No. 12 Massachusetts 90, Fordham52: Chaz Williams had 18 points, eight assists and three steals as the host Minutemen used a dominant defense to rout the Rams in Atlantic 10 play.
Raphiael Putney and Trey Daviseach scored 13 points for Massachusetts (17-2, 4-1),while Maxie Esho added 10 points off the bench. Davis dished out acareer-best nine assists as the Minutemen had 25 assists on 33field goals.
Chris Whitehead led Fordham(8-11, 1-5) with 13 points while Branden Frazier added 12 points andfour assists. Freshman Jon Severe, the leading scorer in the Atlantic10, finished with seven points â?? matching his season low â?? on2-of-14 shooting from the floor, as the Rams shot 31.6 percent fromthe floor, including 6-of-26 from 3-point range.
It looked good early for theRams, as they jumped out to a 7-0 lead before the Minutemen got onthe board. But Massachusetts went on a 20-2 run to take control ofthe game and never let up, forging a 16-point halftime lead.
Any hope the Rams had was put torest early in the second, as the Minutemen opened with a 17-0 run,holding Fordham scoreless for the first five minutes of the secondhalf. From there it was a laugher, with the Minutemen clearing theirbench when the lead reached 30, as all 11 Massachusetts players thatsaw playing time scored at least four points.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Fordham’s RyanRhoomes came into the game averaging 7.7 points and 8 rebounds, butfinished with 1 point and 1 board, attempting just one field goal. â? The Minutemen dominated the glass, 43-30, led by Esho and Bergantino,who grabbed six rebounds apiece. â? Massachusetts hit 13-of-27 frombeyond the arc.
