Box Score
Kingston, R.I. (March 5, 2014) – The first time Fordham and Rhode Island met in a men's basketball game this season Fordham exploded for 85 points, the most the Bronx Rams scored in an Atlantic 10 game this year. Tonight it was a totally different game for Fordham, who was held to 65 points in a 77-65 league loss to Rhode Island in the Ryan Center.
With the loss, Fordham falls to 9-19 overall on the year, 2-13 in the Atlantic 10, while Rhode Island closed out its regular season with a 14-17 overall mark, 5-11 in the conference. The loss also locks Fordham into playing the 12-13 game at the Atlantic 10 Championship next Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. at the Barclays Center.
Fordham had more than its share of chances tonight, attempting 24 more field goals than Rhode Island (74-50) but the visiting Rams shot 33.8% from the floor to 50.0% for Rhode Island, who also outscored Fordham 20-7 from the free throw stripe.
Neither team could muster much offense over the first eight minutes as each squad shot under 30% over that stretch but Fordham held a three-point lead, 13-10, after a
Branden Frazier free throw.
Fordham led by three again following a
Mandell Thomas three-pointer with 7:40 left in the half, 21-18, but T.J. Buchanan knotted the game at 21 for URI 35 seconds later.
After the two teams exchanged buckets, a Frazier steal and layup and three-pointer sandwiched around a Rhode Island free throw gave Fordham its biggest lead of the game, 28-24, with 5:27 on the clock and Fordham would take a two-point lead, 33-31, into the intermission.
Rhode Island opened the second half with a 12-5 spurt to take a 43-38 lead 4:33 into the period before a Thomas free throw and
Ryan Canty rebound put back over the next minute to cut the home team's lead to two, 43-41.
Fordham trailed by three later in the half, 52-49, after a Frazier basket with 9:29 left when Rhode Island reeled off a 13-2 run to take a 65-51 lead on a Xavier Munford three-pointer with 5:34 remaining. The closest Fordham would get from that point would be 12, which occurred five times, the last on a
Chris Whitehead buzzer-beater at the end of the game.
Frazier led all scorers with 22 points and he added seven assist and four steals while Thomas finished with eleven points and Canty,
Travion Leonard and
Ryan Rhoomes each grabbed seven rebounds for Fordham with Rhoomes adding ten points.
The Rams close out the 2014 Atlantic 10 regular season on Saturday, March 8, as they host the George Washington University Colonials in the Rose Hill Gym for Senior Day in a game that will be broadcast live on SportsNet NY (SNY). Only a limited number of tickets remain for the game.
Notes
Frazier's 22 points brings his career total to 1,570 at Fordham, ninth on the school's career scoring list… His seven assists bring his career assist total to 483, second all-time at Fordham… The game was Frazier's team-high 15
th 20-point game of the season and the 26
th of his career… Frazier is averaging 18.3 ppg and 5.0 apg over the past three games… His four steals were a season-high… Canty is averaging 8.5 rpg over the past six contests… Fordham recorded eight steals in the contest and have 33 steals over the past four games… Former Ram Luke Devine, a Rhode Island native, was in attendance… Fordham freshman Manny Suarez, who was cleared to travel with the team by the NCAA last week, made his first road trip with the team.
