Fordham’s surprising signing of Jon Severe signaled a major step forward for the school’s long-struggling basketball program.
And though the focus may be on the future, the freshman is making an immediate impact.
In only his fifth game, Severe scored 22 of his career-high 30 points in the first half of Fordham’s 79-75 upset of Manhattan Tuesday night at Draddy Gymnasium, earning the guard an MVP award and turning the 106th Battle of the Bronx in the Rams’ favor after two straight losses.
“He’s a talented young man. He can really play,” Manhattan coach Steve Masiello said. “There’s a reason he’s Mr. [New York] Basketball. He’s a terrific young player who I have a lot of respect for.”
After hitting 7-of-10 shots in the first half, Severe went scoreless over the first 14 minutes of the second half. The freshman, averaging nearly 39 minutes per game, said he was tired, but the former Christ the King star recovered to hit two 3-pointers in the final minutes to tie the game at 70.
Senior Branden Frazier, who had 21 points and five assists, then gave Fordham a 75-73 lead on an acrobatic drive with 59.2 seconds left.
Manhattan’s Michael Alvardo missed a deep 3-pointer on the next possession and Fordham’s Travion Leonard sealed the win with a fast-break dunk in the final seconds.
Fordham coach Tom Pecora said he had concerns going against the superior depth and experience of one of the country’s best mid-majors, but Severe and Frazier negated Manhattan’s advantage.
“That formula went out the window because we got a special freshman and a senior who made the plays we needed him to make late in the game,” Pecora said. “The effort that we put forth tonight for 40 minutes, if we do that consistently, we’re going to win some basketball games.”
The Rams (3-2) were held to 26.7 percent shooting from the field in the second half, but the Jaspers (3-2) failed to capitalize enough on their interior advantage, shooting 6-of-32 on 3-pointers, while the Rams converted 18-of-22 second-half free throws.
George Beamon had an uncharacteristically inefficient game, shooting 7-of-21, but the senior still led the team with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Center Rhamel Brown added 12 points and nine blocks, helping Manhattan take multiple second-half leads — as large as six — after trailing by 11 in the first half.
“That’s a good basketball team,” Pecora said of Manhattan. “If they win the MAAC and go to the [NCAA] Tournament, they’re the type of team that can beat somebody in the [NCAA] Tournament because of their experience and their balance.”
Though Manhattan controlled the boards in the first half, Fordham’s streaky shooters were hot. Severe and Mandell Thomas — playing with the flu — combined to score the team’s first 25 points.
Pecora had a potential problem within the first five minutes, when Severe picked up his second foul. But Pecora, who only used seven players, never thought about removing his rising star.
“Not [for] a second. I just said, ‘Don’t foul anybody,’ ” Pecora said. “There’s really no choice to it. You can lose games in the first five minutes, too. I just said, ‘Hey, we’re going to run with it,’ and it worked out.”