It’s become tradition that college basketball insider Jon Rothstein tweets the phrase “the epitome of brutality,” signifying that a school has suffered a defeat in a buy game to a thought-to-be inferior opponent.
To the delight of the Fordham University community, Rothstein tweeted that phrase at 2:13 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, mere moments after the final whistle blew on the Fordham Rams’ first win of the season, a thrilling upset over a local high-major foe in the Seton Hall University Pirates.
The heroics of senior guard Jackie Johnson III carried the Rams to victory, as the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, transfer buried a floater at the buzzer, raising his game-high total to 18 points and ensuring a 57-56 Fordham win. “I was so proud of the way we responded after Monday night against Saint John’s [University]. We knew that wasn’t us,” reflected head coach Keith Urgo. “We knew it was gonna be a hostile environment. We gotta continue to learn how to trust one another and I think we took a major step forward with that.”
The Rams trailed by as many as four points in the final 22 seconds. But the lane for an upset reopened when Prince Aligbe fouled junior Will Richardson on a 3-point attempt.
Initially, that may have made fans feel even worse, as Fordham was marred with abysmal free-throw shooting last season, converting at just a 65.1% clip. But Richardson buried all three, cutting the deficit to one with 16 seconds left.
On the ensuing possession, Seton Hall botched a three-on-one in transition, with Dylan Addae-Wusu’s feed ricocheting out of bounds to give the Rams possession with seven seconds left.
Playing in just his second game as a Ram, Johnson III has quickly established himself as the team’s top scorer and go-to offensive playmaker. So it came as no surprise when head coach Urgo placed the ball in his hands for the final shot.
Johnson III delayed along the near sideline as the seconds ticked off, driving left as the clock dipped under three seconds. The 5-foot-11 guard slashed inside and rose up, draining a contested lefty floater that sent the Fordham bench into hysterics.
Urgo raised some eyebrows by opening his 2024-25 campaign with back-to-back Big East opponents — now it’s looking like a pretty savvy move.
The Rams bounced back from a 32-point season-opening defeat against St. John’s the previous Monday and can now lay claim to a victory over a high major opponent.
Now granted, Seton Hall is not the same team that was crowned the champions of the 2024 NIT Tournament just seven months ago. The Pirates have lost their top three scorers from last season and four of their starting five, including First Team All-Conference guard Kadary Richmond.
Seton Hall enters the 2024-25 season picked to finish ninth out of 10 teams in the Big East preseason poll.
But nonetheless, Fordham should feel proud about their hard-earned victory. Beating a high-major opponent is still a big deal, especially for a Rams squad that enters the season ranked second to last in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll.
Johnson III led the offensive attack for the Rams, but Richardson was also integral, nailing a pair of threes to finish second on the team with 11 points. Johnson III won the game for the Rams, but they’re not in that position if Richardson doesn’t draw the foul on a 3-pointer and bury all three free throws.
Another performance that cannot go unnoticed is that of graduate student Abdou Tsimbila, who posted game-highs of 11 rebounds and five blocks. Seton Hall’s entire team had four blocks the entire game.
“He was the reason we won that game,” Urgo noted postgame. “He looked healthy.”
After a shaky season debut against St. John’s, Tsimbila looked markedly more comfortable, playing 28 minutes off the bench and a large chunk of the final stretch. He was limited in preseason camp due to some injury issues, but the 6-foot-9 forward appears to be settling back into form, a game-changer for a Fordham team that needs his size and strength down low.
Tsimbila’s rim protection coupled with 15 turnovers forced by an aggressive Fordham defense proved to be a recipe for success.
Urgo entered the season with the goal of testing his squad out of the gate. His team rewarded him with a hard-fought victory that should serve as a confidence boost for the rest of the season.
“I think we stack up pretty well,” Urgo said following consecutive games against Big East opponents. “I think the A-10 is stacked, itself. I think the Atlantic 10 is as good as any league in the country, I really do. For us, it was a great challenge.”
Fordham will look to take its good mojo into the historic Rose Hill Gym, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this season.
The Rams host Binghamton University on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. before battling Manhattan College on Friday, Nov. 15 in the long-running “Battle of the Bronx.”
