Fordham’s trust and engagement on full display in Battle of Bronx blowout

Japhet Medor (0) breaks away for layup in second half as Fordham coasted to victory in Battle of the Bronx over Manhattan. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

NEW YORK — Fordham’s resurgence last season began with an unmistakable culture change noticeable to any observer of basketball at Rose Hill over the past several seasons.

A relentless hustle and commitment that intensified with each possession became a hallmark under head coach Keith Urgo as the Rams won 25 games last year, the most for the program in a single season since 1991, when the rookie mentor was still in elementary school.

Losses in three of four games heading into Monday’s Battle of the Bronx against crosstown rival Manhattan appeared to quell the momentum somewhat. But with a roster comprised of more freshmen and sophomores than last year’s iteration, growing pains were due to arrive sooner rather than later.

Fortunately for Fordham, adversity took a back seat on this night.

In its first action since the Thanksgiving holiday and a three-game excursion to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam, the Rams looked like the group that turned heads and caught teams by surprise, recording 16 steals and forcing 20 turnovers en route to a 93-61 thrashing of Manhattan.

The 32-point home blowout in the 114th meeting between the two schools was Fordham’s largest margin of victory over the Jaspers since 1986, and the greatest disparity in the series since an 81-47 Manhattan triumph on December 7, 2011.

“That’s our identity,” Urgo said of the activity when the ball was not in his team’s hands. “That’s what we hang our hat on, defending and rebounding. We want to play as hard as humanly possible, and I think our guys really started to do that after the first 12 minutes, starting with Kyle Rose. The bottom line is he knows he’s kind of our heart and soul on the defensive end. He came out a little sluggish to begin, but when his intensity rises, everybody follows.”

“I believe we became closer as a team (Monday),” Kyle Rose added. “We didn’t let the score dictate our effort and our energy. We gained a little more trust as well, so I believe we understand what we’re capable of and what we really need to be working on.”

Fordham (3-3) matched strides with Manhattan through the majority of the first half, but the momentum began to swing the way of the hosts toward the latter part of the opening stanza when Jasper freshman Seydou Traore picked up a second personal foul. With Traore suddenly out of the mix, the Rams flipped the script with a physical and athletic lineup where Josh Rivera and Elijah Gray played together up front. Together, the duo offset Abdou Tsimbila’s own foul trouble, serving as catalysts for a 9-0 run that broke a four-point game open and provided a cushion that would not be relinquished.

“We have the opportunity with the depth that we have to play a number of different lineups,” said Urgo of the versatility in the Rams’ schematics. “We could play small, we could obviously play big. That’s a luxury we have as we continue to trust each other and learn one another.”

“We’re really young after Abdou. Yole (Akuwovo) gave us some great minutes and helped us out a little bit there, but after Abdou at the four spot, they’re all sophomores. Josh is a sophomore, Elijah’s a sophomore that’s really just playing for the first time. Romad Dean averaged six minutes last year, and we can move Jahmere Tripp, who’s a freshman. At that spot, the more game time they get, the more experience they earn, the game starts to slow down a little bit. It’s great to have that.”

The second half began largely as the opening stanza had ended, as Fordham built upon its foundation to close the initial frame with a 20-5 run fueled by rebounds and runouts. The opening of the floodgates, Rose said, was created merely by getting back to the ethos of the Rams’ aggressive nature and defensive tendencies.

“We felt confident enough we could score on the other end,” the senior guard revealed. “Our biggest thing we wanted to focus on was trying to stop them and let our offense do the talking. As you can see, we’re pretty talented on the offensive end, so we just let our offense come and played with a lot of trust in each other. In the second half, we really dominated, especially on the boards.”

For Manhattan (3-3), playing its first game without point guard Brett Rumpel after he suffered a season-ending knee injury against UConn Friday, the difference was glaring as the Jaspers struggled to answer the riddle of Fordham's ball pressure. But for John Gallagher, the specter of Rumpel’s absence was the greatest challenge he and his retooling collection of pupils had to face.

“I know this is crazy, but after 40 minutes (without him), I feel great,” the Jasper coach said of adjusting to life without Rumpel. “I feel so much better about where we can go. I think we do have some answers, but here’s the issue: They’re freshmen. And when they’re freshmen, you’re going to have to live with some mistakes. If you said to me March 29 when I got the job, if you were 3-3 with (losses to) Kansas and UConn, would you take it? I think I would take it. Overall, I think it’s a good first month.”

On the victorious home side, Monday’s win provided something of a get-right game, at least on paper after Fordham’s travails since an opening night win over Wagner. Urgo dismissed the notion of worrying about results, however, focusing on the big picture as the Rams now turn the page toward navigating December and the next phase of the schedule before Atlantic 10 play starts in earnest after the new year.

“When you have a connected locker room, you don’t really pay attention to two losses, or this or that,” he reiterated. “They understand what they’re capable of, and if we play as hard and together as we’re trying to do, I think we’re gonna be successful most times.”