Fordham clips North Texas on buzzer-beating dunk

Fordham’s Abdou Tsimbila finished buzzer-beating dunk to complete Rams’ double-digit comeback against North Texas. (Photo by Vincent Dusovic/Fordham Athletics)

NEW YORK — Fordham’s last trip to Barclays Center revealed just how far the program had returned from a 30-year abyss when the Rams created an imposing homecourt advantage during the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament.

Its first journey back to the home of the Brooklyn Nets was a much more intimate gathering, but after tough sledding in the first half, ended in a manner symbolic of the culture change head coach Keith Urgo has spearheaded.

Trailing North Texas by 12 points at halftime, the Rams fought themselves back into the game with a 17-4 run out of the intermission before the Mean Green regained control in the latter stages of the final stanza. And in a nip-and-tuck battle, it was Abdou Tsimbila’s dunk at the buzzer that put the finishing touches on a 60-59 Fordham victory to break a slump after losses to Tulane and NJIT last week.

“We just got back to being gritty and tough,” senior guard Antrell Charlton declared. “We knew that’s the type of game we’ve gotta have regardless of who we’re playing, so in practice, that’s all we talked about. We really just got back to our identity, doing what we need to do, diving on loose balls, just being the hardest-playing team on the floor. That’s what we pride ourselves on.”

Fordham’s game-winning moment came with ten seconds remaining in regulation, when Urgo called his final timeout as his Rams trailed by one. Point guard Japhet Medor dribbled into traffic in the lane, found a seam to his left with two seconds on the clock, and dished under the rim to an open Tsimbila, who threw down the dagger just before the horn sounded.

“We just tried to get them in a high ball screen,” Urgo said of the winning play call. “We knew that they would most likely blitz or switch. They weakened Japhet to his left, but that’s usually the direction he likes to go. They did a great job of getting him cornered, not letting him turn the corner, and they forced him into a trap. Abdou rolled hard to the rim, sat in front of the rim, and Japhet’s poise to split the double and not get rattled, I thought his effort in the second half was absolutely fantastic.”

For Tsimbila, whose heroics today were preceded by a pair of double-doubles last week, his shining moment was the latest example of player development that has brought out the best in the Cameroon native.

“The most important thing in my development is about trusting the coaches,” he said. “Most of the time, I don’t know exactly where I am on the floor and sometimes when I roll, I don’t roll hard enough. (Urgo) taught me that my physical gift God gave me, I have to use it. I feel now like I can really understand, and that’s why every time I step on the floor, I focus on those little things. That effort just carries over.”

“He’s been getting better understanding where he is on the court,” Urgo gushed. “You could see his development is through the roof the last several games, he’s starting to see how talented (he is) and the potential he’s going to have. There’s no one you’d like to see have an opportunity to win a game than this guy. He does everything the right way every single day, he’s one of the most selfless human beings that I’ve ever been around. It’s so fun to watch someone like that reap the rewards of incredible hard work and being a great person.”

For most of the first half, it looked as though Tsimbila may not have a chance to be the protagonist. Fordham (5-5) struggled to get into a rhythm offensively against a stingy North Texas defense, making just nine of its 30 attempts in the opening stanza. The Mean Green turned the stranglehold into a 35-23 cushion at halftime that Charlton said provided the impetus for the Rams’ need to drill down and get back to basics.

“Urgo got on us at halftime,” he revealed. “We just felt like we weren’t playing Fordham basketball, so in the second half, we just came out being aggressive. I was happy with our effort. We got back to the Fordham basketball we’ve building up the last two years, the culture and the standard we built up. Regardless, we were taking a step in the right direction that we need to get back to.”

A positive for the Rams in the initial frame was the three-headed frontcourt monster of Tsimbila, Josh Rivera and Yole Akuwovo offering productive minutes to stay within reach before a late North Texas spurt contributed to the margin at the break. With Elijah Gray unavailable, Akuwovo made the most of his latest opportunity, pouring in eight points and six rebounds while serving as Fordham’s second-most efficient player on the day. 

“He’s been like that whether he plays or doesn’t,” Urgo said of the Binghamton transfer. “He’s so mature, his energy is through the roof, his positivity is infectious and he outworks everybody. He’s pushing (Tsimbila) and (Tsimbila’s) pushing Yole, so it was a matter of time before he got to shine. And every chance he’s gotten, he’s playing harder than anybody he goes in to play with or against, but now he’s learning how to play, what to do. He’s getting smarter, and he’s starting to figure it out in our system. That’s a huge addition for us.”

With momentum back under its sails, Fordham will now try to sustain it heading to Madison Square Garden, where the Rams will meet St. John’s on Saturday. For Urgo, if he and his players can match the commitment of today’s final 20 minutes, the clash with Rick Pitino and the Red Storm could be a lot less intimidating as long as Fordham sticks to its identity.

“I’m really proud of the way we played in the second half,” Urgo reiterated. “I think it was one of the best defensive efforts we’ve had in the three years since I’ve been coaching here, and we needed that. We got back to our identity that last 20 minutes, which is tough, nasty defending and rebounding, not worrying about making or missing shots. We talked about that at halftime, how we were playing a little bit too soft. And then for the next 20 minutes, that was as good and physical as we’ve played since I’ve been here. That’s what it needs to be for this team.”