Bronx, N.Y. – When Fordham University started its men's basketball program a dribbler couldn't shoot for a field goal and could dribble only once, and then with two hands, and the basket was against a wall, allowing players to climb the padded wall to get closer to the basket. The game has come a long way since 1902 and so has the Fordham program, a program that picked up its 1,500th all-time win today with a 73-62 victory over Rider University in the Rose Hill Gym.
With the win, Fordham's fifth straight, the Rams improve to 5-1 while Rider evens its record at 2-2.
Sophomore guard
Joseph Chartouny led the way for the Rams, filling the stat sheet with a team-high 17 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals. Graduate transfer
Javontae Hawkins added 12 points and six rebounds for Fordham while
Christian Sengfelder finished with eleven points.
The Fordham defense recorded double digits steals for the third straight game, swiping the ball eleven times and forcing 19 turnovers.
Fordham led by 15 at the break, 42-27, but Rider scored the first four points of the second half and managed to get the Fordham lead to nine, 46-37, 4:34 into the half.
A pair of
Antwoine Anderson free throws and a Chartouny three-pointer bumped the Fordham lead up to 14, 51-37, with 14:21 left and the Rams led by 12, 56-44, midway through the half when the Broncs scored seven unanswered points to cut the deficit to five, 56-51, on a pair of Norville Carey free throws at the 8:30 mark.
Anderson ended the Fordham dry spell with a jumper 20 seconds later and three Chartouny free throws and a
Prokop Slanina dunk over the next 1:42 gave the Rams a 63-51 lead.
Rider had one last comeback effort, using a late 6-1 spurt to trim a 66-55 deficit to a 67-61 deficit with just under a minute remaining. But the Rams hit six of their eight free throws over the final minute to secure the win.
The Fordham defense started strong, not allowing Rider to hit double digits in scoring until over midway through the first half when the Rams had built a 24-9 lead.
Will Tavares added eight points, four rebounds and three assists for the Rams.
Fordham returns to action on Saturday, November 26, as they host the UT Arlington Mavericks in the Rose Hill Gym at 5:00 p.m.
Notes
Fordham became the second school this week to reach the 1,500-win plateau, joining Wake Forest who did it on Sunday.
The Rams have now won all five meetings with Rider but this was the first since 1948.
Fordham has now won 16 straight non-conference games in the Rose Hill Gym.
The Rams held the Broncs to shooting 20.0 percent from behind the arc (3-15) and Fordham opponents are now shooting just 29.2 percent (33-113) from long distance on the year.
Chartouny is averaging 16.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg over the past five games, while dishing 36 assists and recording 21 steals.
Chartouny hit a season-high eight free throws today and tied his career-high with ten attempts.
Slanina blocked a season-high three blocks.
