There were 10 minutes left in the final period of the Ram’s second basketball game of the season, against No. 10 ranked University of Arkansas on Nov. 11. Antrell Charlton, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’24, got the ball on the left wing, drove and was called for a travel. He dropped the ball and looked around in disbelief. It was the starting guard’s ninth turnover in a deflating night. The Fordham men’s basketball team went on to record 30 turnovers in a 48-74 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks.

That road trip was a dose of reality for Head Coach Keith Urgo’s inaugural campaign. Facing such a high caliber team has eased the spirits of the Rams, after an initial measure of success against Dartmouth on Nov. 7. 

The team returned from their southern stint with their heads down. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, however, the Rams had an opportunity to turn things around against the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Wildcats. 

Fordham wasted no time and capitalized, trampling the Wildcats at the Rose Hill campus, 79-61. 

The Rams’ desire to come back was emphasized by their explosive 11-2 run in the first few minutes of the game. The Wildcats were in disarray as the Rams defense translated to a hard-hitting offense.

Within seconds of tip-off, Darius Quisenberry, Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) ’23, spotted up in the corner and drained a 3-pointer. Charlton followed with a deep, high-arcing three. The run continued, and Quisenberry forced a timeout after knifing through the Wildcats’ defense for a layup.

The Wildcats came out of the timeout aggressively, but nothing was falling. Quisenberry sank another long range shot, and the Rams’ defense kept forcing tough shots by New Hampshire. Even as New Hampshire clawed its way back into the game, the Rams’ offense kept raining down shots. By the halfway point of the first period, the Wildcats were down 19-12.

With 14 minutes left in the game, Will Richardson, FCRH ’26, who has struggled in his early Fordham career, rang in a three. It was just his second field goal of the season.

Despite jumping out to an early lead, Fordham faced a New Hampshire run that brought the lead down to just two with six minutes left in the half, 25-23. 

It was no surprise that point guard Kyree Brown, UNH ’24, and forward Clarence Daniels, UNH ’24, led the run. Both are new faces for the Wildcats but have put up impressive numbers, averaging 17 and 16 points per game, respectively. Uncharacteristically, Brown shot 16% from the field against the Rams, putting UNH in a tough spot to climb out of.

Quisenberry, with the help of transfer Khalid Moore, GSAS ’23, responded to the Wildcats with a haymaker. Their efforts helped bring Fordham to a commanding 37-27 lead with a minute left in the half. Alongside the offense, defensive anchors Rostyslav Novitskyi, FCRH ’23, from Ukraine, and Abdou Tsimbila, FCRH ’24, from Cameroon, crashed the backboard. The forwards combined for 15 rebounds on the night, including four offensive boards.

With only 30 seconds left in the half, a steal by Romad Dean, FCRH ’26, translated into quick offense. Quisenberry backpedaled with haste and found himself open on the left wing. Dean passed it, and Quisenberry caught it in stride and rose up to knock down his third three of the night. 

The Wildcats efforts faltered spectacularly as they resigned in the closing minutes, subbing out their starters.

However, Brown responded decisively. He took a high screen from Ridvan Tutic, UNH ’26, and pulled the three, sinking it with six seconds left. Despite New Hampshire’s quick retort, the half closed out with Fordham in control, 40-30.

The second half saw the Rams extend their solid lead into a blowout victory. Brown struggled on offense, as his 6’ frame placed him at a severe disadvantage. Three minutes into the second half, Brown elevated on a floater, and Tsimbila sent the shot right back.

Brown’s difficulties were not isolated. The Wildcats shot 28% as a team in the first half, seeing only a marginal increase to 35% in the second. New Hampshire has struggled to bring their team together this year, as only five players from the previous season have returned for the 2022-23 campaign.

With 14 minutes left in the game, Will Richardson, FCRH ’26, who has struggled in his early Fordham career, rang in a three. It was just his second field goal of the season.

Daniels was the sole bright spot for the Wildcats. He shot 80% from the charity stripe and 40% from the field. Ending the game with 16 points, the newly minted New Hampshire hooper stood out from his teammates.

The game carried on as a total takeover by the Rams. They reached their biggest lead — 28 points — with four minutes left off a floater by Moore, 77-49. The Wildcats efforts faltered spectacularly as they resigned in the closing minutes, subbing out their starters.

A minor offensive run by the Wildcats secondary staved off a 20-point deficit, but the game ended with Fordham in complete control, 79-61.

Quisenberry ended the game with 17 points on 3-of-6 shooting from behind the arc. Moore scored 16 on 6-of-8 from the field. Charlton had a near perfect redemption game, hitting all four of his field goals for 15 points, missing only a free throw. The team still had 15 turnovers, of which Charlton contributed four.

The Rams are now 2-1 and are set to compete in the high-energy Tom Konchalski Classic tournament. The contest will be held in the Bronx as the University of Illinois Chicago, Stonehill College and the College of the Holy Cross meet to duke it out in front of a Rose Hill audience. The tournament will be held from Nov. 19-22 and will highlight the work of the Tom Konchalski Foundation, which aims to elevate basketball players through Catholicism.