Fordham Steals Battle of the Bronx from Manhattan

Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham University head men's basketball coach Jeff Neubauer told his team this week that he wanted them to get better as the game went on today. And the Rams cooperated with four players finishing in doubles figures, led by senior guard Will Tavares who tied his career-high with 19 points, and the Rams setting a school-record 17 steals as Fordham defeated Manhattan College, 70-57, in the annual Battle of the Bronx in the Rose Hill Gym.
 
With the win, Fordham improves to 2-3 on the year while Manhattan falls to 2-4.
 
The Rams forced 25 Manhattan turnovers, including the school-record 17 steals. The former school mark was 16 set against Maine on December 19, 2015.
 
Tavares was joined in double figures by senior guard Perris Hicks (15), freshman forward Ivan Raut (14) and junior forward Jesse Bunting (12) while junior guard Joseph Chartouny filled the stat sheet with five points, six rebounds, seven assists, five steals and one block.
 
The game opened slowly on offense for both teams as the Rams held an 11-10 lead with 7:41 remaining in the first before a 10-3 spurt put Fordham up, 21-13, following a Hicks three-pointer with 4:39 left and the Rams took an eight-point lead into the break, 31-23.
 
Fordham led by eight, 43-35, with 14:43 left in the game before going on a 15-4 run to take its biggest lead of the day, 58-39, on a Tavares jumper at the 9:15 mark. But the Jaspers fought back, using a 13-2 spurt to trim the Fordham lead to eight, 60-52, with 5:04 remaining.
 
The Rams quickly got the lead back to double figures, building it to as many as 18, 70-52, with just under two minutes remaining en route to the victory.
 
Takeaways
 
The Rams wore special yellow shoelaces as part of the Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer® program to show their commitment to the fight against pediatric cancer.
 
The Jaspers now lead the all-time series, 57-53. The 110 games played are the most against any opponent for the Rams while the 53 win are the most against any opponent for Fordham.
 

The home team has won the battle of the Bronx in each of the past five years (Manhattan won the 2014 meeting at the Barclays Center).
 
The 57 points are the fewest scored by a Steve Masiello-coached Manhattan team against Fordham.
 
Sophomore Chuba Ohams and junior Prokop Slanina missed the game due to injury.
 
Despite playing with a small lineup, the Rams outscored the Jaspers, 38-28, in the paint.
 
The Rams held the Jaspers to 12.8 points under their season average.
 
Fordham has led at the half in four of the first five games.

Over the past three years, Fordham is 21-5 in non-conference home games (5-2 in 2013-14, 9-0 in 2015-2016, 5-2 last year and 2-1 this year).

Overall, the Rams are 24-15 at home over the past three years.
 
By the Numbers
 
5 – Steals by both Joseph Chartouny and Will Tavares, a career-high for Tavares (previous best was three which he did twice, the last versus Rider in 2016).
 
12 – Points scored by Jesse Bunting, matching his career-high set against NYIT in 2016.
 
15 – Points scored by Perris Hicks, a career-high (previous high was eleven set against Tulane last Sunday).
 
16 – Fast break points for Fordham (compared to four by the Jaspers).
 
18.7 – Points per game average for Will Tavares over the past three games.
 
19 – Points scored by Will Tavares, matching his career-best set in the last game vs. Tulane.
 
23 – Assists by Fordham, the most in a game for the Rams since they dished out 25 in the win over NYIT in the second game of the year last winter.
 
25 – Manhattan turnovers forced by the Rams, a season-high for a Fordham opponent.
 
50.8% - Fordham's shooting percentage in the game, a season-high.
 
169 – Career steals for Joseph Chartouny, ninth best on the Fordham career list, one behind Teremun Johnson (1998-2002) for eighth.
 
1.000 – Shooting percentage in the game for Perris Hicks, who was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, including 3-for-3 from behind the arc.
 
What's Next?
The Rams will continue their current home stand by hosting the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers in the historic Rose Hill Gym on Wednesday, November 29, at 7:00 p.m.
 
The game will be the second meeting between the two schools on the hardwood.
 
ETSU won the first meeting last year in Johnson City, Tennessee, in the season-opener for both teams.