St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. – Jean Racine, a French dramatist and one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, once said "Extreme justice is often injustice." Such was the case for the Fordham men's basketball team tonight. Western Kentucky's Cameron Justice was extreme, scoring 15 of his 23 points in the first half, and a late Ram comeback came up short as Fordham fell to the Hilltoppers, 69-64, in the fourth place game of the 2019 Paradise Jam in the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center.
With the loss, Fordham falls to 4-2 while Western Kentucky improves to 6-1.
Senior guard
Antwon Portley scored 13 of his team-high 17 points in the second half as Fordham tried to comeback from a double digit deficit, while sophomore guard
Ty Perry netted 14 points, hitting four three-pointers, and junior forward
Chuba Ohams added 13 points and eight rebounds.
An
Erten Gazi three with 1:05 left pulled the Rams within three, 67-64, and on the ensuing possession the Hilltoppers missed a three. Gazi grabbed the rebound but turned the ball over and Western Kentucky hit a pair of free throws with 12 seconds remaining to ice the game.
The Rams trailed by 15 at the half, 37-22, and managed to cut the deficit to five, 50-45, on an Ohams layup midway through the second. Western Kentucky got its advantage back to 12, 64-52, with 4:57 left but the Rams used a 12-3 run, capped by Gazi's three to make it a three-point game.
Takeaways
• Fordham held Western Kentucky's leading scorer Carson Williams, who entered the game averaging 15.8 ppg, scoreless.
• Fordham outscored Western Kentucky in points off turnovers, 29-12.
• The Rams were outscored at the free throw line 17-3.
• Western Kentucky won 20 games in each of the past two seasons.
By the Numbers
4 – Three-pointers made by
Ty Perry, a season-high.
4 – Blocks by Fordham, a season-high.
7 – Assists for
Antwon Portley, a season-high.
8 – Turnovers by Fordham, a season-low.
14 – Points by
Ty Perry, a season-high.
27 – Field goals made by the Rams, a season-high.
69 – Points scored by Western Kentucky, a season-low for the Hilltoppers.
What's Next?
• The Rams return to play on Sunday, December 1, as they host the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks in the historic Rose Hill Gym at 2:00 p.m.
• It will be the second meeting between Fordham and UMES.
• The Hawks took the first meeting, 72-66, in the Rose Hill Gym on November 29, 2014.
• Fordham is 9-3 all-time against teams currently in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
