Sports

Fordham outlasts URI & new coach Hurley

Two sets of Rams butted heads at Rose Hill Gym yesterday.

Tom Pecora’s Fordham Rams ruined Danny Hurley’s New York-are homecoming in thrilling fashion, topping the Rhode Island Rams, 66-63.

At times the game looked more like something out of a WWE match, with four players receiving technical fouls, two near fights on the court and enough shouting to ensure Pecora and Hurley will need throat lozenges for weeks.

“We were told before the game to stay in the coach’s box,” Pecora said. “Neither of us did that. As coaches, we are trying to get every advantage possible. I was trying to get our guys fired up. Sometimes they’ll feed off of you.”

If Pecora was fired up, Hurley’s intensity was off the charts. The son of legendary St. Anthony (N.J.) High School coach Bob Hurley spent the entire contest shouting orders and pacing up and down in front of the Rhode Island bench in his first game in the area since taking the Rams’ job.

“It was cool for me [to be back in this area],” Hurley said. “It’s special. I wish we would have had a different outcome. I don’t know how many years [the intensity] took off the end of my career, but I’m OK with it.”

Neither Fordham nor Rhode Island led by more than six points at any stretch. After trailing 40-35 early in the second half, Fordham was able to force Rhode Island into foul trouble and clutch free-throw shooting from Branden Frazier (20 points) and Mandell Thomas (17 points) allowed the home Rams to come back and win.

“It was big [making the free throws],” Frazier said.

Rhode Island did have several chances in the game’s closing seconds as Xavier Munford missed a 3-point try and a jumper with his team trailing 64-63 with less than 15 seconds left to play.

“I talk about winning possessions,” Pecora said. “We said one stop, one rebound, one win. Until you live your life like that as a basketball player, you’re not going to win big.”

With senior Chris Gaston out with a knee injury, Frazier pulled his team together for that winning possession Pecora was talking about.

“I huddle the guys up and said ‘No, they’re not going to get a score,’ ” Frazier said.

With the win, Fordham gained a huge edge on Rhode Island, a team it potentially will be fighting for the final spot in March’s A-10 tournament.

“It’s a big game,” Pecora said. “We know what’s going on in this conference. I want the guys to know where we are and what we need to do.”