Men's Basketball Falls to Sacred Heart, 71-70

Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham men's basketball team hit more field goals than the visiting Sacred Heart squad but it was one Pioneer basketball that made the difference as a De'von Barnett lay in with just over two seconds remaining gave Sacred Heart a 71-70 win over the Rams in the Rose Hill Gym.
 
With the loss the Rams fall to 5-3 on the year while Sacred Heart improves to 3-4.
 
The Rams fell despite a game-high 23 points from graduate transfer guard Javontae Hawkins, who shot 9-for-11 from the field and he added two steals while Antwoine Anderson netted 15 points and he added four assists and four steals.
 
Fordham led by eleven, the Rams' largest lead of the night, 66-55, following a pair of Hawkins free throws with 6:14 remaining. The Pioneers then ran off eleven unanswered points over the next 3:43 to knot the game at 66 with 2:31 left on a Barnett jumper.
 

On Fordham's ensuing possession, David Pakarek was fouled attempting a three-pointer and the Sacred Heart bench was called for a technical foul, giving the Rams five free throws. Hawkins connected on one of the two technical free throws and Pekarek converted all three of his charity shots to give Fordham a 70-66 lead with just over two minutes on the clock.
 
After a missed three-pointer, Sacred Heart turned the ball over with 1:32 remaining but the Rams gave it back to the Pioneers 19 seconds later.
 
Sacred Heart took advantage of the Fordham miscue, scoring on a Barnett layup and free throw with 43 seconds remaining to make it a one-point game, 70-69.
 
Fordham turned the ball over on its next possession, giving it back to the Pioneers with 17 seconds left. Charles Tucker drove the lane and dished to Barnett who laid it in with just over two seconds on the clock to give Sacred Heart a 71-70 lead.
 
The Rams inbounded the ball to half court and called a time out with 2.1 seconds left. But Fordham's inbound pass from midcourt was stolen by Sean Hoehn who ran out the clock.
 
Christian Sengfelder and Will Tavares each added eleven points for the Rams.
 
Fordham returns to action on Saturday, December 3, as they travel to Cambridge, Mass., to face the Harvard University Crimson in the Lavietes Pavilion at 2:00 p.m.
 
Notes
Sacred Heart has won the past two meetings with Fordham but the Rams still lead the all-time series, 3-2.
 
The Rams forced 25 Sacred Heart turnovers and recorded 14 steals, the seventh straight game Fordham recorded a double-digit steal total.
 
Fordham was outscored 23-13 from the free throw stripe.
 
The 23 free throws made by Sacred Heart was a season-high for a Fordham opponent.
 
The Pioneers attempted only 36 field goals in the game, a season-low for a Fordham opponent.
 
The 23 points was a season-high for Hawkins and ties Christian Sengfelder, who netted 23 versus Lipscomb, for the team's season-high.