Box Score
Bronx, N.Y. (November 15, 2013) – When Fordham head coach
Tom Pecora decided to go with a four-guard lineup, many wondered where the rebounding would come from. Tonight two guards answered that question as
Branden Frazier and
Mandell Thomas each grabbed double digit rebounds to lead the Rams to an 80-72 win over Lehigh University in the Rose Hill Gym.
With the win, Fordham improves to 2-1 on the season while Lehigh falls to 1-2. It is the first time the Rams opened a season 2-1 since 2007.
The 80-point outburst is Fordham's second 80-point game of the year and the Rams scoring total of 241 points through the first three games is the highest total for a Fordham team over the first three contests since the 2000-01 squad also scored 241 points (the 1979-80 team scored 242 points over the first three games of the year).
Frazier scored a team-high 24 points and added a career-best eleven rebounds while Thomas added 18 points and a career-high 13 rebounds with both players dishing out six assists. Frazier's double-double was the third in his career, the first in scoring and rebounding, while Thomas notched his first career double-double.
Fordham led by eight, 73-65 with 2:21 on the clock after a Frazier basket but Lehigh used a Tim Kempton layup and Austin Price three-pointer to cut the Rams' lead to three, 73-70, with 1:19 remaining.
Frazier drove the lane on the ensuing possession as a whistle blew with one official calling a travel on Frazier but he was overruled by one of his partners who called a Lehigh foul. Frazier sank both free throws but Lehigh came right back with a Mackey McKnight jumper to make it a three-point game again, 75-72, with 20 seconds left. Frazier sank three of four charity shots over the next seven seconds and Thomas added the exclamation point with a dunk just before the final buzzer as the Rams pulled out the 8072 win.
The Rams came out red hot, scoring the first ten points over the first two minutes of the game, five of those from
Jon Severe.
The Rams led by nine, 16-7, after a Severe layup with 12:47 left in the half when Lehigh began whittling away at the Fordham lead, using a 10-2 run to pull to within one, 18-17, with 9:41 remaining.
Fordham got the lead back to four four times over the next three minutes, the final at 30-26 when Lehigh scored six straight, taking its first lead of the game on a McKnight jumper with five minutes left in the period.
The Mountain Hawks got the lead to as many as three, 41-38, with 1:33 on the clock and took a three-point lead into the break, 44-41.
Similar to the first half, the Rams came out on fire in the second, outscoring Lehigh 8-0 over the first two minutes to take a 49-44 lead on a
Bryan Smith three-pointer.
Lehigh retook the lead with a 9-0 spurt, leading 53-49 with 14 minutes left but the Rams came back to tie the game twice over the next 3:12, the final time at 56 midway through the second half.
A
Ryan Rhoomes layup with 10:18 remaining put the Rams up for good and started a run of seven straight Fordham points as the Rams took a 63-56 advantage following a Frazier jumper with 9:35 on the clock.
Rhoomes finished with eight points and matched his career-high 12 rebounds while Severe added 16 points.
The Rams return to action on Saturday, November 23, as they host the Sacred Heart University Pioneers in the Rose Hill Gym at 4:00 p.m.
Notes
Frazier's 24 points brings his career total to 1,144, moving him ahead of John Stevens (1962-65) and Jim Manhardt (1961-64) and into 22
nd place on the Fordham all-time scoring list, three points behind Jermaine Anderson (2002-06)… Frazier's previous career-high in rebounding was seven against UMass last year… Thomas' previous career-best in rebounds was nine at VCU last winter… Rhoomes first pulled down 12 rebounds in a game last year versus VCU… Severe's 63 points over his first three collegiate games is a Fordham school record for a freshman… The Rams outrebounded the Mountain Hawks, 52-35… Fordham outscored Lehigh 14-5 on second chance points and 14-4 on fast break points… The win snaps a two-game losing streak for the Rams to the Mountain Hawks and Fordham now leads the all-time series, 13-9.
