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Bronx, N.Y. (February 1, 2014) - In the movie "What About Bob", the main character Bob Wiley, played by Bill Murray, was encouraged to take baby steps to deal with his issues. The Fordham University men's basketball is taking that same approach this year and they took another step in the right direction tonight, defeating the University of Rhode Island, 85-79, in an Atlantic 10 game in the Rose Hill Gym in front of a crowd of 2,851, including the aforementioned Mr. Murray, whose son is an assistant coach for Rhode Island.
 
With the win, Fordham improves to 9-12 on the year, 2-6 in the Atlantic 10, while Rhode Island evens its overall record at 11-11, and drops to 2-5 in the conference.
 
The game was part of the inaugural National College Basketball Autism Awareness Day as Fordham raised funds for the Fordham chapter of Autism Speaks during the contest. Autism Awareness in College Hoops is based on the idea of two coaches who have a passion for spreading autism awareness. Towson's Pat Skerry and Marshall's Tom Herrion, both who have sons on the autism spectrum, started the program and it quickly spread. Both the Fordham and Rhode Island coaching staffs wore Autism Speaks puzzle pieces to support the cause.
 
For the past few games, Fordham would have one or two players score in double figures and head coach Tom Pecora was looking for another player to step up. Tonight four players managed to net double figures, led by senior guard Branden Frazier who scored a game-high 27 points and sophomore guard Mandell Thomas, who finished with 18. Freshman guard Jon Severe (16) and junior guard Bryan Smith (10) also finished in double digits.
 
After being outrebounded, 22-16, in the first half, Fordham managed to control the boards in the second, finishing the game with a 38-32 rebounding advantage, including grabbing 19 offensive boards that Fordham turned into 21 second half points.
 
Leading by ten, 72-62 - its biggest lead of the night, with 6:19 left following a Frazier three-point play, Fordham saw its lead whittled away by Rhode Island, who scored eight straight points to get the Fordham advantage down to two, 72-70, on a Jarelle Reischel layup with 3:37 remaining,
 
A pair of Smith free throws stretched the Fordham lead to four, 74-70, 21 seconds later, but Xavier Munford drove to the hoop for Rhode Island to make it a two-point game again, 74-72, with just over three minutes left.
 
Fordham would go up four only to see Rhode Island cut the lead to two twice more over the next two minutes before Severe hit two free throws with 32 seconds on the clock to give Fordham a six-point lead, 82-76.
 
A Munford three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining made it a three-point game, 82-79, but Rhode Island wouldn't score again and Fordham hit three of its four field goals over the final 17 seconds for the 85-79 win.
 
Rhode Island jumped out to a 14-10 lead six minutes into the game before a 14-6 Fordham spurt helped the home Rams take a 24-20 following a Chris Whitehead layup with 8:44 left in the half.
 
Rhode Island then went on a 13-4 run to take its biggest lead of the night, 33-28, with 3:47 remaining in the period but Fordham outscored the visitors 9-3 over the final 3:34 to take a 37-36 lead at the break.
 
The game would be tied three times over the first five minutes of the second half, the final time at 46 when Fordham used a 9-2 spurt to take a 55-48 lead on a Smith three-pointer with 12:20 remaining before getting the lead to ten, 72-62.
 
Frazier added seven assists to go with his 27 points while Thomas grabbed seven rebounds. Ryan Rhoomes pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds to go with six points.
 
Fordham will now have a week off before venturing down to the nation's capital to face the George Washington University Colonials in an Atlantic 10 contest at 4:00 p.m. in a game that will be televised live on SportsNet NY (SNY).
 
Notes
Frazier's 27 points brings his career total to 1,446, moving him ahead of Fred Herzog (1987-92) and Jean Prioleau (1988-92) and into tenth place on the Fordham all-time scoring list… He is 78 points behind Brenton Butler for ninth… Frazier's seven assists brings his career total to 453, tying him with Prioleau for second on the Fordham career list… Frazier now has ten 20-point games this year and 22 in his career… Fordham is now 4-2 this season when scoring more than 80 points… Fordham has won three of the past four against Rhode Island, all in the Rose Hill Gym… Bob Hurley, father of Rhode Island head coach Danny Hurley and longtime head coach at St. Anthony High School, was in attendance.