Bronx, NY – Wednesday night’s slate featured an Atlantic 10 Conference matchup at the historic Rose Hill Gymnasium in the Bronx, as the Richmond Spiders traveled to take on the Fordham Rams. Richmond entered the evening 3-10, although coming off a victory against Davidson in their first A10 game. Fordham had not fared much better this season, entering 5-8 following a loss in their conference opener against VCU. The Spiders and Rams are already considerably behind in the conference standings and need to right the ship, setting up Wednesday’s pivotal contest. In a thriller Fordham prevailed in overtime 69-65.
The desperation of both teams was evident out of the gate, as the game got off to a frenzied pace, with both teams looking to push the ball early and attack before their opponent could get set in their defense. With the game remaining close through the early going, it appeared that the winner would be whoever could find the most success breaking down their opponent’s zone and knocking down their threes. For a brief period in the first half, it looked like that team might be Richmond, as they knocked down three jumpers in a row to force an eight point swing. However, that momentum quickly shifted heading into the second half.
While Fordham struggled to hit their long range attempts (23.8% from 3), they found success when they turned their sights on attacking the basket (53.8% from 2). The constant pressure helped Fordham get to the free throw line where they were very efficient (85.7%) for the night. Fordham led for almost the entire second half, however, Richmond smartly avoided fouling and held Fordham to just five points in the final six minutes. Richmond’s De’Monte Buckinham made big plays down the stretch to cut the lead, setting the table for Jacob Gilyard’s acrobatic layup to force overtime. In OT, junior guard Joseph Chartouny clinched the game for Fordham, converting two timely layups and burying the game sealing free throws. Free throw shooting was ultimately the difference maker in this one, with Fordham taking care of business while Richmond shot a paltry 9-of-19 from the stripe and left too many points on the board.
Chartouny put together a fantastic overall performance against Richmond, leading the Rams in points (26) and rebounds (12) while adding three assists. Even at 6-3, Chartouny is a big guard at 205 pounds and is able to use his impressive frame to get to his spots on the court. His offensive game is efficiently versatile, as he was able to get to the rim repeatedly and convert, while also spacing the floor at 40 percent from deep. He was also responsible for the majority of Fordham’s free throws, going 8-of-10 for the night. Chartouny played fairly equally on and off ball, but it was clear that Fordham wanted the ball in his hands when they needed to settle the offense or get a big bucket. The junior guard matched his offensive contributions on the defensive end, coming away with a game high five steals and two blocks. It was a very impressive showing for Chartouny who played an astounding 44 of 45 minutes.
Both teams will next play on Saturday, as Fordham looks to continue this momentum as they host A10 rival Duquesne, while Richmond will look to turn things around in their visit to Saint Louis.
This article was written by Michael Duffy, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.
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