Bronx, N.Y. – Tonight's Atlantic 10 game between Fordham and George Washington was played during the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Week, where NCAA coaches wear sneakers with their suits during games to raise awareness and help save lives from cancer. In the days leading up to the game, Fordham head coach
Jeff Neubauer asked his players if they wanted to speak to the team about someone they may be playing for who has been affected by cancer. Sophomore guard
Jalen Cobb stepped up and told the team of how he is playing for his mother, a breast cancer survivor. Somewhere in Georgia, Kesia Cobb is smiling as Jalen honored her by scoring a career-high 22 points to lead Fordham to a 59-54 win in the Rose Hill Gym.
With the win, Fordham snaps a five-game losing streak and improves to 7-11 overall, 1-5 in the Atlantic 10, while George Washington falls to 8-11 overall, 2-4 in the conference.
Cobb shot 7-for-13 from the field, including 5-for-7 from behind the arc, and he added six rebounds and three steals. Sophomore guard
Ty Perry chipped in with 13 points for the Rams while sophomore forward
Onyi Eyisi added nine points and eleven rebounds.
Fordham led for most of the game, leading by as many as 14 in the first half, 26-12, on an
Erten Gazi layup with 3:50 remaining.
The Colonials managed to whittle away at the Fordham lead in the second half, getting to within two three times, the final at 44-42, with 5:33 left. A Perry three started a Fordham run to help the Rams get the lead back to double digits, 56-45, with 1:17 remaining.
George Washington wouldn't back down, hitting a three with 26 seconds on the clock to make it a 57-54 game but free throws from
Ivan Raut and
Kyle Rose iced the game for Fordham.
Takeaways
• The game was presented by New York Presbyterian – Lawrence Hospital.
• Freshmen and sophomores accounted for 83.1% of the Fordham offense tonight (49 of 59 points)
•
Erten Gazi returned to action after missing the previous four games with an injury.
•
Antwon Portley dressed for the game but did not see action.
• The Rams have won the past two meetings with the Colonials, both in the Rose Hill Gym.
• George Washington entered the game allowing only 4.6 three-pointers made/game but the Rams connected on nine tonight.
• The Colonials' opponents shot just .285 (82-288) from behind the arc this year but Fordham managed to hit nine of their 20 long-range shots.
• George Washington freshman Jameer Nelson, Jr., is the son of former Saint Joseph's standout Jameer Nelson.
By the Numbers
.409 – Three-point shooting percentage for
Ty Perry this year (25-61).
.450 – Three-point shooting percentage for the Rams (9-20), a season-high.
1 – Lead changes in the game.
7 – Fouls drawn by
Josh Colon.
11 – Rebounds for
Onyi Eyisi, his fourth double-digit rebounding game this year.
+15 – Fordham's scoring differential with
Ty Perry in the game.
20 – First half points by George Washington, a season-low for a Fordham A-10 opponent.
22 – Points by
Jalen Cobb, a career-high (previous high was 21 which he accomplished twice, most recently vs. Coppin State).
38:02 – Length of the game that Fordham held the lead.
What's Next?
• The Rams continue Atlantic 10 play on Sunday, January 26, as they travel to St. Louis, Mo., to face the Saint Louis University Billikens in the Chaifetz Arena at 3:00 p.m. (EST)
• It will be the 16th meeting between Fordham and Saint Louis on the hardwood.
• The Billikens lead the all-time series, which started in 1971-72, 12-3, and have won ten of the last 12 match-ups.
