Pittsburgh, Pa. – Wilhelm Emmanuel von Ketteler, who was the Bishop of Mainz, Germany, and Mother Marie de la Roche founded La Roche University, the site of today's Fordham-Duquesne Atlantic 10 men's basketball game. Each year in Mainz, "Workers' Day" is celebrated in honor of the Bishop. Today the Rams honored the Bishop by working tirelessly on the defensive end but came up just short on the offensive side as the Rams fell to the Dukes, 48-45, in the Kerr Fitness Center.
With the loss, Fordham falls to 1-3 on the year, 1-3 in the Atlantic 10, while Duquesne improves to 3-3 overall, 2-2 in the conference.
For the second straight game, sophomore guard
Chris Austin led the Rams with a game-high 17 points while sophomore forward
Joel Soriano was just shy of a double-double with eight points and ten rebounds.
The Rams led by four, 40-36, following an Austin free throw with 5:46 remaining but Duquesne scored the next eight points to take a 44-40 lead with 3:02 left.
A
Jalen Cobb basket made it a two-point game with 1:40 on the clock but the Dukes took advantage of a Fordham turnover to score a three and take a five-point lead, 47-42, with 28 ticks remaining.
Takeaways
Onyi Eyisi
• The Rams started
Joel Soriano and
Onyi Eyisi to try to defend Duquesne's two bigs (Marcus Weathers and Michael Hughes).
• Fordham held Weathers in check; limiting him to four points and four rebounds (he entered the game averaging 15.0 ppg and 6.6 rpg).
• The Rams held Duquesne to more than 20 points under its season average (the Dukes were averaging 68.6 ppg).
• Freshman guard
Yame Butler scored his first collegiate points on a pair of free throws in the first half.
• Fordham senior guard
Josh Navarro was held scoreless for the first time this year.
• Fordham committed just one more turnover than Duquesne (15-14) but the Dukes took better advantage of the miscues, outscoring the Rams 19-9 off turnovers.
• Duquesne had just one player finish in double figures (Tavian Dunn-Martin with eleven) but had nine different players score.
• The game was played at La Roche University since construction on Duquesne's UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse has been slowed by COVID.
By the Numbers
4.0 – Average scoring margin of the past five games between Fordham and Duquesne (3.3 over the past three games).
4 – Steals for
Jalen Cobb, tying his career-high.
5 – Assists for
Josh Navarro, a game-high.
7 – Steals recorded by Fordham.
8 – Biggest lead for each team (Fordham's was at 10-2 early in the game).
9 – Rebounds for
Onyi Eyisi, a season-high.
13 – Offensive rebounds for Fordham, a season-high.
20.0% - Duquesne's three-point shooting percentage (5-25).
18.5 – Scoring average for
Chris Austin over the past two games.
What's Next?
• The Rams continue their 2020-2021 Atlantic 10 season on Wednesday, January 13, as they host the St. Bonaventure University Bonnies in the historic Rose Hill Gym at 2:00 p.m.
• It will be the 45th meeting between Fordham and St. Bonaventure on the hardwood.
• The Bonnies lead the all-time series, which started in the 1955-56 season, 29-15 (two St. Bonaventure wins in 2002-03 were later forfeited for use of an ineligible player).
• Today's Bonnies game with George Washington was postponed due to a positive COVID test result from a member of the Colonials program.
