Philadelphia, Pa. - To quote St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, which is appropriate for today is game between two Jesuit institutions, "He who is not getting better is getting worse." The good news for the Fordham men's basketball team is that they got better in the second half of today's game with Saint Joseph's University. However, despite a career-high 31 points from senior guard
Kyle Rose, Fordham could not overcome a slow first half as the Rams fell to the Hawks, 82-69, in an Atlantic 10 game in Hagan Arena.
With the loss, Fordham falls to 12-17 overall, 6-10 in the Atlantic 10, while Saint Joseph's improves to 18-11 overall, 8-8 in the conference.
Rose shot a sizzling 7-for-11 from behind the arc in the game for his 31 points, and he added six rebounds and one steal, while senior forward
Abdou Tsimbila added ten points and four rebounds for the Rams.
The Rams trailed by 17 at the half, 46-29, but opened the second half with a 9-1 spurt to cut the deficit to nine, 47-38, on a Rose three 2:24 into the half.
Later in the period, an
Antrell Charlton jumper made it an eight-point game, 50-42, with 14:49 left and a pair of Rose technical free throws a minute later cut it to seven 54-47. But the Hawks quickly got their lead back to double figures, 60-46, over the next two minutes and the closest the Rams would get from that point was eleven, 64-53, on an
Elijah Gray jumper with 7:54 remaining.
The Hawks jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead just over two minutes into the game before a pair of Rose baskets made it a 10-4 game.
Saint Joseph's responded with an 11-2 run to take a 21-6 lead with 10:38 remaining in the half.
A Rose layup 32 seconds later pulled Fordham within 13, 21-8, but the Hawks then used a 14-4 spurt to take a commanding 35-12 lead with 6:17 left.
The Rams managed to get the Hawks' lead down to 14, 41-27, following a
Japhet Medor free throw with just under two minutes on the clock before the Hawks outscored the Rams 5-2 over the final two minutes to take a 46-29 lead at the break.
Takeaways
•
Kyle Rose, who had one steals today, entered the game second in the A-10 in steals (2.1/game).
•
Kyle Rose has scored in double figures in five of his past six games and seven of his last nine.
•
Kyle Rose is averaging 14.6 ppg and 5.5 rpg in Atlantic 10 play.
•
Abdou Tsimbila did not record a block for only the third time in 28 games this year.
• Tsimbila entered the game second in the Atlantic 10 in blocks (2.4/game).
•
Antrell Charlton has 45 assists and only 19 turnovers over the past 13 games.
• Fordham's
Kyle Rose and Saint Joseph's Cameron Brown were teammates at Eleanor Roosevelt High School on Maryland.
• Fordham recorded double figures in offensive rebounds for the fifth straight game and the 24th time in 29 games this year.
• The Rams held to the Hawks to just one field goal over the first 6:30 of the second half.
• Saint Joseph's entered the game leading the Atlantic 10 in three-pointers made/game (10.4) and were held to only seven today.
• Saint Joseph's Lynn Greer II is the son of Lynn Greer who led Temple to ten straight wins over the Rams from 1997-2002.
• The Fordham managers defeated the #18 Saint Joseph's managers on Friday night.
By the Numbers
7 - Three-pointers made by
Kyle Rose, tying his career-best.
12- Rebounds by
Romad Dean, a career-high (previous high was eight vs. Duquesne).
31 – Points for
Kyle Rose, a career-high (previous high was 26 at Saint Louis).
37 – Career double figure scoring games for
Kyle Rose.
92 - Career starts by
Kyle Rose
131 - Consecutive games played by
Kyle Rose
138 – Career games played by
Kyle Rose, a school record.
180 – Career three-pointers made by
Kyle Rose, seventh all-time for the Rams.
209 – Career steals for
Kyle Rose, sixth on the Fordham career list.
What's Next?
• The Rams continue the 2024 Atlantic 10 season by traveling to Amherst, Mass., the University of Massachusetts Minutemen in the Mullins Center on Wednesday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m.
• It will be the 53rd meeting between Fordham and Massachusetts on the hardwood.
• The Minutemen lead the all-time series, which started in the 1967-68 season, 33-19, but the Rams have won two of the past meetings.
• Fordham won last year's meeting, 77-67, on February 8 in the Rose Hill Gym as
Darius Quisenberry scored 21 points and
Khalid Moore added 19 and seven rebounds.
