St. Bonaventure Stuns Men’s Basketball in Thrilling Showdown

Gallery: (1-4-2025) Men’s Basketball vs. St. Bonaventure

Bronx, N.Y. – Based on color psychology, hues can trigger psychological responses and shape individuals’ emotions. The hue brown is shaped by personal experiences, cultural connotations, and even the particular tint of the color. One individual may perceive brown as a cozy, soothing color due to their personal connections and experiences. Conversely, another might see it as a dreary, uninviting, or sorrowful tone rooted in those sentiments. The packed Rose Hill Gym resonated with contrasting feelings today, as the shade brown thrilled the visiting supporters but left the home team fans disheartened as the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, clad in their away browns, triumphed over the home Fordham Rams, 88-68, in an Atlantic 10 matchup.
 
With this defeat, Fordham’s record stands at 8-7 overall, 0-2 in the Atlantic 10, while St. Bonaventure enhances to 14-1 overall, 2-0 in the league.
 
Leading Fordham was senior guard Jackie Johnson III, who recorded a team-high 21 points, sinking five three-pointers and contributing three assists, whereas junior forward Romad Dean and graduate student guard Japhet Medor each scored 13 points with Dean pulling down six rebounds and Medor delivering five assists.
 
Fordham was down by two, 13-11, after a Dean jumper with 13:47 remaining in the initial half when the Bonnies executed an 8-2 streak to establish a 21-13 advantage on a Melvin Council, Jr. three-point play a little more than two minutes later.
 
The Rams found themselves trailing by eight once more with 9:29 left in the half, 23-15, when a Zach Riley layup sparked a 10-3 rally that brought Fordham within one, 26-25, on a Johnson jumper with 7:35 to go. However, St. Bonaventure outperformed the Rams 14-5 in the final seven minutes to secure a 43-30 lead at halftime.
 
Fordham managed to narrow the gap to eleven on five occasions in the second half, the most recent instance being at 58-47 following two Medor free throws with 11:38 remaining, but the Bonnies countered with a 12-3 burst to establish a 20-point edge, 70-50, with 8:39 left in the contest, and the closest the Rams would come from that moment was 17.
 
Insights
• Jackie Johnson III achieved the sixth 20-point performance of the season and the ninth of his career.
 
• The Rams could not rely on junior forward Joshua Rivera due to an injury.
 
• Fordham Men’s Basketball conducted the game to promote awareness and gather contributions for Able Athletics, a local organization that aims to empower disabled children through the benefits of athletic engagement.
 
• Noel Brown is the sole active Bonnie who faced the Rams last year, scoring 26 points across the two encounters (Broek Ostrom also played a couple of minutes for St. Bonaventure in the second clash last winter).
 
• This marked the second consecutive year that St. Bonaventure’s Melvin Council, Jr., netted over 20 points in the Rose Hill Gym, as he scored 21 while representing Wagner last year.
 
• A variety of notable Fordham alumni were present at the match including Michael Kay, Jack Curry, Mike Puma, Chris Shaw, Ryan Burke, and Lou Barricelli.
 
By the Figures
5.3 – Assists per game for Japhet Medor during the last six games.
 
27 – Rebounds for the Rams today, equaling a season-low.
 
179 – Career blocks at Fordham for Abdou Tsimbila, who recorded two today, ranking fourth on the Fordham career leaderboard.
 
595 – Career rebounds at Fordham for Abdou Tsimbila, who had four today, 21^st on the Fordham all-time leaderboard.
 
What’s Ahead?
• The Rams will continue their 2024-25 Atlantic 10 season by visiting Richmond, Va., to confront the VCU Rams on Wednesday, January 8, at 7:00 p.m. at the Siegel Center.
 
• This will be the 15th matchup between Fordham and VCU on the basketball court.
 
• VCU commands the overall series, 13-1, and has claimed victory in the last seven contests.
 
• VCU triumphed in last season’s encounter, 75-60, in the Rose Hill Gym on February 6 as Max Shulga and Joe Bamisile each tallied 13 points for VCU.