Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Buzzer Beater

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Buzzer Beater: Buzzer Beater Gives La Salle a 64-62 Win over Fordham By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 3- The season’s second largest crow...

Buzzer Beater

Buzzer Beater Gives La Salle a 64-62 Win over Fordham

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 3- The season’s second largest crowd (3,017) at Fordham’s Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx left disappointed after Saturday’s contest in which the Fordham Rams (9-18, 2-12) were defeated on a buzzer beating layup by Tareek Duren, which gave the 64-62 victory to the La Salle Explorers (14-14, 6-8).

The disappointment was magnified as it appeared to many of the onlookers that the game was headed to overtime when senior Brandon Frazier blocked Duran’s attempt at a game winning layup. The officials decided the game was not over and resumed play with 0.07 on the clock. Duren was not to be denied as he netted his fourth field goal to win the game. 

La Salle got off early and led 9-0 at 15:43. A free throw by Sam Mills at 12:24 raised the lead to double figures, 14-4, for the first time in the game. At 9:23, a layup by Steve Zack brought the Explorers their largest lead of the game, 21-6. The Rams did not reach double figures until 11 minutes and 30 seconds had elapsed when a basket by Ryan Rhoomes gave them a total of 10 points but they finished the first half by outscoring the visitors 21-9 to cut the deficit to three, 30-27. 

The visitors increased their lead to double figures again (42-32) when Jerrell Wright scored at 15:23 of the second half. A 14-5 scoring run culminated with two free throws netted by Fordham freshman Jon Severe cut the La Salle advantage to a single point with 11:15 remaining. Although the Rams never led, a jumper by Bryan Smith knotted the score at 62 with 35.6 seconds on the clock. 

Frazier’s 23 points and six assists were the high totals for either team. His 1,548 points is ninth in Fordham career scoring and his 476 assists ranks second in team history.

The tie was as close as Fordham was able to get. The loss dropped the Rams to undisputed last place in the Atlantic-10 Conference with two games left to play. Fordham travels to Rhode Island on March 5 and then returns home to host the George Washington Colonials.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Manhattan Jaspers Edge Iona

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Manhattan Jaspers Edge Iona: Manhattan Jaspers Edge Iona in Overtime By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 3- On the last day of February, two elite teams of the Me...

Manhattan Jaspers Edge Iona

Manhattan Jaspers Edge Iona in Overtime

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 3- On the last day of February, two elite teams of the Metropolitan Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), the Manhattan Jaspers (21-7, 14-5) and the Iona Gaels (19-9, 16-3) engaged in a hard-fought and thrilling contest that was not decided until the final seconds of overtime. The game had been tied nine times with the lead changing hands on 13 occasions. The result of this contest at the Draddy Gym in Riverdale was quite different than the first between the two schools this season played on the last day of January that was won by Iona, 85-73. 

The Jaspers took an early 11-6 lead that was followed by 11 unanswered points by the Gaels. With Iona leading, 20-13, the Jaspers’ eight straight points gave them a 21-20 advantage. The lead gravitated back and forth several times until the final four minutes of the first half when Manhattan outscored Iona, 9-2 to end the half ahead by a score of 45-35. That was the only double figure lead of the close contest.

Despite the Manhattan lead, Iona had a higher percentage of success from the floor. This was nullified by the control of the offensive boards by the Jaspers which allotted them nine more shots than Iona. 

An opening 10-3 scoring run by the Gaels in the second half lowered the deficit to three points, 48-45. At 13:49, a basket by junior Emmy Andujar raised Manhattan’s lead to seven, 54-47. The two points broke his career high of 19. The score was tied at 61 with 7:30 remaining. It was knotted three more times in regulation including at 71 when time ran out. 

Andujar’s performance in the five minutes of overtime was crucial to the Manhattan victory. After stealing the basketball, he successfully drove to the basket and was fouled. The three points broke a 73 tie and that lead was never overturned. The visitors had possession with Manhattan leading, 80-77, but did not make the shot. Andujar was the leading scorer of the game with a single game career high of 28.

As it was the final home game of the season, three Manhattan seniors were honored prior to the game. Michael Alvarado suffered an ankle injury after being on court only six minutes. His one assist and three points raised his career totals to 1,374 points and 353 assists. 

George Beamon recorded his fifth double-double (13 points and 11 rebounds). His 1,778 career points ranks fourth in the college’s totals. 

The other senior, Rhamel Brown scored 9, grabbed 9 boards and blocked 4 shots. He ranks second in shots blocked in the NCAA this year and is first as a Jasper with 367. He is eighth at Manhattan with 781 boards and has scored 1,108 points. This is the first time in Manhattan history when each of three seniors have scored more than 1,000 points at the school.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Fordham Women Hoopsters

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Fordham Women Hoopsters: Fordham Women Hoopsters End Home Season with 14 th Victory in 15 Games By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 27- The home e...

Fordham Women Hoopsters

Fordham Women Hoopsters End Home Season with 14^th Victory in 15 Games

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 27- The home environment in the Bronx brings out the best in the Fordham University women’s basketball squad. The 71-52 victory of the Rams (21-7, 10-5) over the George Mason Patriots (7-21, 1-13) ended the regular season home schedule of the Rams with their achieving 14 wins in 15 games. 

For the Patriots, the 2013-14 season, its first as a member of the Atlantic-10 Conference, has been exceptionally lengthy. They have lost all but one of their conference contests and 19 of their last 21 games. 

A basket by Sandra Ngoie, 42 seconds into the game, gave the visitors their first and only advantage of the contest. The Rams netted the next nine points to lead by seven at 16:28. A three by freshman Hannah Missry at 7:50 capped another run of nine unanswered points to raise the Fordham lead to 15 (23-8). Fordham scored the final 11 points of the half to take its largest lead of the game, 38-18.

Fordham was as dominant on the court as the score shows. They sunk half of their field goal attempts (16 of 32) while their able defense held the Patriots to 29.6 percent (8 of 27) shooting from the floor. Erin Rooney, Fordham’s top scorer, was the only player to reach double figures with 13 points.

The second half featured a series of alternating scoring runs. Fordham began the half with four points. George Mason followed with eight unanswered points. A 12-3 run by Fordham resulted in its largest lead of the contest, 24 points (54-30). An 18-6 run by the Patriots cut the deficit to its lowest level in the second half, 12 points (60-48). Fordham closed the contest by scoring 11 of the final 15 points to conclude the game with a 71-52 win.

The Patriots adjusted well to an unfamiliar site, the Rose Hill Gym, in the second half. Their shooting percentage climbed to 57.7 percent (15 for 26) while that of the Rams declined to 39.3 percent (11 for 28). 

Two factors were crucial in the Rams’ maintaining their lead. In the second half, they controlled the boards, 18-10. They were especially effective on the offensive end with eight rebounds to one for the visitors, which led to 13 second chance points to only two for the Patriots. 

Another critical difference between the two teams was success in accuracy from beyond the arc. Fordham sunk four 3’s in each half, but the Patriots were unsuccessful in their seven attempts.

Rooney was the only player with double digit scoring in the second half and ended the contest with 24 points and an impressive nine assists. She needs only three points to reach 1,000 in her two seasons at Fordham. Emily Tapio scored 16, her sixth straight game in double figures. Samantha Clark was one point short of achieving a double-double (10 rebounds and 9 points).

The Rams travel to Philadelphia on March 2 to face St. Joe’s in their final regular season contest.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Romeo Santos to Play Yankee Stadium

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Romeo Santos to Play Yankee Stadium: Romeo Santos to Play Yankee Stadium Bronx Native Santos to Perform First Latin Music Concert at Stadium  By Howard Goldin Yankee Stadium...