St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. – The weather outside was warm and clear but inside the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center is was cold for Fordham and raining three for Nevada as the Wolfpack hit 13 shots from behind the arc to defeat the Rams, 74-60, in an opening round game of the 2019 Paradise Jam.
With the loss, Fordham falls to 3-1 on the season while Nevada evens its record at 3-3.
Sophomore guard
Jalen Cobb led the Rams with a career-high 21 points, shooting 5-for-7 from long distance, and her added four rebounds while senior guard
Antwon Portley finished with eight points.
The game started slowly before the Wolfpack took an 18-8 lead midway through the half. But the Rams used a 15-5 run to knot the game at 23 on a Cobb three-pointer, one of four three –pointers in the run, with 4:11 remaining.
But Nevada outscored Fordham 15-5 over the final four minutes to take a 38-28 lead at the break.
The Wolfpack opened the second half on a 9-2 run to take a 17-point lead, 47-30, just under four minutes into the half and would increase the lead to as many as 25 later in the period.
Takeaways
• The Rams entered the game allowing opponents to hit just 4.7 three-pointers/game.
• The Fordham bench, led by Cobb's 21 points, outscored the Nevada, 42-27.
• There of the four Fordham coaches were at the 2005 Paradise Jam as head coaches:
Jeff Neubauer (Eastern Kentucky),
Dennis Felton (Georgia) and
Anthony Evans (Norfolk State) along with the Rams. Fordham defeated Norfolk State and fell to Georgia but did not play Eastern Kentucky.
• Fordham's
Erten Gazi also appeared in the Paradise Jam before this year, playing in the 2015 tournament with DePaul, scoring his first collegiate points at the event.
• 2019 marks the 20th anniversary of the Paradise Jam.
By the Numbers
1 – Steals by Fordham, a season-low.
5 – Three-pointers made by
Jalen Cobb, a career-high (previous high was four last year vs. George Washington).
6, 5 – Points and rebounds for freshman
Joel Soriano, both season-highs.
10 – Field goals made by the Rams, a season-high.
21 – Points by
Jalen Cobb, a career-high (previous high was 18 vs. Maine last year).
41.7 – Three-point field goal percentage for Fordham (10-24).
What's Next?
• The Rams continue play at the 2019 Paradise Jam on Saturday as they take on Grand Canyon University at 3:00 p.m. (EST).
• Grand Canyon fell to Valparaiso in et first game of the day, 78-74.
• Fordham has never faced Grand Canyon on the hardwood.
• It will be Fordham's first game against a team currently in the WAC.
