By Paul Gotham
BRONX, NY – The first twenty minutes of Monday’s game at Rose Hill Gym looked like an exercise in frustration for the Fordham Rams.
Fordham’s three-point defense ranked 13th in the country at 27.6 percent was awash in treys. Devon Turk led three different Loyola (Ill.) Ramblers who combined to go 6-of-10 before halftime.
What shots the Ramblers didn’t hit – they connected on 16-of-32 in the first 20 – they used to feed their appetite on the boards converting eight offensive rebounds into an 11-6 advantage in second-chance points.
Meanwhile the Rams shot 12-of-34 from the perimeter and a dreadful 4-of-15 behind the arc.
Making matters worse, Mandell Thomas with his 14.3 points and six rebounds sat on the bench injured.
That the Rams trailed by just nine points was the only solace.
The Ramblers seamlessly changed defenses for much of the half keeping Fordham off balance and out of rhythm, but not out of control.
Fordham committed just three turnovers before the break due in large part to the calming presence of Branden Frazier.
“Every time down it seemed like a different defense,” Frazier said. “In the first half I don’t think we were being patient enough and just rushing shots.”
The senior point guard managed to keep the Rams within striking distance by running offense and not allowing the opponent to get easy baskets off turnovers.
With the lead in reach Fordham capitalized after the break when it opened on a 12-2 run to take the lead.
“I could feel the energy the first minute of the second half,” head coach Tom Pecora said. “You saw us come out and just kinda pounce on them.”
Frazier led Ryan Rhoomes for a pair of baskets in transition. Travion Leonard converted a rebound and putback, and Bryan Smith drilled a pair of threes.
“Rhoomes and Trey helped us a lot today by finishing at the rack,” Frazier continued. “That gave us a lot of open shots at the end of the game.”
Smith stretched the Fordham lead to eight at 56-48 before the Ramblers scratched back within three when Christian Thomas scored at the rim.
Frazier had the response.
The Brooklyn native found Rhoomes for two more in the lane. On the defensive end he grabbed a long rebound and went the length of the floor for a layup.
The Rams never looked back. Frazier along with Smith and Jon Severe connected on 14 of 14 free throws in the game’s final 1:21 to seal the 83-69 victory.
“In the second half we took our time getting the right shots, getting into the lane and getting open looks,” Frazier explained. “I think that was the difference. In the first half we were just settling for jump shots.”
Frazier finished with 16 points and nine assists matching his season high. The Rams dished out 18 dimes while committing just six turnovers.
“We only had six turnovers the entire game,” Pecora stated. “That speaks volumes for the job he’s doing now at the point.”
With the win Fordham improves to 7-4 on the season. The victory was the 600th in program history on their home court. The Rams get a couple days off for Christmas before preparing for Harvard. The Crimson come to the Bronx Saturday for a 4 p.m. tipoff.
Paul Gotham is the founder, owner, editor and lead writer at Pickin’ Splinters. Paul is the Communications and Media Director of the New York Collegiate Baseball League. He is a contributor at USA Today and member of the USBWA. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PickinSplinters.
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