On Wednesday, Feb. 12, the Fordham University men’s basketball team hosted the University of Dayton Flyers. The Flyers remained in the lead for the majority of the first half, their largest deficit being nine. The Rams chipped away at the lead, and with a layup from junior forward Joshua Rivera, Fordham brought the score to its first tie, 30-30, with 6:23 on the clock. Later in the first, with about two minutes left, the Rams earned a four-point lead, their largest of the half, to bring the score to 45-41. At the break, the score was back to a tie at 48. The Flyers came out strong with a 7-2 run to begin the second; while the Rams persistently crawled back to keep the game close, Dayton often had an explosive response. In the latter half of the second, Dayton went on a significant run, 28-16, to bring the win home. The game ended 93-76.
Dayton’s win advanced them 17-6 overall, 7-5 in the Atlantic 10, while Fordham fell 11-13 overall, 3-8 in the conference. Senior guard Jackie Johnson III scored 24 points for the Rams, while both Rivera and graduate student guard Japhet Medor added 17.
Looking to bounce back, on Saturday, Feb. 15, the Rams traveled to Virginia to play the University of Richmond Spiders and faced a tough battle as the Spiders thrived in their home arena. Fordham began the matchup strong as they opened with an 8-0 run until about four minutes in when the Spiders put their first points on the board. Junior forward Romad Dean limped off the court shortly after and did not return until about halfway through the first. By that time, the Rams still managed to build an 11-point advantage. However, Richmond began to thrive in the paint and Fordham grew to struggle there with missed shots. Richmond scored seven in a row to cut Fordham’s lead to four, 17-13. While Fordham tried to hold onto their lead, in the final seven minutes of the half, the Spiders went on a 12-5 run to earn a one-point lead at the break, 27-26.
Richmond came out strong in the second, starting with a 15-9 run, making the score 42-35 about four minutes in. The Spiders adjusted their game, focusing on driving to the rim, earning them the advantage throughout the half. Once Fordham shifted to a 3-2 zone, Richmond’s game, which gained most of its opportunities from the Ram’s man-to-man defense, was disrupted. However, they continued to hold onto the lead; the Rams trailed by seven a little more than halfway through before going on a 6-0 run to bring it back to a one-point game, 55-54. The Spiders slowly gained back a larger lead, and with 3:46 remaining, they reached their largest lead of the night, an eight-point advantage, 64-58. A Medor jumper made it another one-possession game with 1:50 on the clock, but a blocked layup from Johnson III kept them from a lead. Richmond’s star forward Dusan Neskovic scored two free throws, and Medor hit a 3 to make it 68-66 with 1.1 seconds on the clock. At the line, Neskovic made two again to secure a four-point lead, ending the game 70-66.
Fordham now stands 11-14 overall, 3-9 in the Atlantic 10, and Richmond improved to 9-17 overall, 4-9 in the conference. Medor led the Rams with 24 points, and Johnson III and Rivera followed with 15 and 13.
The Rams look for their next wins this week as they travel for their Wednesday, Feb. 19 matchup against the Duquesne University Dukes, and host the Davidson College Wildcats at home on Saturday, Feb. 22.
