Philadelphia, Pa. – A person born on Leap Day is known as a leapling. One of the more famous leaplings is Italian composer
Gioachino Antonio
Rossini who once said "One can't judge Wagner's opera Lohengrin after a first hearing, and I certainly don't intend to hear it a second time." The Fordham men's basketball team certainly won't want to see its Atlantic 10 game today at Saint Joseph's a second time as the Rams suffered a cold spell in the second half but battled to the end before falling to the Hawks, 73-69, in Hagan Arena.
With the loss, Fordham falls to 7-21 on the year, 1-15 in the Atlantic 10, while Saint Joseph's improves to 6-23, 2-14 in the conference.
Fordham was led by junior guard
Josh Colon, who scored a season-high 17 points, seven of those coming in the final ten seconds, while senior guard
Antwon Portley added 13 points and freshman forward
Joel Soriano recorded his third straight double-double with 12 points and eleven rebounds.
The Rams led by one at the break, 32-31, and held a 39-36 advantage following a Portley basket with 14:32 left. But Saint Joseph's went on a 17-0 run to take a 53-39 lead midway through the half.
Fordham was down by 12 with two minutes remaining,66-54, when the offense got hot and the Rams managed to make it a two-point game, 71-69, on a Colon three with three seconds left. But Rahim Moore hit two free throws with two seconds left to ice the game for Saint Joseph's.
Takeaways
•
Jalen Cobb scored ten points, his first double-figure scoring game over the past six contests.
• The Rams are now 3-3 since 1925 when playing on Leap Day.
• Fordham is now 7-7 when leading at the half.
• The game was part of the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight, a nationwide effort to capitalize on basketball games between Jesuit schools and, through those games, bring greater positive awareness and exposure to Jesuit education and its shared mission.
• The game featured the top defensive scoring team (Fordham) and the 14th (Saint Joseph's) in the Atlantic 10.
• SJU's Ryan Daly entered the game leading the Atlantic 10 in scoring (20.2 ppg) and he scored a game-high 21 today with ten of those from the free throw stripe (he shot 5-for-14 from the field).
• The Hawks did not score a field goal over the final 5:28 of the game (the final 13 Hawk points came from the free throw stripe).
• Saint Joseph's entered the game averaging almost 30 three-point attempts/game and took 35 long-range shots today.
By the Numbers
5 – Charges drawn by the Rams (two each for
Josh Colon and
Erten Gazi).
9.4 – Scoring average for
Joel Soriano over the past eight games.
11.0 – Rebounding average for
Joel Soriano over the past eight games.
12 – Different starting lineups used this year by Fordham.
17 – Points by
Josh Colon, a season-high.
What's Next?
• The Rams continue Atlantic 10 play on Saturday, February 29, as they travel down to Washington, D.C., to face the George Washington University Colonials in the Smith Center on Wednesday, March 4 at 7:00 p.m.
• It will be the 37th meeting between Fordham and George Washington on the hardwood.
• The Colonials lead the all-time series, which started in the 1914-15 season, 28-8.
• The Rams have won the past two meetings, including a 59-54 win in the Rose Hill Gym on January 22 as
Jalen Cobb scored a game-high 22 points and
Ty Perry added 13.
