Rams Holds off Fordham, Earn Fifth Straight Win

Fordham opened play with a high-energy defensive attack, forcing three Rhode Island turnovers, and jumped out to a 19-11 lead with 12:48 remaining in the first half.

Rhody responded with a 8-0 run over the next four minutes to tie the game at 19-19. Fordham had four turnovers in that stretch alone.

T.J. Buchanan had six points in a 13-5 Rhode Island run spanning the final 5:31 of the opening frame.

In the second half, Dan Hurley's Rams scored 10 unanswered points in 2:30, highlighted by a thunderous Hassan Martin dunk off a behind the back dish by Jarvis Garrett. 

After Rhody controlled most of the second half, Fordham tied the game with a 12-4 run capped off by an Antwoine Anderson and-one play with 2:21 remaining in regulation. 

E.C. Matthews had the only field goal of the final two minutes for either team and he and Biggie Minnis each added a free throw to seal Rhode Island's fifth straight win.

Inside the Box Score

• Rhody extended its win streak to five games - the longest win streak for the Rams since the 2009-10 season.
• E.C. Matthews led all scorers with 24 points, 16 of which came in the second half. The sophomore also pulled down seven rebounds in the victory.
• Hassan Martin just missed a double-double, finishing with eight points and 10 rebounds. He was 3-5 from the floor, 2-4 from the charity stripe, and added a career-high seven blocks in 37 minutes of play.
• T.J. Buchanan, once again, provided a huge spark off the bench, adding 12 points on 4-7 shooting and five steals.
• Gilvydas Biruta chipped in with nine points and three rebounds in 20 minutes on the court.
• Despite being held to a single point, Biggie Minnis contributed with five rebounds and four assists.

Stat of the Game

7 - Hassan Martin blocked seven shots and moved up to sixth all-time on Rhode Island's career blocks list (112).

What's Next

The Rams will travel to Duquesne for a 1:00 pm tip-off against the Dukes on Saturday, Jan. 10. Following the road game, the Rams return to the Ryan Center to host 20th-ranked VCU on Tuesday, January 13. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. contest may be purchased by clicking here or by calling 401-874-RAMS. 

The Rhody Sports Network will also carry each and every Rhode Island game, live on B101 (101.5 FM), with Steve McDonald and Don Kaull.  The pre-game show begins 30 minutes before tipoff.

---

Upcoming RI College Hoops Games

Thursday, Jan. 8: Brown @ New Hampshire
Thursday, Jan. 8: St. Francis (PA) @ Bryant
Saturday, Jan. 10: Georgetown @ Providence
Saturday, Jan. 10: Rhode Island @ Duquesne