Actor Bill Murray was at Fordham’s basketball game Saturday night. (Sam Joseph/The Ram)

By DAN GARTLAND & CONNOR RYAN
STAFF WRITERS

Fordham-Rhode Island has turned into something of a rivalry in recent years. The teams’ last two meetings in the Bronx were decided by a total of five points.

The “Battle of the Rams” on Saturday night was equally as exciting, with Fordham prevailing 85-79.

Fordham took a one-point lead into the locker room at halftime, before extending its lead in the second half.

“In the second half we were able to keep them off the glass a little bit better,” Fordham head coach Tom Pecora said. “Offensively we got things going. We drove the ball to the basket and made the plays we needed to make.”

Fordham led by 10 with 6:19 remaining, but an 8-0 Rhode Island run over the next three minutes cut the lead to just two. Fordham was able to keep URI at an arm’s length.

“One thing we’ve been good at is closing games out when it’s a tight game in the last few minutes,” Pecora said.

Senior guard Branden Frazier was outstanding. He led all scorers with 27 points, and scored six of Fordham’s final eight points to help seal the win.

“He’s our senior; he’s our leader, so I want the ball in his hands,” Pecora said of Frazier.

Perhaps just as exciting as the action on the court was the fact that famed movie star Bill Murray was in the Rose Hill stands watching the game. Murray — whose new movie The Monuments Men opens on Friday — was at the game to support his son Luke Murray who is an assistant coach for URI.

Murray obliged students’ requests and posed for photos, which swiftly clogged social media feeds around campus.

Correction: An earlier version incorrectly named Bill Murray’s son. He is Luke Murray, not Tim.