skip navigation

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Clifton Moore’s Career High Not Enough as La Salle Falls to Fordham in First A-10 Matchup of the Year

By Caleb Pfleiger, 01/01/22, 2:15PM EST

Share

By: Caleb Pfleiger

PHILADELPHIA- The La Salle Explorers opened up their conference play against the Fordham Rams in Tom Gola Arena on Thursday, where the Explorers came into this matchup 5-1. Both teams were looking to earn their first win in the Atlantic 10 conference.

With La Salle's every day starter and swiss army knife Christian Ray being ruled out, this game created an opportunity for head coach Ashley Howard to be creative with his line-up. For the first time this season, Howard started graduate Mamadou Doucoure and senior Clifton Moore, both players measuring in at 6’10. This certainly gave the Explorers a height advantage over the Rams that hasn't been utilized previously this season.

La Salle came out of the gates running, as Moore tallied the first five points of the game. After the first media timeout, La Salle led Fordham 9-7 in a back and forth battle. Fordham senior Josh Colon-Navarro provided a spark off the bench for the Rams, as he knocked down two threes in the first half.

With the first half winding down, sophomore Jhamir Brickus assisted freshman Khalil Brantley for three, to put the Explorers up 31-26 at the half.

Moore impressed in the first half, as he tallied 12 of La Salle's 31 points, as well as contributing four blocks. La Salle did a tremendous job attacking the glass in the first half as the Explorers out-rebounded Fordham 23 to 12.

La Salle opened up the second half identical to the first, as Moore continued to shine scoring the first four points of the second half. Junior Jack Clark chipped in, getting a put-back off the glass, extending La Salle's lead to 37-26, as Fordham called its first timeout of the second half.

La Salle vs. Fordham - Video Highlights by Caleb Pfleiger

After Fordham’s timeout, whatever head coach Kyle Neptune changed or told his team worked as the Rams went on a 25-9 run, fueled by seniors Colon- Navarro and Darius Quisenberry, who combined for six three pointers to bring the Rams back in the game. Once Fordham took the lead for the first time in the second half 45-42, they never looked back.

La Salle's Doucoure and Moore stepped up late in the second half by scoring 15 of the Explorers final 18 points, but ultimately it wasn't enough, as Fordham held on to defeat La Salle 69-61.

La Salle falls to 5-6 on the season as Fordham improves to 8-5 and starts the year undefeated in the A-10 conference.

 Moore tallied a career high 26 points for La Salle while also adding eight rebounds and five blocks. Fordham’s Colon-Navarro led both beaches with a career high 17 points. Atlantic 10 conference play will continue for La Salle as they go on to face Rhode Island January 2nd, to try and earn their first conference and road victory of the season.