The atmosphere at the Rose Hill Gym Saturday evening was the way it should be every game, and Fordham gave the sell-out crowd many reasons to cheer. But they couldn't finish off the upset of #11 Butler at home, losing 68-63. Fordham has now lost six straight contests, and this once certainly bites.
Brad Johansen, a national basketball broadcaster for CBSSports Network and the voice of the Xavier Musketeers on Fox Sports Ohio was at the Cintas Center on Wednesday to see his Musketeers take on Fordham. He may have been at the arena to watch Xavier, but surely he was also scouting the Rams before he commentates the Fordham v. Butler clash on Saturday afternoon in the Rose Hill Gym.
Xavier’s home court advantage is well documented – they are 51-1 against Atlantic 10 opponents in the Cintas Center since 2007. That home court advantage was significant tonight as the Musketeers used a strong second half run, fueled by a near sellout crowd, to finish off Fordham. Mandell Thomas dropped a career high 23 points, but the Rams (6-19, 2-8 A10) fell to Xavier (14-9, 7-3 A10) in Cincinnati, 79-66.
Prior to Sunday’s matchup against #18 Dayton, the Fordham Rams Women’s Basketball program had never beaten a top 25 opponent. The Rams remained winless against nationally ranked opponents with a tough 68-57 loss. Despite only trailing by 3 points at the half, the Maroon and White just didn’t have enough to take the next step in the Atlantic 10.
Tom Pecora tried to change things up by inserting Jermaine Meyers and Ryan Rhoomes into the starting lineup, but it wasn't too effective. The La Salle Explorers jumped out to an early 10-0 lead and never looked back, crushing the Rams 89-53.
The Fordham Rams are getting into the home stretch of their regular season. With less than ten games remaining on the schedule, the Rams must battle to make the Atlantic 10 tournament. On Saturday morning, Mack Rosenberg and I sat down with Rams’ Head Coach Tom Pecora.
The Celtics and Lakers are among two of the most respected, storied, and successful franchises in professional sports. The National Basketball Association’s two hallmark franchises combine for a total of 52 Finals appearances and 33 Larry O’Brien Trophies.
WFUV Beat Reporters Eric Mollo, Mike Watts, and Kenny Ducey broke down the Giants, Rangers, and Nets respectively before Fordham's game at La Salle Saturday. Click below to hear reaction to Ahmad Bradshaw's release, how the Rangers can return to the top of the East, and what is hurting the Nets so badly.
Entering Wednesday night’s contest with Saint Louis, Fordham had a respectable home record of 4-3 compared to a dismal 0-11 mark in true road games. Many fans probably hoped the home court advantage would aid the Rams against Saint Louis, but that was not the case. The Billikens demolished Fordham 90-73 in a game that they controlled from start to finish.
It has been 18 years since the Fordham Rams Women’s Basketball program had a winning season. Sunday’s 30-point victory over VCU guaranteed that the Maroon and White will be over .500 for the first time since the 1994-1995 season. Fordham now has five wins in the Atlantic 10, matching the most that any Rams team has ever had in conference play. This is just one of the many reasons why second year coach Stephanie Gaitley is smiling about her team.
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