Men’s Basketball Comes Up Short vs. Loyola Chicago

Bronx, N.Y. - A little known fact about Edgar Allen Poe, who was born 125 years ago yesterday and lived down the street from Fordham during his later years, is that he complained about street noise while living in New York City. It's a good thing that Poe wasn't in the Rose Hill Gym on Saturday as the energized crowd made plenty of noise but the Rams came up just short despite the din, falling to Loyola University Chicago, 65-61, in an Atlantic 10 game.
 
With the loss, Fordham falls to 8-10 overall, 2-3 in the Atlantic 10, while Loyola Chicago improves to 13-6 overall, 5-1 in the conference.
 
Senior guard Kyle Rose appeared in his 126th career game, tying the Fordham record set by Fred Herzog (1987-92), and matched by Jean Prioleau (1988-92).
 
The Rams were led by sophomore Elijah Gray who scored 15 points while sophomore guard Will Richardson and freshman forward Jahmere Tripp each added eleven (a season-high for Tripp).
 
Fordham led by four at the break, 34-30, but the Ramblers opened the second half with an 11-6 run to take a 41-40 lead 4:49 into the half.
 
Neither team held more than a four point lead over the next ten minutes with the Rams pulling within one, 53-52, on a Gray jumper with 4:20 remaining.
 
Five straight Loyola points over the next minute gave the visitors a six-point lead, 58-52, before a Richardson four point play at the 2:04 mark made it a two-point game, 58-56, but that was as close as Fordham would get.
 
Takeaways
• Fordham was without the services of senior guard Japhet Medor, who suffered an injury in the Davidson game on Wednesday.
 
• Abdou Tsimbila, who blocked one shot today, has blocked at least one shot in 16 of the 17 games he has played in this year.
 
• Will Richardson has scored in double figures in 12 games this year while Elijah Gray has accomplished the feat nine times.
 
• Sophomore forward Romad Dean made his first collegiate start for the Rams.
 
• The Rams grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, the 16th time this year they recorded double figures in offensive rebounds.
 
• The Fordham bench outscored the Loyola bench, 36-22.
 
• It was just the fourth meeting between Fordham and Loyola Chicago and the all-time series is now tied, 2-2.
 
• The Ramblers are in their second year as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
 
• The Rams led by as many as 12 in the first half, 30-18.
 
• The 65 points are the fewest allowed by the Rams in an Atlantic 10 game this year.
 
By the Numbers
4 – Different starting lineups used by the Rams this year.
 
6.1 – Rebounds per game over the past seven games for Kyle Rose.
 
7 – Lead changes in the game.
 
9 – Different players to score for the Rams today.
 
10 – Three-pointers attempted by Loyola, tying a season-low for a Fordham opponent.
 
12.7 – Will Richardson's scoring average of the past seven games.
 
126 – Career games played by Kyle Rose, tying the school record.
 
138 – Career blocks for Abdou Tsimbila, seventh all-time for the Rams.
 
What's Next?
• The Rams continue the 2024 Atlantic 10 season by traveling to Kingston, R.I., to face the University of Rhode Island Rams in the Ryan Center on Wednesday, January 24, at 7:00 p.m.
 
• It will be the 73rd meeting between Fordham and Rhode Island on the hardwood.
 
• Rhode Island leads the all-time series, which started in the 1941-42 season, 41-31.
 
• The two school split a pair of games last year with Rhode Island taking the first meeting, 82-79, in Kingston on January 4 behind 23 points from Malik Martin and 17 from Ishmael Leggett while Darius Quisenberry led all scorers for Fordham with 33, and Fordham winning 74-70 on February 25 in the Rose Hill Gym behind 14 points from Quisenberry, Khalid Moore, and Rostik Novitskyi.