Box Score
Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham freshman guard
Nick Honor had a number of family members in the stands tonight and they left the building in a great mood as Honor scored a game-high 28 points to lead the Rams to an 83-77 win over FIU in the first game of the 2018 Johnny Bach Classic in the historic Rose Hill Gym.
With the win, the Rams improve to 2-1 on the season while FIU falls to 3-1.
Honor shot 9-for-16 from the field and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Speaking of being perfect from the charity stripe, senior forward
Jesse Bunting hit all 14 of his free throws tonight as he recorded his first double-double of the year with 18 points and eleven rebounds. He actually could have a quadruple double with the 14 free throws going along with ten fouls drawn.
The game was tied eight times with seven leads changes and the Panthers held a five-point lead, 69-64, with five minutes remaining. Junior guard
Antwon Portley made one of two free throws 20 seconds later to start a 7-0 Fordham run as the Rams took a 71-69 lead on a pair of Bunting free throws with two minutes left.
After FIU knotted the game at 71, the Rams scored six straight points, capped by two
Jalen Cobb free throws with 33 seconds left to take a 77-71 lead and the Rams iced the game by making seven of their final eight free throws.
Takeaways
• The Rams improve to 5-0 all-time in games played as part of the Johnny Bach Classic.
• FIU was averaging 104.3 ppg entering the contest and were held to 77 by the Rams.
• Fordham is now 2-4 all-time against FIU
• After hitting 30 three-pointers in the first two games the Rams made just five tonight.
• Fordham outrebounded FIU, 43-31, and have outrebounded its opponent in each of the first three games this year.
• The Rams held the Panthers to shooting just 14.3 percent from behind the arc (4-28), including 1-14 in the second half.
By the Numbers
10 – Fouls drawn by
Jesse Bunting.
11 – Rebounds for
Jesse Bunting, tying his career-high.
13 – Rebounds by
Chuba Ohams, a career-high.
36 – Free throws made by Fordham tonight, tied for second most in a game in school history and three shy of the school record set in 1993 vs. Lehigh
83.7 – Free throw shooting percentage by the Rams (36-48).
What's Next
• The Rams will face the Youngstown State University Penguins on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on day two of the Johnny Bach Classic.
• It will be the first meeting between Fordham and Youngstown State on the hardwood.
