Some might consider this an overreaction, but the Rhode Island Rams are in free fall. The Rams traveled down to Fordham Wednesday night for a highly anticipated matchup for both teams. Going into the game, URI had lost three games in a row, while Fordham had lost five in a row. Given the poor form from both sides, Rhode Island was only listed as 4-point favorites, but, clearly, it didn’t pan out that way. In fact, URI didn’t lead at any point during the game, against 9-10 Fordham. Simply put, it was an abysmal showing from Rhode Island, a showing that could have damning implications for the team going forward, both towards their confidence, and their post-season hopes.
An Abhorrent First Half
36-19. Rhode Island went into the locker room at halftime down 36-19 to Fordham. You have to give credit to Fordham, who seem to have turned their program around this season, considering that the Rams (Fordham) only managed seven conference wins over their last three Atlantic 10 campaigns combined. The first five minutes of the game were relatively even, with Fordham and Rhode Island trading buckets, tying the game at 5. Then, Fordham took the lead, a lead they would hold onto for the remainder of not only the half, but the entire game. Sloppy play from Rhode Island, brimming with turnovers and missed shots, gave Fordham every opportunity to extend their lead inside the Rose Hill Gymnasium. Coupled with a flurry of Fordham 3-point baskets, and the Rams (Rhode Island) found themselves down 15 points going into halftime. Chuba Ohams was Fordham’s MVP of the first half, putting up a double double (10pts, 11rebs) during the first period of play. URI dug themselves a really deep hole, a hole which they would have an exceptionally difficult time climbing out of.
Late Rally Falls Short
Coming out of the locker room, Rhode Island knew they had a gargantuan task ahead of them in chipping away at Fordham’s 15-point lead. However, they still started rather slow, putting up only 5 points in the opening 5 minutes, while allowing 7. The Rhody defense would soon get their act together though, holding Fordham to 46 points for 5 minutes, while the offense was able to get back into gear. Rhode Island were able to cut the deficit to 8 points before Fordham were able to register another basket, extending their lead to 10 (48-38). It was at this point where the Rhode Island offense began to flourish, going on a 10-0 run, tying the game at 48 points with 5 minutes to go. They would again tie the game at 51 with 3 minutes to go, but that’s where the rally would end. Fordham was soon able to counteract the raging Rhode Island offense, putting up 10 points in the final 3 minutes to finally bury the Rams (Rhode Island), 61-55. A spirited offensive display in the second half from Rhode Island simply couldn’t make up for the damage they did to themselves in the first. With this loss, Rhode Island have dropped their fourth game in a row, falling to 3-5 in the Atlantic-10.
Going Forward
The wheels seem to have fallen off for Rhode Island at the moment. Losses to Richmond and Dayton sting, but those are highly rated programs tipped to compete for the Atlantic 10 title. Losses, however, to GW and Fordham, are inexcusable. The outlook from here is simple, win vs UMass on Saturday, or risk the entire season falling apart. Coach Cox has an incredibly talented group at his disposal, there’s no denying that. But, something hasn’t been clicking as of late, and that something needs to be identified and fixed if the Rams want to salvage anything from the remainder of their season. URI host UMass Amherst at the Ryan Center on Saturday, 2/5, at 2:00pm, before traveling to fourth-placed VCU on Tuesday.
