There are not many easy wins at the collegiate level, and Fordham Men’s Basketball’s first win of the season was anything but a cakewalk.
The Rams defeated the Wagner College Seahawks 68-64 in overtime on Monday night in front of a rowdy Rose Hill crowd. After being initially stunned by a talented Seahawk squad and trailing by as many as nine points, the boys from the Bronx were able to battle back thanks to some timely shots and a few unsung heroes.
Head coach Donald Copeland’s Wagner team did not seem intimidated by a raucous home crowd. Once they settled into their gameplan, the Seahawks’ collection of transfers and relative unknowns showed a level of unexpected maturity that almost won the day.
“I want to just let Coach Copeland know I thought his team came in and absolutely played as hard as any team that I think we’ve played in this building over the course of the last two years,” Fordham head coach Keith Urgo said after the game. “He had his guys prepared and ready and quite honestly they punched us in the mouth and kept punching us all game long.”
Rochester native and former Monroe College standout Melvin Council Jr. led the charge with an impressive debut performance. He tallied a game-high 21 points on a more than respectable 8-16 clip from the field. His size and athleticism gave Fordham fits on all three levels. Fellow transfer Tyje Kelton also made the most of his first game as a Seahawk. The junior put up a double-double thanks to 17 points and 13 boards, and shot a highly efficient 3-4 from range.
The Rams stayed competitive in the first half with a solid showing from Romad Dean. He put up eight points in the first act, and kept Fordham afloat against a Wagner team that led 31-23 heading into the break. On a defensive level, Dean was critical to the effort to slow down Council Jr. and Kelton, as well as guard Rahmir Moore and forward Rob Taylor II.
The Rams flipped the script in the second half and began to play a more inspired brand of basketball. After shooting 34.5% from the field in the first half, Fordham improved to a 53.8% mark in the second half.
Senior Jahpet Medor collected 12 points in the second half, and would go on to tally 17 on the night. The Florida native also recorded a team-high six assists while serving as a needed facilitator in what was a flashy Fordham debut.
“The coaches are hard on us,” said Medor. “We do this every day at practice. We get to our spots, and we try to feed off of each other.”
Also key to the Rams’ second half comeback was the play of both sophomores Joshua Rivera and Elijah Gray. Each played a pivotal role on both ends of the court. Rivera impressed with 10 points and five rebounds on the night. As for Gray, he played arguably the best game of his young collegiate career. The sophomore posted 16 points and six rebounds while showcasing his ability to be a dual threat.
“I definitely got more into a rhythm,” Gray said of his second half performance. “I feel like I started off pretty slow. I was bad on defense early, but I feel like in the second half, when we went to the locker room, my teammates picked me up. They gave me the boost I needed.”
Gray’s biggest make of the game came with 1:08 on the clock when he drained a three-pointer to give Fordham a 57-54 edge. A Medor triple later gave the Rams a 60-56 lead with 31 seconds left in regulation.
Wagner continued to battle. Kelton laid in a second-chance bucket to trim the Fordham lead to two points. After senior Antrell Charlton missed the front end of a one-and-one with nine seconds left, Moore took the ball and drove to the bucket. Goaltending was called on Fordham on Moore’s shot attempt with only 0.7 on the clock, forcing overtime.
Seniors Kyle Rose and Charlton only combined for two points on the night, but their defensive presence and leadership allowed Fordham to withstand multiple storms throughout the contest. The overtime period was no different. The two veterans could be seen speaking to teammates and offering various pearls of wisdom.
Fordham outscored Wagner 8-4 in the five minutes of extra time. A Medor three-point ball gave the Rams a 68-62 lead with 42 seconds remaining, enough of a cushion to stave off Wagner from there.
Fordham is now 1-0 on the year after the dicey victory. Wagner nearly played spoiler by beating the Rams at their own energetic game. The Seahawks collected more rebounds and shot a better percentage from the free-throw line, but couldn’t fully contain their opposition’s resilience.
“This team loves to compete,” Medor said. “When our backs are against the wall, we’re going to compete… Our backs were against the wall, and we did what we had to do to come out with the win.”
Regardless of the fact that their home opener was not a pretty affair, Urgo’s team once again demonstrated a capacity to fight the good fight. Such a skill will serve them well this season, which continues on Nov. 11 when Cornell University comes to the Bronx for a matinee showdown.
