Men’s Basketball Suffers Worst Loss of Season to Davidson

In+an+incredibly+frustrating+loss+to+Davidson%2C+Fordham+men%27s+basketball+has+perhaps+reached+a+tipping+point.+%28Courtesy+of+Fordham+Athletics%29

In an incredibly frustrating loss to Davidson, Fordham men's basketball has perhaps reached a tipping point. (Courtesy of Fordham Athletics)

Andrew Posadas, Manging Editor

For a majority of the season, Fordham Men’s Basketball has been able to hang its hat on a steadfast defense, but Davidson College was able to take full advantage of head coach Jeff Neubauer on Tuesday evening. The Wildcats were able to knock down 18 three-pointers in front of its fans at Belk Arena on its way to easily defeating the Rams 79-49.

Fordham came into Tuesday’s game with Davidson sporting a 1-9 record in the A-10, leaving them in sole possession of 13th place after a loss to the University of Richmond over the weekend. The lack of consistency on offense continues to haunt coach Neubauer’s squad, with the Rams last among A-10 teams in scoring. The question surrounding this team lies in whether they can get to 60 points on a nightly basis to stay competitive throughout conference play.

What has not been questioned about Fordham is the effort put forth by its defense. Many wondered whether the defense would translate into A-10 play, considering that the conference is filled with dynamic offenses capable of lighting up the scoreboard at any time. Despite the staunch competition, the Rams defense entered this week first in scoring defense, giving up just 61 points a game.

Unfortunately, Fordham ran into the proverbial buzzsaw against head coach Bob Mckillop’s team, who boast two first-team A-10 guards in Jon Axel Gudmundsson and Kellen Grady. The Wildcats made their presence felt immediately, jumping out to a 24-9 lead in the first half. Powered by a 21-5 run, Davidson did most of its damage from beyond the arc, netting 11 three-pointers through 20 minutes of regulation.

As for the Rams, the offensive ineptitude reared its ugly head once again. At one point, Fordham was 1-of-13 shooting from the field on its way to scoring only 20 points for the entire first half. The Rams were outscored 31-7 in the final 13 minutes of the first half, with Fordham needing nearly 15 minutes of regulation to break double-digits on the scoreboard. Davidson thoroughly dominated Fordham, taking a 45-20 lead at halftime.

Offensive woes continued to plague Fordham into the second half. After shooting 9-of-28 from the field through 20 minutes, the Rams followed it up by going 9-of-27 in the second half. Davidson put its offense on cruise control and at the final buzzer, the Wildcats handed Fordham its worst loss this season, beating the Rams by 30 points.

The loss drops Fordham to 7-16 this season and 1-10 in the A-10. Sophomore guard Chris Austin led the Rams in scoring with 11 points. Freshman center Joel Soriano had an efficient night, netting nine points and grabbing nine rebounds. Captain and senior guard Antwon Portley struggled from the field, scoring just eight points on 2-of-8 shooting.

Fordham Men’s Basketball continues Atlantic 10 play this Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m., welcoming Duquesne University to the historic Rose Hill Gymnasium. The game can be heard on WFUV 90.7 FM and seen exclusively on ESPN+.