DAVIDSON, N.C. – On what would have been Thomas Alva Edison's 176
th birthday, the Fordham University men's basketball squad is living proof of his quote "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration." Only maybe you can add blood with the perspiration, as Fordham junior forward
Abdou Tsimbila left some of his hemoglobin on the court at Belk Arena and the Rams won their 20
th game of the year with a 73-71 Atlantic 10 victory over Davidson College.
With the win, Fordham improves to 20-5 overall, 8-4 in the Atlantic 10, and breaks a 12-game losing streak to the Wildcats, while Davidson falls to 11-13 overall, 4-8 in the conference.
Grad student forward
Khalid Moore led the Rams with 22 points and nine rebounds, shooting 8-for-12 from the field, including 16 in a second half that saw him hit four 3-pointers. Fellow grad student guard
Darius Quisenberry added 21 for the Rams.
The Rams led the entire second half, building as much as a 12-point lead, 59-47, following a Moore layup with 9:10 remaining.
The Wildcats then scored 11 unanswered points to make it a one-point game, 59-58, with 6:08 on the clock.
A Moore 3-pointer 19 seconds later gave the Rams some breathing room but the Wildcats wouldn't go away, pulling to within two three times over the next five minutes, the final time at 68-66 with a minute left.
But an
Antrell Charlton midrange jumper and a free throw from Tsimbila gave the Rams enough cushion to hold on for the win.
The Rams led by seven at the half, 33-26. It marked just the second time in their eight Atlantic 10 wins that the Rams held an advantage at the intermission.
The first half was a low scoring stanza, as neither team led by more than four before the Rams used a late 12-2 run to turn a 22-18 deficit into a 30-24 lead on a
Romad Dean free throw with a minute left.
Takeaways
• The 8-4 start to the Atlantic 10 season is the best ever for the Rams.
• The game was much different offensively from the first meeting between the two teams, a 57-43, Davidson win.
• Fordham held Davidson to just six field goals in the first half (the Wildcats scored 13 points from field goals and 13 from free throws in the half).
• The Rams won despite being outscored 28-10 from free throw line.
• It was the fourth straight game that Fordham played before a sold-out crowd (Fordham's next game vs. St. Bonaventure in the Rose Thrill Gym on Wednesday is already sold out).
• Davidson held a special ceremony following the game to honor long time head coach Bob McKillop, who retired last year after 33 years as head coach of the Wildcats.
By the Numbers
8- Career 20-point games for Khalid More.
9- Rebounds for
Abdou Tsimbila, five of which came on the offensive glass.
11- 3-pointers made by the Rams, seven of which came in the second half. Fordham fell one shy of its season-high (12) set against CCSU on Dec. 11.
12 – Game losing streak against Davidson snapped by the Rams.
16- Free throws taken by the Rams and Davidson guard Foster Loyer.
6- Turnovers committed by the Rams, a season-low.
20 – Wins for head coach
Keith Urgo, the second most for a first-year Fordham head coach (school record is 26 by Digger Phelps in 1970-1971).
29 - Career 20-point games for
Darius Quisenberry.
70 – Steals recorded by the Rams over the past seven games.
105 – Career double digit scoring games for
Darius Quisenberry.
897 – Career points for
Khalid Moore.
2,043 – Career points for
Darius Quisenberry.
What's Next?
• The Rams continue the 2022-2023 Atlantic 10 season by hosting the St. Bonaventure University Bonnies in the historic Rose Hill Gym on Wednesday, February 15, at 7:00 p.m.
• It will be the 48th meeting between Fordham and St. Bonaventure on the hardwood.
• The Bonnies lead the all-time series, which started in the 1955-56 season, 31-16 (two St. Bonaventure wins in 2002-03 were later forfeited for use of an ineligible player).
• Fordham took this year's first meeting, 79-68, in the Reilly Center on January 25 behind 19 points from
Khalid Moore and 17 from
Darius Quisenberry.
• The win snapped an 11-game Bonnies winning streak in the all-time series.
