Gallery: (1-5-2021) Men's Basketball vs. Dayton
Bronx, N.Y. – Fifty years ago today, the Harlem Globetrotters lost to the Washington Generals, snapping a 2,495-game winning streak. Fordham's men's basketball's losing streak against Dayton wasn't quite as long as the Generals', but it has been 15 years (16 games) since the Rams knocked off the Flyers. That all changed tonight as
Chris Austin hit a three-pointer with 18 seconds left to lead Fordham to a 55-54 win in the Rose Hill Gym.
With the win, Fordham improves to 1-2 on the year, 1-2 in the Atlantic 10, while Dayton falls to 5-3 overall, 1-2 in the conference.
The three-pointer was Austin's 20th point of the game, a career-high for the sophomore. He was joined in double figures for the Rams by sophomore
Kyle Rose, who netted eleven, also a career-high.
The Rams led by five, 50-45, with 5:40 remaining, tying Fordham's largest lead, when Dayton scored five straight points over the next 2:47 as the Flyers knotted the game at 50.
Chris Austin and Joel Soriano celebrate the win
Jalen Crutcher's driving layup gave Dayton a 52-50 lead with 2:09 on the clock and that score would hold until
Josh Navarro tied the game at 52 on a layup with just under a minute left.
An Elijah Weaver layup put the Flyers up two, 54-52, with 35 seconds remaining but the Rams worked the ball around to Austin on the left side and he let go a three in front of the Fordham bench that swished through the net to give the Rams a 55-54 win.
Dayton had one last chance for the win but Ibi Watson's baseline jumper at the buzzer bounced out.
Takeaways
•
Chris Austin shot 5-for-9 from behind the arc and 6-for-10 overall from the field.
• Fordham's leading scorer and rebounder,
Joel Soriano, was limited to 18 minutes due to foul trouble. He scored six points and added three rebounds.
• The Rams held Dayton to shooting 1-12 from behind the arc in the second half and 4-for-23 in the game.
• Fordham held Dayton well below its season scoring average (69.3 ppg).
• Fordham was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
• The last Fordham win in the series occurred almost 16 years ago to the day as the Rams upended Dayton, 66-56, in the Rose Hill Gym on January 4, 2006.
• The 54 points was the lowest scoring output for the Flyers vs. the Rams.
• In what is believed to be a first for a Fordham men's game, a woman served as one of the referees tonight.
By the Numbers
7 – Assists for
Jalen Cobb, a game high and just one shy of Dayton's team total.
7 – Offensive fouls drawn by Fordham, led by four from
Josh Navarro, two from
Chris Austin, and one by
Jalen Cobb,
17.4% - Dayton's three-point field goal percentage in the game (4-23).
20 – Career-high scoring for
Chris Austin (previous high was eleven, which he accomplished twice).
50.0% - Fordham three-point field goal percentage in the game (9-18).
539 – All-time wins for Fordham.
1,654 – All-time wins in the Rose Hill Gym for the Rams.
What's Next?
• The Rams continue their 2020-2021 Atlantic 10 season on Saturday, January 9, as they travel to Pittsburgh to face the Duquesne University Dukes at La Roche University at 1:00 p.m.
• The game will be broadcast on the NBC Sports Network.
• It will be the 43rd meeting between Fordham and Duquesne on the hardwood.
• The Dukes lead the all-time series, which started in the 1949-50 season, 26-16, and took both of last year's meetings.
