Story Links Photo Gallery Next Game: vs. Bryant 12/14/2024 | 2:30 p.m. Dec. 14 (Sat) / 2:30 p.m. vs. Bryant History
Bronx, N.Y. – An adage often heard in Downeast Maine is that an individual who is stingy or economical is “tighter than two coats of paint.” This idiom aptly described the Fordham men’s basketball team’s solid defense during the initial half of today’s match against the University of Maine. The Rams restricted the Black Bears to a mere 28% shooting from the field for the first 20 minutes and managed to weather a second-half surge from Maine to win 87-72 in the iconic Rose Hill Gym.
With this victory, Fordham notches its third consecutive win, elevating their record to 6-5 while Maine also falls to 6-5.
Senior guard Jackie Johnson III and junior forward Romad Dean led the Rams with 16 points each. Johnson contributed with six assists while Dean added five rebounds. Additionally, grad student forwards Abdou Tsimbila, Matt Zona, and junior forward Joshua Rivera each made significant contributions with ten points, while Tsimbila secured eight rebounds and blocked two shots and Rivera achieved a season-high with seven boards.
Fordham’s robust defense propelled them to a 21-6 lead just nine minutes into the game, with Johnson scoring five of those points and Japhet Medor adding four more.
The Rams stretched their lead to a high of 19 in the first half, reaching 33-14 following a Zona layup with 4:22 remaining. However, the Black Bears gradually narrowed the gap, ending the half trailing by 14 points, 37-23.
Fordham maintained a 13-point lead, 42-29, two and a half minutes into the second half, but Maine responded with six successive points to close the gap to seven, 42-35, shortly thereafter.
After a series of exchanged baskets, the Rams found themselves ahead by seven with 14:43 remaining, 44-37, and then embarked on a 17-5 run to build a commanding 61-42 advantage midway through the second half, highlighted by a layup from Tsimbila. The closest Maine would get from that point was 12, at 78-66, with 2:18 on the clock. During that run, Dean scored seven points, hitting back-to-back three-pointers, while Tsimbila chipped in six.
Takeaways
• Since returning to play after missing the initial four games of the season, sophomore guard/forward Jahmere Tripp has averaged 12.0 points per game, shooting at 52.6% from the field (30-57) and 47.1% (8-17) from three-point range.
• Romad Dean has averaged 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in his last two outings, connecting on 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.
• Matt Zona equaled his career-high with ten points, previously achieved in 2023 against NJIT while at Notre Dame.
• Jackie Johnson has scored in double digits in every game this season.
• Fordham has now recorded three consecutive games scoring 80 points or more, averaging 84.7 points per game over the last three contests.
• The team made 19 assists on 31 successful shots.
• Fordham leads the all-time series against Maine, 4-2.
• The Black Bears missed their first nine attempts from three-point range before making their last three.
By the Numbers
4 – Steals recorded by Romad Dean, a personal best (previously two, achieved twice).
6 – Assists from Jackie Johnson III, marking a new career high (previous best was five against FDU on Wednesday).
10 – Steals by the Rams, marking their fourth game this year with double-digit steals.
13 – Offensive rebounds secured by Fordham, highlighting their fourth consecutive and eighth overall game with double-digit offensive rebounds.
16 – Points scored by Romad Dean, achieving a career-high (previous high was 13 against FDU this season).
18 – Points from second-chance opportunities for the Rams.
+18 – Plus-minus rating for Romad Dean during the game.
175 – Career blocks for Abdou Tsimbila at Fordham, including two today, good for fourth on the all-time list.
576 – Total career rebounds for Abdou Tsimbila at Fordham, placing him 22nd on the career list.
695 – Total wins for Fordham in the Rose Hill Gym.
1,597 – All-time victories for the Rams.
What’s Next?
• Following a week break for finals, the Rams will resume the 2024-25 season against the Bryant University Bulldogs at Mohegan Sun as part of the Hall of Fame Showcase on Saturday, December 14, at 2:30 p.m.
• This will be the second meeting ever between the Rams and the Bulldogs.
• Bryant won the initial matchup, 69-61, on December 10, 2019, at the Rose Hill Gym.
• This contest marks the fourth game against America East opponents this year (Binghamton, New Hampshire, and Maine).
• The Rams hold an 18-6 record against current America East Conference teams.
