Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham men's basketball squad led tonight's Battle of the Bronx game at Manhattan for over 38 minutes. Unfortunately, it was the final 35 seconds of the game where the Rams did not lead that mattered most as Manhattan hit a three-point with 34 seconds left to break a 58-58 tie and defeat the Rams, 66-60, in the Draddy Gym.
With the loss, Fordham evens its record at 1-1 while Manhattan improves to 2-0.
The loss overshadowed a second straight double-double from graduate student forward
Chuba Ohams, who scored 17 points and added a career-high 18 rebounds. He was joined in double figures by junior guard
Antonio Daye, Jr., who had a game-high 18 points, and graduate student guard
Darius Quisenberry, who finished with 12.
The Rams took a 2-0 lead 42 seconds into the game on an Ohams tip-in, and built the lead to as many as ten three times in the first half, the final time at 29-29, on an Ohams three-point play. But Manhattan closed out the half with an 8-2 run to cut the Fordham lead to four at the break, 31-27.
Fordham got the lead back to ten in the second half, 48-38, with 11:37 remaining but an 11-3 Manhattan run made it a two-point game, 51-49, with seven minutes left.
The Rams held a 58-54 advantage following a Quisenberry floating jumper with 3:25 on the clock but four straight Jasper points knotted the game at 58 with 1:15 left.
Takeaways
• After hitting 12 three-pointers in the season opener against Columbia, the Rams were held to just three tonight.
• The Rams fell despite outshooting the Jaspers, 42.3% to 39.0%.
• Fordham also outrebounded Manhattan, 40-37.
• After hitting 11-of-12 free throws in the first half, the Rams attempted just four free throws in the second half, the last three coming with 18 seconds remaining.
• Last year was the first year that the two teams did not play each other since the 1944-1945 season.
By the Numbers
18 – Rebounds for
Chuba Ohams, a career-high (previous high was 15 in eth opener with Columbia).
113 – Games played between the Rams and the Jaspers, the most against any opponent for Fordham.
What's Next?
• The Rams continue their 2021-2022 season on Monday, November 15, as they host the University of St. Thomas Tommies in the historic Rose Hill Gym at 7:00 p.m.
• It will be the first meeting between Fordham and St. Thomas on the hardwood.
• The Tommies, who compete in the Summit League, are in their first season as a Division I program.
• It will be Fordham's first game against a member of the Summit League.
