The first half mercifully ended. Fans slumped in their seats, remembering the team’s 9–4 start with bitter nostalgia. Children in attendance hardly noticed the buzzer sound as they restlessly played amongst themselves, the game having slipped from their attention almost immediately. As fans of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) made their voices heard in the small Rose Hill gym, Fordham retreated to their locker room with another 20 minutes to play, already down 35–16. Since that day, Jan. 5, matters have only worsened.

After suffering that loss to VCU, 76–51, Fordham has gone on to lose all five of their conference games thus far. Their misfortunes continued against Duquesne University. In an arena filled to half capacity, Fordham kept up with the Dukes for the majority of the game before losing steam late, falling for a second time, 66–61.

Continuing their road trip, Fordham traveled to St. Bonaventure University to face the 6–10 Bonnies. In the first half, the Rams could only muster a measly 15 points, and a strong 49 point second half could not save them in what would eventually result in their third consecutive loss, 71–64.

In an unfortunate twist of fate, Fordham’s two latest games have been their best performances by far, but have come against two of the best teams in the conference. To contrast Fordham’s winless record, the University of St. Louis has gone undefeated in the Atlantic 10, although that difference was not nearly as apparent in-game.

Down by two at the half, Fordham took a 3-point lead with only three minutes to go. With a key victory only minutes away, the undefeated Billikens surged past the Rams on the way to a 63–60 victory.

Despite that, Fordham’s defeat at the hands of a superior St. Louis team prepared them for their matchup against a similarly talented George Mason squad. Traveling to Virginia for the game, Fordham found themselves ahead by nine points with only five minutes left. This game could have signified the end of Fordham’s skid, bringing their overall record to 10–8 and they conference record to 1–4. Instead, a 68–68 tie was broken on a last second three-pointer to give George Mason a 71–68 victory.

As of Wednesday, Jan. 23, the Fordham Rams sit at 9–9 with a 0–5 record in conference play, placing them in last place in the Atlantic 10. Their next few games provide them slightly easier competition, but at this point, a complete turnaround is necessary for the season to be salvageable.

One major concern for the Fordham team has been the inconsistency of point guard Nick Honor, Fordham College Rose Hill ’22. Despite brilliant performances against St. Bonaventure and George Mason, Honor had severe difficulties against VCU and scored only six points against St. Louis in a game where they lost by only three points.

In the last five games, Honor has taken approximately 15 shots a game, the lion’s share of Fordham’s total shots per game. During this stretch, he has only averaged 13.8 points per game.

In an offense largely run through their point guard, more consistent performances are necessary for the Rams to come back from their faltering start.

Despite a clearly undesirable start, hope remains in this Fordham basketball team. Three of the five games were played on the road, and the two played at home were against clearly superior opponents. In addition to this, the team’s overall performance has improved with each game, and if the quality of play from their last two transfers to their next four, they could be looking at a conference record approaching .500.

It is important to remember that Nick Honor, starting point guard and regular offensive leader, is only a freshman. This team is one invested in its future, and Honor and company will only acquire more experience as the season progresses. The Fordham basketball program can look forward to several potentially successful seasons going forward and could even find some late success as the current winter rolls on.