ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands – The Norfolk State men's basketball team dropped its first game of the 2023 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Friday afternoon, falling 77-64 to Fordham at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center.
 
The Rams (2-1) never trailed as the Spartans (3-1) took their first loss of the season with the result.
 
Jamarii Thomas and Tyrel Bladen led NSU with 11 points each, while Kuluel Mading also scored in double-figures (10). Jaylani Darden pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds while adding four points and three steals.
 
Fordham got off to a quick start, going ahead 6-0 with a second-chance dunk from Abdou, Tsimbila. Nyzaiah Chambers got the Spartans on the board with an inside score, but four Fordham free throws increased the Rams' lead to 10-2.
 
Christian Ings knocked down a pair of free throws, before Thomas drained a mid-range jumper to bring the Spartans within three. Fordham began to heat up from behind the arc, however, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers during a one-sided stretch that brought the advantage to double-digits.
 
Angel Montas knocked down a long shot to push the Rams ahead by 16, before Daryl Anderson gave the Spartans some life with a second-chance 3-pointer.
 
Fordham continued to knock down tough shots, increasing the lead to 20 late in the first half. The Spartans fought their way back into the game, though, starting with a pair of Thomas free throws and a steal-and-score from Darden.
 
Ings knocked down another jumper on Norfolk State's next possession, before Kuluel Mading drained a 3-pointer to bring Norfolk State within 10. That would be the Spartans' deficit going into halftime.
 
Mading converted inside the paint to get the Spartans moving early in the second half, but another Rams 3-pointer gave Fordham momentum once again. Fordham shot 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) from behind the arc on Friday, while holding NSU to a 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) clip.
 
Montas made a jump shot to give Fordham its largest lead of the afternoon at 64-42, before Daman Tate gave the Spartans energy off the bench with a 3-pointer.
 
Bladen got the Spartans going with several impressive plays, including an and-one finish and a fastbreak dunk, but the deficit was too large for the Spartans to overcome. Norfolk State scored eight points in the final minute of play, as Fordham secured a spot in the second round of the winner's bracket.
 
Norfolk State will face San Jose State in the consolation bracket on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. EST, 4:15 p.m. local. SJSU lost 77-71 to Abilene Christian on Friday, after holding a 10-point halftime lead.