The Fordham men’s basketball team hosted the Fairleigh Dickinson (FDU) Knights at the Rose Hill Gymnasium last Wednesday night and claimed an 84-75 victory in a high-energy matchup.
The game marked the season debut for sophomore guard Jahmere Tripp, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’26, who missed the first four games due to injury. Tripp made an immediate impact, scoring in double figures and electrifying fans with his efficient scoring abilities and defensive hustle.
Along with Tripp, the Rams’ starting lineup featured Japhet Medor, Gabelli Graduate School of Business (GGSB) ’25; Jackie Johnson III, FCRH ’25; Romad Dean, FCRH ’26; and Abdou Tsimbila, FCRH ’25..
Fordham’s game plan centered on attacking the offensive glass and capitalizing on turnovers, but FDU’s offense kept pace.
Fordham won the tipoff, and Tripp wasted no time getting on the board. He opened the scoring with a floater in the paint, followed by a driving layup on the left side to give the Rams an early 4-0 lead. FDU responded quickly with back-to-back baskets, setting the tone for a competitive first half.
Head Coach Keith Urgo later praised his team’s energy and effort while he also said that there is room for continued improvement.
“We played a good 20 minutes — I’ll take 20 — we got to keep striving until we get to 40 minutes of playing harder and more together than our opponent.”
The Rams hit a cold streak from beyond the arc, missing their first 11 attempts.
Early on, the Rams relied on their defense, with Tsimbila — ranked fourth in Fordham history in blocks — protecting the rim. Fordham’s game plan centered on attacking the offensive glass and capitalizing on turnovers, but FDU’s offense kept pace.
At the 14 minute mark, a controversial play by Joshua Rivera, FCRH ’26, led to a flagrant one foul after an elbow to the chin of the Knight’s guard Brayden Reynolds, FDU ’26, during a drive into the paint. This sparked a temporary shift in momentum, allowing the Knights to capitalize on free throws and take their first lead of the night, 16-14.
FDU’s bench provided a boost as Bismark Nsaish, FDU ’25, sank two three-pointers against Fordham’s box-and-one defense. Shortly after, Reynolds, who scored his career high in this game, made two quick layups in the paint to extend the Knights’ lead to 18-14.
As the game progressed, FDU’s offense faltered, going scoreless for three minutes. Fordham took advantage, building a 14-point lead with less than seven minutes left on the clock.
The Rams hit a cold streak from beyond the arc, missing their first 11 attempts. However, Fordham’s persistence paid off when Johnson drained a three-pointer with eight minutes left in the half, reclaiming the lead at 21-18.
From there, Johnson began to heat up. He hit another deep three-pointer to give the Rams their largest lead of the half, 35-26. With one minute remaining, Johnson sank his third three-pointer of the half, pushing Fordham to a double-digit lead. Tripp added a highlight-reel moment, finishing an alley-oop from Johnson at the buzzer to close the half with a commanding 44-34 advantage.
At halftime, Fordham boasted a 48.4% field goal percentage and an 88.9% from the free-throw line, while out rebounding FDU 22-13. However, the Knights remained competitive, shooting 54.5% from the field.
The Rams started the second half strong, with Johnson hitting a corner three-pointer assisted by Medor to extend the lead. FDU countered with full-court pressure, forcing a steal and layup by Brown to trim the deficit. The Knights’ full-court press proved effective as they gradually closed the gap making it a one-possession, 60-57, with nearly nine minutes left in the second half.
Fordham responded with 11 straight points, led by Tripp, Medor and Dean, to regain a comfortable margin. Tripp continued to dominate, showing his versatility on both ends of the court.
As the game progressed, FDU’s offense faltered, going scoreless for three minutes. Fordham took advantage, building a 14-point lead with less than seven minutes left on the clock. Johnson and Tripp led the charge, keeping the Rams in control.
In the final stretch, the Rams maintained their composure to secure the 84-75 victory.
Tripp finished his season debut with a double-double with 20 points on 70% shooting and 10 rebounds. Johnson led all scorers with 21 points, highlighted by four three-pointers, five rebounds and five assists. Tsimbila anchored the defense, with six rebounds, three blocks and six points.
In a post game interview, Coach Urgo said that his team relies on fans’ support.
“We need all of the energy and all of the support that we can get,” Urgo said. “It is so important to have energy in this building. We know when there’s people packed in Rose Hill, it becomes Rose Thrill.”
The Rams will host the University of Maine Black Bears on Sunday, Dec. 8.