After a 2-1 performance in the Northern Classic over Thanksgiving Break, the Fordham Rams returned to Rose Hill Gym on Saturday to take on the Holy Cross Crusaders. Despite a strong offensive start for the Rams, defensive miscues and a 1-6 performance in the final 5 minutes caused Fordham to lose control of a 12-point lead en route to a 70-69 loss. As Holy Cross made their comeback, several mistakes that have plagued the Rams this season reared their heads.
“That was a game that [was] there for us to win,” coach Magpayo said after the game. “I just thought we took our foot off the gas pedal and didn’t stay aggressive. [didn’t] have that mentality all the way through, and put them on the foul line.
When the game started, Fordham immediately established a strong defensive presence inside the arc. Holy Cross didn’t score a bucket in the 2-point series until the 1:55 mark of the first half on a floater by Chuck Hare. Rikus Schulte led the way in that defensive effort, regularly cutting away inside passes to force the ball away from Holy Cross. Schulte would finish the game with 5 steals to Fordham’s 8 total, but Fordham’s inability to capitalize on takeaways was an immediate problem that kept this game close. Overall, Fordham scored just 10 points on 21 Holy Cross turnovers, their worst performance in that regard this season (0.47 points per turnover).
Offensively, Fordham did an excellent job of keeping pace with an early three-point barrage from the Crusaders, outshooting Holy Cross 54% to 43% from deep into the half. Marcus Greene showed a hot hand early, going 3-4 deep in the half for 9 points and giving Fordham their first double-digit lead with a big bucket. After sprinting to the left corner and catching a Dey-Dey Reaves punt, Greene planted his feet, jabbed one shot at Tyler Boston and made a stop to put the Rams up 33-23 with 1:40 to play in the half.
Fordham went into the break up 37-28. As the second half began, two jumpers from Reaves and a three-pointer from Christian Henry put the Rams up 44-30. Henry, Schulte and Reaves would all score in double figures, with 18, 16 and 12 points respectively. Fordham’s lead would hover around 10 points until Boston hit a left three right in front of the under-8. With a 58-49 lead coming out of the timeout, several defensive cracks from previous games reopened for the Rams.
Last week, Coach Magpayo described how Fordham lost its lead late against Franklin Pierce and escaped with a win of just two points over the Ravens. At the under-4 timeout against Holy Cross, Fordham led 67-55. When the Crusaders tied the game at 68 with 47 seconds to play, Fordham’s defensive mistakes felt all too familiar.
“That’s what I thought [were] a couple of guys who let the rope go a little bit, lost the edge a little bit, and it bit us in the ass,” Magpayo said. “It’s exactly what happened in game one in Montreal. That was the message [to not let go of the rope]and we have to learn from it now and grow from it now.”
Much of Holy Cross’ pressure in the second half came on the line. After going just 2-5 from the line in the first half, the Crusaders made 15 of 19 FTs in the second.
With 14 seconds left in the game, Rikus Schulte hit one of two shots on the line, putting Fordham up 69-68. On the ensuing Holy Cross possession, Boston drove in from the arc before kicking to Gabe Warren at the top of the key. Warren’s 3-pointer clanged off the rim and bounced to his left, but Joe Nugent collected the rebound and was fouled on a putback attempt with 2.7 seconds left. Nugent hit both free throws to give the Crusaders a 70-69 lead. Fordham rushed the court for a last-second shot, but a deep three from Reaves missed off the backboard, clinching the Crusaders’ victory.
“The bottom line is we’re not talented enough to not be locked in every possession,” Magpayo said. “We have to focus on preparation and the way we approach things [when prepared] That’s why we’re successful.”
Fordham returns to action at home against FDU on Wednesday.
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