St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. – There’s a phrase that is associated with “Holy Trinity of Christianity” and this is to be believed that something that comes at number three always brings the fortune. Or for the Fordham men’s basketball squad it mean third time’s the charm. Playing in its third Paradise Jam, the Rams won their opening game for the first time, defeating Norfolk State University, 77-64, at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center on Friday.
 
With the win, Fordham improves to 2-1 on the year while Norfolk State loses for the first time, dropping to 3-1.
 
The Rams were led by senior forward Abdou Tsimbila who tied his career high with 16 points and he also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, while senior guard Antrell Charlton and redshirt freshman guard Angel Montas each netted ten.
 
Fordham led by ten at the break, 43-33, but the Spartans managed to cut their deficit to eight, 45-37, a minute into the second half.
 
A Tsimbila three-point play started a 16-2 Fordham run as the Rams took their biggest lead of the day, 61-39, on a Charlton three-pointer with 14:15 remaining, and Norfolk State could get no closer than 12 the rest of the way.
 
The Rams used an early 13-2 run to turn a 13-10 lead into a 26-12 advantage on a Josh Rivera driving layup with 10:33 left in the half. Rose had five points in the run while Montas added four.
 
Later in the half the Rams took their largest lead of the half, 39-19, following a Josh Rivera driving layup with 5:47 left in the period but the Spartans clawed back, cutting the Fordham lead to eight with less than a minute left before Fordham took the 43-33 halftime lead.
 
Takeaways
• Tsimbila set his career-high in scoring with 16 against Harvard in 2022.
 
• The ten points for Montas is a career-best, surpassing his previous high of nine set against VMI last year.
 
• The Rams won despite leading scorer Japhet Medor not scoring a basket today (he finished with seven points, all from the free throw line).
 
• Norfolk State entered the game averaging 89.0 ppg.
 
• Fordham scored 30 points from the free throw stripe.
 
• The Rams never trailed in the game.
 
• The first matchup between Fordham and Norfolk State also occurred at the Paradise Jam as the Rams defeated the Spartans, 72-53, in the seventh place game at the 2005 Paradise Jam.
 
• The Rams are 10-2 all-time versus the MEAC (3-0 vs. Howard, 2-0 vs. Coppin State, 2-0, vs. Norfolk State, 1-0 vs. Delaware State, 1-0 vs. South Carolina State, and 1-2 vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore).
 
• It is Fordham’s first game against a MEAC school since a 92-55 win over Coppin State on December 30, 2019.
 
• This is Fordham’s third appearance at the Paradise Jam (2005 and 2019).
 
By the Numbers
4 – Blocks recorded by the Rams, led by two from Tsimbila.
 
18 – Norfolk State turnovers forced by Fordham.
 
26.9% – Norfolk State’s field percentage in the second half (7-26).
 
79 – Free throws attempts by the two teams today.
 
1,579 – All-time won for the Rams.
 
What’s Next?
• The Rams continue play at the 2023 Paradise Jam at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center by facing the winner of the San Jose State/Abilene Christian game on Sunday at 5:45 p.m. (ET)
 
• The Rams are 1-0 all-time versus San Jose State and have never met Abilene Christian.
 
• The other four teams at the Paradise Jam are Florida Gulf Coast, Hampton, Kent State, and Missouri State.