Men's Basketball Knocks Off Rhode Island

Kingston, R.I. – Fordham University is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year while the University of Rhode Island is reveling in its 125th. And tonight the older Rams showed the younger Rams that age is just a number as Fordham defeated Rhode Island, 53-43, in an Atlantic 10 game in the Ryan Center.
 
With the win, Fordham improves to 11-15 overall, 5-8 in the Atlantic 10, while Rhode Island falls to 16-9 overall, 8-5 in the conference. It was Fordham's first win in the Ryan Center in ten years, the last coming on February 24, 2007.
 
Earlier in the day Fordham head coach Jeff Neubauer implored his team to play as hard as they can, especially on the defensive end. His Rams responded tonight in grand fashion, limiting Rhode Island to its lowest point total of the year (previous low was 51 vs. Old Dominion) and holding the home squad to shooting a season-low 30.4 percent (17-56) from the field, including just 10.0 percent from behind the arc (2-20).
 
Fordham, who held Rhode Island to just three points over the final 7:38 of the contest, kept Rhode Island's leading scorer E.C. Matthews, who entered the game averaging over 15 points per game, in check as he scored just two points on 1-for-7 shooting.
 

The Fordham offense was led by graduate student guard Javontae Hawkins, who scored a game-high 20 points to go with nine rebounds, while junior forward Christian Sengfelder recorded his second double-double of the year with 17 points and a season-high 13 rebounds.
 
The game was tied eleven times, the final time at 40 with 7:38 remaining following a Hassan Martin dunk for Rhode Island.
 
Twenty seconds later, Hawkins rebounded a missed Sengfelder three and put it back for a 42-40 Fordham lead, a lead Fordham would not relinquish.
 
The game would remain a 42-40 contest for over three minutes until Chuba Ohams rebounded a Fordham miss and Fordham worked the ball around to Hawkins, who buried a three with 3:51 remaining to make it a five-point game, 45-40.
 
With 2:16 on the clock, Ohams fouled Jared Terrell and Terrell hit one of two free throws as Rhode Island pulled within four, 45-41. Rhode Island grabbed the rebound on the miss of the second free throw but Jeff Dowtin was called for an offensive foul with 2:00 left, the third charge taken by Fordham in the contest, giving the ball back to Fordham.
 
Fordham capitalized on the Rhode Island turnover as Sengfelder nailed a corner three with 1:36 on the clock and Fordham built a 48-41 lead.
 
Terrell was fouled on Rhode Island's ensuing possession and sank both of his charity shots to make it a 48-43 game with 1:27 remaining. But Fordham hit five of its six free throws over the final 1:21, four of those from Joseph Chartouny, to secure the win.
 
Rhode Island opened the game with a 7-3 lead and led by four again later in the half, 21-17, with 3:47 left, but Fordham scored the final eight points of the period, four of those from Hawkins, to take a 25-21 lead into the break.
 
The Rams return to action on Saturday, February 18, as they host the Saint Louis University Billikens in an Atlantic 10 game in the Rose Hill Gym at 2:00 p.m. on Fordham Men's Basketball Alumni Day.
 
Notes
Fordham has won two straight over Rhode Island but the younger Rams still lead the all-time series, 37-28.
 
The game was a sort of Homecoming for Fordham junior guard Will Tavares, who hails from Providence, R.I., and went to high school in Warwick, R.I.
 
Former Ram Luke Devine, who was a member of the 2007 team who last won in the Ryan Center, was in attendance.
 
The Rams won for the first time in eight games this year in which they scored fewer than 59 points.
 
The game was only the fourth this year in which Fordham committed more turnovers than its opponent and the Rams are now 2-2 in such games.
 
Fordham outrebounded Rhode Island, 38-37, and are now 5-1 in games this year in which Fordham outrebounds its opponent.
 
The previous season-low for a Fordham opponent's three-point field goal percentage was 12.5 percent (2-16) by Saint Peter's.
 
Sengfelder's previous season-high in rebounding was 12 at Richmond last month.
 
Hawkins' tied his season-high with eleven free throws made (set against FDU) while he set a new season-high with 12 free throws attempted (previous high was eleven versus FDU and Harvard).
 
Sengfelder hit a pair of three-pointers in the game to bring his career total to 147, the tenth best total in school history.
 
Joseph Chartouny registered one steal tonight to add to his school single season record which now stands at 84.
 
Hawkins and Antwoine Anderson each blocked two shots. Hawkins tied his season-high with the two rejections while Anderson set a season-high.