NEW YORK (Interstat) — Fordham dominated Manhattan 82-53 in a men’s nonconference basketball game Saturday at Rose Hill Gym. The Rams pulled away with a 51-point second half. Rikus Schulte led Fordham with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Christian Henry added 19 points and nine assists for the Rams, who improved to 8-4. Anthony Isaac scored 16 points for the Jaspers, who fell to 4-7. Fordham shot 54.5% from the field and outrebounded Manhattan 44-28. The Jaspers were held to 34.5% shooting. An announced crowd of 1,029 attended.

NEW YORK (Interstat) — Rikus Schulte recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, leading a dominant Fordham offense to an 82-53 victory over Manhattan in a non-conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Rose Hill Gym. The Rams, improving to 8-4, used a 51-point second-half explosion to pull away from the Jaspers, who fell to 4-7. The game was a tale of starkly contrasting offensive efficiency, as both teams had 66 possessions, but Fordham maximized theirs with superior shooting and interior play. The most important part of the game was Fordham’s overwhelming control of the paint and the boards, which fueled their second-half surge and ultimately broke the game open. After leading 31-25 at halftime in a defensively sloppy opening period, the Rams asserted their physical advantage immediately after the break. They outscored Manhattan 52-28 in the second half, including a staggering 52-18 advantage in points in the paint for the game. Fordham also crushed the Jaspers on the offensive glass, grabbing 14 offensive rebounds to Manhattan’s six, leading to numerous second-chance opportunities. Schulte, a 6-foot-9 junior from Munster, Germany, was the catalyst, hitting 10 field goals and adding three assists and a block in 31 minutes. His inside presence was complemented by a backcourt that consistently broke down Manhattan’s defense. Christian Henry of Chicago scored 19 points and dished out nine assists, while DeJour Reaves of Syracuse added 18 points and five assists. The Rams shot 54.5 percent from the field, making 36 of 66 attempts. Manhattan struggled offensively all afternoon, shooting just 34.5 percent on 20-of-58 shooting. The Jaspers were particularly cold from beyond the arc, connecting on only 4 of 19 three-point attempts. Anthony Isaac provided a bright spot for Manhattan, scoring 16 points off the bench, including a perfect 9-for-9 performance from the free-throw line. Jaden Winston distributed seven assists for the Jaspers but was held to nine points on 4-of-13 shooting. Fordham’s decisive run began early in the second half. Leading 35-31, the Rams unleashed a 13-2 spurt over a three-minute span. The run featured a driving layup from Schulte, a pull-up jumper from Reaves, a three-pointer from Devin Dinkins for Manhattan that briefly interrupted the flow, and then consecutive baskets from Abass Bodija and Christian Henry. Henry’s three-pointer with 14:14 to play capped the run and gave Fordham a commanding 48-36 lead. Manhattan never recovered. The Rams continued to attack, with Schulte, Bodija and Reaves scoring at will in the lane. A 9-0 run later in the half, finished by another Henry three-pointer and a Reaves layup, extended the lead to 61-42 with 9:34 remaining, effectively sealing the outcome. Bodija, a 6-10 freshman from Brisbane, Australia, contributed 14 points and six rebounds off the bench. Akira Jacobs of Yokohama, Japan, grabbed 10 rebounds to go with eight points. The game drew an announced crowd of 1,029 to the historic Rose Hill Gym. Fordham, which had been installed as a nine-point favorite, easily covered the spread. The total score of 135 fell well under the over/under line of 148.5, largely due to Manhattan’s offensive struggles. Fordham next hosts New Haven on Dec. 22 before opening Atlantic 10 Conference play at Dayton on New Year’s Eve. Manhattan looks to rebound when it hosts Furman on Dec. 18.

Preview: Manhattan Jaspers at Fordham Rams NEW YORK (Interstat) — A local rivalry renews Saturday when the Fordham Rams host the Manhattan Jaspers in a non-conference men’s basketball game at Rose Hill Gym. Fordham (7-4) enters with the stronger record and seeks to continue its positive momentum after a commanding 75-54 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday. The Rams have been led by the steady backcourt play of junior guard DeJour Reaves, who is averaging 16.2 points and 4.5 assists over his last five games. In the win over FDU, Reaves posted 16 points and five assists, while Christian Henry added a team-high 17 points. The Rams’ season has featured notable highs, including an 88-68 victory over Albany, but also narrow setbacks, such as a 70-69 loss to Holy Cross last weekend. They are 5-1 at home this season. Manhattan (4-6) looks to rebound from a 68-80 road loss at Marist on Dec. 7. The Jaspers have struggled for consistency, mixing a 125-point offensive outburst in their opener with recent overtime defeats to Army and Wagner. Sophomore forward Marko Ljubicic has emerged as a key contributor, coming off a near double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds against Marist. Guard Jaden Winston leads the team in scoring, dropping 19 points in that same contest. The Jaspers’ defense, which allowed 109 points in a lopsided loss at Texas A&M, will be tested by a balanced Fordham attack. Historically, this Bronx battle is a tight series. The teams last met in December 2022, with Fordham securing a 69-55 victory. Saturday’s contest is the final tune-up for both teams before holiday breaks. Manhattan hosts Furman on Dec. 18, while Fordham welcomes New Haven on Dec. 22 before opening Atlantic 10 play at Dayton on New Year’s Eve. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST at Rose Hill Gym on the campus of Fordham University.