Estero, Fla. – Most people take a trip to Florida to relax and unwind. Not so for the Fordham men's basketball team who wrapped up play today at the 2021 Gulf Coast Showcase with its third game in three days. The Rams needed all 40 minutes tonight, mounting a second half comeback to defeat Rice University, 84-74, in the third place game in the Hertz Arena.
With the win, Fordham improves to 4-3 on the year while Rice falls to 4-3.
Graduate student guard
Darius Quisenberry led all Fordham scorers with 24 points while junior guard
Antonio Daye, Jr. added 20 points and four assists. Joining them in double figures was sophomore guard
Antrell Charlton with 18, and he pulled down 12 rebounds, and graduate student forward
Chuba Ohams who netted eleven to go with seven rebounds and three blocks.
The Rams led by two at the break, 38-36, but Rice took a 58-52 lead with 8:53 remaining. A Quisenberry three started a 12-0 Fordham run as the Rams took a 64-58 lead on a Daye driving layup with 5:31 on the clock.
The Owls managed to get the Fordham lead down to one, 66-65, with 3:47 left but Daye responded with back-to-back driving layups to give the Rams a 70-65 cushion.
Rice made it a three-point game with a pair of free throws with just under two minutes left but a pair of Ohams free throws made it a five-point game and Charlton put the dagger in the Owls with a three with just under a minute remaining to give the Rams a 75-67 lead.
Takeaways
•
Antrell Charlton recorded his first double-double of the year.
•
Darius Quisenberry and
Antonio Daye, Jr. have each scored in double figures in all seven games this year.
• After scoring just one point on Tuesday,
Antrell Charlton scored 18 points, including the first eight Fordham points.
• Fordham outrebounded Rice, 33-31, and have outrebounded its opponent in all seven games this season.
• The Rams won two games in an in-season tournament for the first time since 1987 when Fordham took two games at the Chaminade Invitational.
• Fordham evens the series record with the Owls, 2-2.
• The Owls entered the game 15th in the nation in three-point field goal attempts (163) and 21st in tree-pointers made (58). They attempted 24 tonight, making 12.
• The Rams were familiar with Rice graduate student guard Carl Pierre, who played the past three years at UMass. He led the Owls with 26 points.
By the Numbers
5 – Blocked shots by Fordham, led by three from
Chuba Ohams.
10 – Lead changes in the game.
12 – Rebounds for
Antrell Charlton, a season-high.
+15 – The +/- score for
Darius Quisenberry.
15 – Turnovers by Delaware, the second straight game the Rams forced double digits turnovers.
34 – Points in the paint for Fordham (to 20 for Rice).
46 – Second half points for the Rams, a season-high.
What's Next?
• The Rams return to action on Sunday, November 28, as they travel to New Britain, Connecticut, to face the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils in the Detrick Gym at 1:00 p.m.
• It will be the fourth meeting between Fordham and CCSU on the hardwood.
• The Rams lead the all-time series, 2-1.
• The Rams took the most recent meeting, 83-60, in the Rose Hill Gym on December 21, 2016.
