Rams Fall in Another Close Contest 67-64 to Southwest Baptist at Disney
Orlando, FL- The Philadelphia University Rams (0-2) went down to the wire in their second straight game at the Disney Tip-Off Classic this weekend, losing 67-64 to the Southwest Baptist University Bearcats (2-0) on Saturday evening. The Bearcats were ranked as high as #3 in the country in preseason polls, while the Rams garnered a #19 ranking.
PhilaU was directed by senior guard Russell Frederick (Baltimore, MD/ Calvert Hall) who led all scorers with 24 points on the night, along with four rebounds and one block. PhilaU held SBU's preseason ‘Player of the Year' Matt Rodgers to just 14 points.
The Rams led through most of the first half, taking a 40-37 edge going into halftime. PhilaU would shoot 42% from the floor to SBSU's 44%.
In the second stanza PhilaU led by as many as seven points, going up 46-39 at the 18:38 mark on a layup by senior Mike Yocum (Dresher, PA/ Episcopal Academy). Yocum would finish the night with 10 points and six rebounds. PhilaU senior forward Malcolm Ingram (Philadelphia, PA/ Solebury Prep) added 17 points, seven rebounds and a steal for the maroon and gray.
But the Bearcats managed to stay ahead with two made treys from Tomas Brock with 54 seconds remaining to make it 66-64 and addeded another made free-throw nearly 20 seconds later to hang on, as a last second three-point attempt by PhilaU's junior guard Marcus Lemon (Alexandria, VA/ T.C. Williams) fell short.
SBSU's Thijin Moses led the Bearcats with 20 points (5-8 from three-point land), helping his squad to a 39% three-point percentage.
The Rams have one remaining game in Florida, on Sunday (11/8) when they face Saint Leo's College at 4:45 p.m. before returning home.
