Freshman guard Nick Honor scored 30 points, and Fordham earned its first win over a Big Ten opponent in 17 years with a 78-70 upset of Rutgers on Saturday in New York.
The win for Fordham (7-2) was the program's first over a Big Ten foe since a 63-60 victory over Northwestern on Dec. 22, 2001.
The Rams took advantage of their home environment, rallying from a 31-26 halftime deficit and putting a charge into the 2,346 fans inside their tiny 3,200-seat arena.
Freshman guard Jalen Cobb added 17 points off the bench, and junior guard Antwon Portley chipped in with 10 points as Fordham continued its strong early-season play after getting picked to finish last in the 14-team Atlantic 10 conference in the preseason.
Junior forward Eugene Omoruyi had a double-double for Rutgers (5-4), scoring 19 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in defeat. Sophomore guard Geo Baker added 14 points, six rebounds and six assists, while freshman Ron Harper Jr. had 10 points off the bench.
While Rutgers dominated the inside to the tune of a 39-34 rebounding advantage and a 42-26 points-in-the-paint edge, Fordham stymied the Scarlet Knights from beyond the arc at both ends of the floor.
Fordham made 10 of 22 3-pointers and held Rutgers to 4-for-16 shooting from long-range in the win.
In a game that saw seven lead changes and nine ties, Fordham wrested control with a 10-0 run early in the second half.
Issa Thiam's 3-pointer with 6:56 to play gave Rutgers a 56-54 lead.
But Cobb followed with a layup at the other end, and Honor drained a 3-pointer to give Fordham the lead for good with six minutes remaining.
The Scarlet Knights never got closer than five points over the final five minutes.
--Field Level Media
Rutgers | Fordham | |
Eugene Omoruyi 19 | Scoring | Nick Honor 30 |
Geo Baker 6 | Assists | Nick Honor 6 |
Eugene Omoruyi 11 | Rebounds | Jesse Bunting 8 |
Montez Mathis 4 | Free Throws Made | Jalen Cobb 7 |
Geo Baker 2 | Steals | Jesse Bunting 1 |
Shaquille Doorson 2 | Blocks | Chuba Ohams 1 |