GAME NOTES: Fordham plays host to Rhode Island on Wednesday night in an Atlantic 10 Conference matchup between Rams mascots trending in opposite directions.

Fordham remains winless in conference play and dropped its sixth straight game overall last Thursday in a 79-59 drubbing at the hands of George Washington. The outcome was decided just over five minutes in, as GW built a commanding 18-2 lead that was never seriously threatened the rest of the way.

Eric Paschall paced the Rams with 17 points, while Mandell Thomas finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists in what proved to be a disappointing party at Rose Hill Gym, which was celebrating its 90th year.

One of the few things Fordham can hang its hat on is the play of the freshman Paschall, who leads the team in scoring at 16.9 ppg while also pulling down 5.8 rpg. He turns the ball over more than three times a game, but that number will decrease as he gains more experience.

Fellow freshman Chris Sengfelder accounts for 10.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest, while Thomas is also scoring in double figures at 12.4 ppg.

While the Paschall-Sengfelder-Thomas trio has been impressive at times, Fordham's defense leave a lot to be desired, as it ranks near the bottom of the A-10 with an average yield of 68.2 ppg.

Last Sunday, Rhode Island pulled out a 53-48 home win over St. Bonaventure thanks to a near triple-double from Hassan Martin and five free throws from T.J. Buchanan down the stretch.

Martin totaled 10 points and 11 rebounds and also had seven blocks for the Rhode Island, which has won two in a row to improve to 5-2 in league play. Jared Terrell tallied a career-high 19 points in a game that featured 17 lead changes.

The Rams and Bonnies were tied at 47-47 with 2:32 remaining before Rhode Island scored six of the game's final seven points -- all on free throws.

The win was even more impressive considering URI was without leading scorer E.C. Matthews, who was sidelined with a foot injury. Matthews is averaging 17.0 ppg, and his status for Wednesday's game is in question. Terrell picked up the slack the last time out, upping his season average to 8.7 ppg.

Martin has seen his production improve against A-10 foes, as the 6-foot-7 sophomore is putting up 12.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and nearly six blocks in those seven contests. Gilvydas Biruta averages just over nine points per game for an offense that shoots an impressive 46.6 percent from the floor.

Rhode Island, which also tops the conference in scoring defense at 56.9 ppg, leads the all-time series against Fordham, 36-25. There's little doubt that disparity will grow wider on Wednesday night.