fall to 1-5 on the year, while Manhattan improves to 2-3.
"I think in those last four minutes they out toughed us," said Fordham head coach Tom Pecora. "We can't allow a team to come in here and do that. We wanted to force them to turn the ball over and they had 27 turnovers and only nine assists but we killed ourselves with fouls and not staying disciplined on defense and allowing them to shoot 33 free throws."
The loss overshadowed a career night for Fordham sophomore Ryan Canty, who led the Rams with a career-high 18 points while also grabbing five rebounds and blocking four shots. He shot 8-for-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from the free throw line.
The Rams played most of the first half without junior guard, Branden Frazier, who entered the game as Fordham's leading scorer but who picked up three fouls in the first half, two in the first 3:36. With Frazier on the bench and senior Chris Gaston out with an injury, the Rams were forced to go with an even younger lineup, putting three freshmen and two sophomores on the floor at times.
On the plus side for Fordham the Rams forced Manhattan to commit 27 turnovers. But that was one of the few bright spots as the Rams were outrebounded 42-22 and shot just 3-for-18 from behind the arc.
Despite those numbers, Fordham led by four, 48-44, with 7:22 left following a Mandell Thomas layup. But the Jaspers scored the next three points, all coming on free throws, to make it a one-point game, 48-47, with 6:36 remaining.
A pair of Branden Frazier free throws bumped the Fordham advantage back to three, 50-47, 14 seconds later, and Fordham again led by three, 52-49, after a Canty layup with 5:29 on the clock.
A Michael Alvardo jumper with 4:52 left cut the Manhattan deficit to one, 52-51, and a Rhamel Brown layup 45 seconds later gave Manhattan the lead for good, 53-52.
After two Alvardo free throws made it 55-52 for the Jaspers, a Canty basket trimmed the Manhattan advantage to one, 55-54, with 2:56 left. But that was the last basket for the Rams until a Jermaine Myers layup with 18 seconds left halted an 8-0 Manhattan run.
Fordham took a 3-2 lead 2:07 into the game before Manhattan went on a 13-4 run to take a 15-7 lead on a Donovan Kates three-pointer with 10:52 left in the half.
The Rams responded with a 12-1 spurt to take a three-point lead, 19-16, following a Myers three-pointer with 4:52 remaining in the period. Canty led the Fordham run with four points.
But Fordham couldn't keep the momentum going as Manhattan closed out the half with a 10-4 run to take a 26-23 lead into the break.
Frazier finished with 16 points for the Rams, all in the second half, while Myers added eight points and four assists.
The Rams return to action on Saturday, December 1, as they travel to Cambridge, Mass., to face the Harvard University Crimson at 1:00 p.m.
Notes
The Jaspers have won two straight over the Rams and now lead the all-time series, 55-50... Canty's previous career-high in scoring was seven set at St. Bonaventure last year... His four blocks is also a career-high, bettering the two he recorded at St. Bonaventure last season... Frazier matched his season-high with nine free throws made and ten free throws attempted... The Rams had a season-high eight blocks as a team... Manhattan's 27 turnovers was a season-high for a Fordham opponent, surpassing the 18 by Texas State in the season opener... Alvarado received the Mike Cohen Award following the game as the game's MVP.
