Men’s Basketball Knocks Off Rhode Island, 74-71

Bronx, N.Y. – Forty six years ago today the movie Slap Shot was released and the world was introduced to the Hanson Brothers (no, not the American pop band) and the idea of "putting on the foil" before a game. The Fordham University men's basketball team put the foil on today as the Rams battled the University of Rhode Island Rams before taking a hard-fought 74-71 win in an Atlantic 10 game before a sold out crowd in the Rose Hill Gym.
 
With the win, Fordham improves to 23-6 overall, 11-5 in the Atlantic 10, while Rhode Island falls to 8-20 overall, 4-12 in the conference. The eleven A-10 wins are the most for Fordham since it joined the conference in 1995.
 
Part of the sold out crowd was members of the 1970-1971 Fordham team, a squad that was led by Digger Phelps and finished the season 26-3. Charlie Yelverton, a leader of that 1970-1971 team, was further honored as his number 34 was officially retired at halftime.
 
Three Fordham players scored 14 points today, led by senior center Rostyslav Novitskyi who added six rebounds and three blocks, while grad student guard Darius Quisenberry and grad student forward Khalid Moore and netted 14 for Fordham. Junior center Abdou Tsimbila finished with eight points and seven rebounds.
 
Fordham led by one at the break, 36-35, thanks to a Quisenberry three just before the buzzer. Fordham then opened the second half with six straight points to take its biggest lead of the game, 42-35, on a Will Richardson three 35 seconds into the half.
 
Fordham led by seven again twice later in the half, the final time at 73-66, on a pair of Abdou Tsimbila free throws with 18 seconds left.
 
After Rhode Island cut the Fordham lead to four, Quisenberry hit one of two free throws to make it a 74-69 game with ten seconds on the clock.
 
After a Sebastian Thomas layup six seconds later made it a three-point game, and on the ensuing inbounds play Fordham was called for a turnover. Rhode Island had one last chance to send it to overtime but an Ishmael Leggett shot just before the buzzer bounced out.
 
Takeaways
• Abdou Tsimbila, the Atlantic 10's leading shot blocker, rejected two shots and has now recorded at least one block in 24 of the 29 games this year.
 
• Kyle Rose, who entered the game third in the Atlantic 10 in steals, recorded three today to bring his season total to 55.
 
• Rostyslav Novitskyi netted double figures for the first time since the George Washington game on January 28.
 
• Novitskyi is now shooting .605 (69-114) from inside the arc this year.
 
• Fordham outrebounded Rhode Island, 41-33, including a season-high 17 offensive rebounds, and are now 16-2 this year when outrebounding an opponent.
 
• Fordham used its fourth different starting lineup this year.
 
• Head coach Keith Urgo's 23 wins are the second most for a first-year coach at Fordham, second only to Digger Phelps who won 26 in 1970-1971.
 
• The Rams have won ten of their last 12 games.
 
• It was the fifth straight sell out for Fordham in the Rose Thrill Gym.
 
• The 23 wins are the most for the Rams since the 1990-1991 team won 25.
 
By the Numbers
8 – Rebounds by Kyle Rose, a career-high (previous high was six which he accomplished twice).
 
11 – Atlantic 10 wins for the Rams, the most A-10 wins in a season for Fordham (previous high was ten by the 2006-2007 squad).
 
+17 – Rostyslav Novitskyi's +/- for the game.
 
32 – Career double-figure scoring games for Khalid Moore.
 
55 – Blocks this season by Abdou Tsimbila.
 
109 – Career double figure scoring games for Darius Quisenberry.
 
683 – All-time wins in the Rose Hill Gym for the Rams.
 
924 – Career points for Khalid Moore.
 
1,577 – All-time wins for Fordham.
 
2,113 – Career points for Darius Quisenberry
 
What's Next?
• The Rams continue the 2022-2023 Atlantic 10 season by traveling to Fairfax, Va., to face the George Mason University Patriots on Wednesday, March 1, at 7:00 p.m.
 
• It will be the 15th meeting between Fordham and George Mason on the hardwood.
 
• The Rams lead the all-time series, 10-4, taking both of last year's meetings.
 
• Fordham took the first meeting last year, 50-47, on February 20 in the Rose Hill Gym behind 17 points and 12 boards from Chuba Ohams, and the second meeting, 54-49, in the second round of the Atlantic 10 Championship in Washington, D.C., as Ohams scored 20 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.