Men's Basketball Falls to Duquesne

Bronx, N.Y. – Today is National Bagel Day and at times in the second half, the hoop seemed as small as the hole in a bagel for Fordham. The Rams shot 29.4 percent over the final 20 minutes, allowing Duquense to mount a comeback and defeat the Rams, 74-66, in an Atlantic 10 game in the Rose Hill Gym.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 10-13 overall, 1-9 in the Atlantic 10, while Duquesne improves to 16-8 overall, 7-4 in the conference.
 
Freshman guard Nick Honor led the Rams with a game-high 18 points, and he added four rebounds and five assists, while freshman guard Ty Perry added eleven points and sophomore forward Ivan Raut finished with ten.
 
Fordham held a 40-24 halftime lead, thanks to a four-point play from Raut with one second left in the period.
 
The Rams increased the lead to 18 just under four minutes into the second half, 46-28, following a pair of Jalen Cobb free throws and led by 18 again with 14:27 remaining after a Raut three, 51-33, but a 17-3 Duquesne run let the Dukes pull within four, 54-50, with 8:33 left.
 
A Chuba Ohams bucket and Cobb three over the next 48 seconds helped Fordham get the lead back to nine, 59-50, but the Dukes outscored the Rams 18-2 over the next five minutes to take a 68-61 lead with 1:41 remaining and the Rams couldn't answer.
 
Takeaways
• It was Fordham's Salute to Heroes Day as the Rams honored members of the NYPD, FDNY, PAPD and the NYC EMS attended the game and special members were honored at media timeouts.
 
• Prior to the game, former Ram Mike Fitzgerald was honored with the Michael J. Armstrong Posse Award.

• Nick Honor has scored in double figures in 21 of the 23 Fordham games this year.
 
• Honor has recorded eleven assists with no turnovers over the past two games.
 
• Antwon Portley was held to seven points, snapping a streak of six-straight double-digit scoring games.
 
• Portley entered the game second in the Atlantic 10 in three-point shooting percentage (.397) but was only one-for-ten today.
 
• Fordham outscored Duquesne 26-16 in points off turnovers.

• The Rams entered the game first in the Atlantic 10 in three-point shooting (34.8 percent) but shot just 29.4 percent (10-34) in the game.  
 
• Fordham entered the game leading the Atlantic 10 in turnover margin (+3.4) and forced 15 Duquense miscues while committing eleven.
 
By the Numbers
4 – Steals by Ivan Raut, tying his career-high.
 
10 – Team-high rebounds by both Chuba Ohams and Jesse Bunting.
 
10 – Three-pointers made by the Rams, the ninth time this year they have connected on ten or more long-range shots.
 
20 – Field goal attempts by Nick Honor, a season-high.
 
50 – Second half point scored by Duquesne, a season-high for a Fordham opponent.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams return to action by hosting the Davidson College Wildcats for an Atlantic 10 game in the historic Rose Hill Gym on Tuesday, February 12, at 7:00 p.m.

• It will be the will be the eighth meeting between Fordham and Davidson on the hardwood.

• The Wildcats, who took the first two meetings, lead the all-time series, 5-2.

• Davidson took both of last year's meetings, 75-45, on January 14 in the Rose Hill Gym as Jon Axel Gudmundsson scored 18 points and Kellan Grady added 14, and 76-52, on February 21 at Davidson as Grady netted 28 points.