Men’s Basketball Home Court Streak Snapped by Richmond

Photo Gallery

Bronx, N.Y. – Today's Fordham-Richmond Atlantic 10 men's basketball game was decided on two lines: the three-point line and the free throw line. The Spiders connected on 13 long distance shots and outscored the Rams 20-6 from the charity stripe en route to a 93-82 win over Fordham in the Rose Hill Gym.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 10-4 overall, 1-2 in the Atlantic 10, while Richmond improves to 9-6 overall, 1-2 in the conference. The loss also snaps a ten-game Fordham home court winning streak.
 
The Rams fell despite 22 points and five rebounds from Mandell Thomas and 18 points, eight boards and three steals from Ryan Rhoomes.
 
Fordham entered the game allowing opponents to connect on just 5.1 three-pointer per game but Richmond doubled that total in the first half, hitting eleven of their 13 long distance shots in the first 20 minutes. The biggest of the 13 threes came with just under two minutes left in the game when Richmond's T.J. Cline saved a ball from going out of bounds, deflecting it to Marshall Wood who got off a three just as the shot clock expired that turned a four-point Spider lead to seven, 85-78, and Richmond took care of business at the free throw line, hitting all six of its charity shots over the final 46 seconds.

 

The Rams got off to a hot start, opening a 13-point lead, 17-4, over the first seven minutes, led by eight points from Rhoomes.
 
After the Spiders got the Fordham advantage down to nine, 24-15, the Rams used an 8-2 spurt to take their biggest lead of the day, 32-17, on a Thomas jumper with 7:29 left in the half.
 
But the Fordham offense went cold as the Richmond long distance shooters went to work, connecting on five straight three-pointers to tie the game at 32 on a ShawnDre' Jones trifecta at the 5:31 mark.
 
The Spiders closed out the half on a 15-7 run to take a 47-39 lead at the break.
 
Richmond extended the lead to as many as eleven early in the second half, 60-49, before a Thomas three-pointer started a run of 12 straight Fordham points as the Rams took a 61-60 lead on a Rhoomes put back with 11:20 remaining.
 
But a Jones three ignited an 11-2 Richmond run as the Spiders took a 71-63 lead with 8:05 remaining and Richmond got the lead to as many as eleven, 79-68 with 5:19 left when a 10-3 Fordham spurt cut the Rams' deficit to four, 82-78, on a Nych Smith layup with 1:56 on the clock. But Wood hit the three at the 1:24 mark to help the Spiders pull away.
 
Antwoine Anderson (13) and Smith (10) also finished in double figures for the Rams with Anderson adding seven assists.
 
The Rams return to action on Wednesday, January 13, as they travel to Richmond, Va., to face the VCU Rams in an Atlantic 10 matchup at 7:00 p.m. in a game that will be televised live on the American Sports Network (ASN).
 

 
Notes
Joseph Chartouny (injury) and Ryan Canty (illness) missed their third straight game.
 
Richmond has taken the past ten meetings with Fordham and now leads the all-time series, 15-7.
 
The Rams were looking to go to 2-1 in the Atlantic 10 for the first time since 2006.
 
Rhoomes' eight rebounds bring his career total to 735, good for tenth on the school's career rebounding list.
 
Rhoomes recorded two blocks in the game and now has 120 in his career, good for sixth place on the school's all-time list.
 
Rhoomes has scored in double figures in 13 of the 14 games this year.
 
Rhoomes shot 9-for-10 from the field, rebounding his only miss for a put back.
 
Thomas' 22 points brings his career total to 1,281, moving his ahead of Dave Maxwell (1980-1983) and into 15th on the Fordham career scoring list.
 
Antwoine Anderson is averaging 12.3 ppg and 6.0 apg since moving into the starting lineup three games ago.
 
Nych Smith tied his season-high with ten points, originally set against Central Connecticut.
 
Fordham shot a season-high .607 (35-58) from the field, also setting a season-high with the 35 field goals made.