Women's Basketball Falls to St. John's

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Bronx, N.Y. – A fourth quarter scoring drought signaled the end of what had been a tight back-and-forth affair on Tuesday night as the Fordham women's basketball team fell, 59-45, to St. John's in the Bronx. With the loss, the Rams fall to 7-4 (1-0 A-10) on the season, while the Red Storm improve to 6-3 overall.

"I'm hoping that we learn through this loss, that we have to play defense to be in every game," head coach Stephanie Gaitley said, "We can't let offense dictate our success. I'm confident that we will come ready to play at the Battle of the Bronx this Saturday!"
 
Fordham outscored its visitors in the first and third periods but struggled in the final frame, netting just six points and failing to convert from the field over the final eight minutes. Senior guard Danielle Burns led the way for the Rams with 13 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes, while leading scorer and rebounder G'mrice Davis struggled with foul trouble throughout the contest, limiting the junior forward to just four points and six rebounds in 19 minutes.
 
The Red Storm started off hot, taking a quick 6-0 lead after two and a half minutes on two mid-range makes by Jade Walker, plus free throws from Akina Wellere. Burns stopped the run with a three a minute later but Alisha Kebbe answered on the next possession with a long-range make of her own, bringing the lead back to six. Fordham chipped away after that, going on a 7-0 run over the next two minutes on a Kate Kreslina layup and five free throws between Lauren Holden, Mary Goulding, and Danielle Padovano, to take a one-point lead, 10-9, with 3:30 left in the quarter. The two teams traded field goals over the next minute and then neither school scored over the final two minutes of the frame, with the Rams leading, 14-13, heading into the second quarter.
 
Fordham and St. John's again battled over a very slow opening seven minutes and change, with each team scoring six points. With the Rams again holding a slim lead, 20-19, the Red Storm enjoyed a brief flourish to take a slightly more comfortable five-point lead into the break. Kebbe's make from downtown sparked an 8-2 run to end the half. St. John's led, 27-22, at the break.
 
Fordham shot 7-of-12 from the floor in the third quarter (58.3%) and 6-of-8 from inside the arc, as the Rams outscored St. John's 17-16 in the frame to get within four heading into the fourth quarter. Fordham started hot, with Danielle Burns immediately canning a jumper off the block followed by a Holden jumper along the baseline and two Davis makes to give the Rams their largest lead of the night, 30-27, as St. John's head coach Joe Tartamella called a timeout. The Red Storm were focused coming out of the huddle, scoring six straight points between Kebbe and Walker until Holden's lone three-pointer went in to knot the game up for a second time, 33-33. Again the two schools traded baskets until St. John's pulled away slightly with two quick makes by Kebbe and Maya Singleton. The score would be tied or in favor of the visitors from that point on. A pair of Burns free throws got her team within two, 41-39, with the seconds ticking down in the period, but Lewis' wild jumper fell through for the four-point lead between quarters.
 
There was to be one last tie early in the final frame before St. John's pulled away late; Burns and Padovano combined for four points to knot things up, 43-43, but the latter's jumper would be the last field goal Fordham could convert. Burns' free throws with 6:27 to go were the last points scored by the hosts as the Red Storm continued to force turnovers and tough shots, finishing the contest on a 12-0 run.
 
Fordham shot 40.5% from the floor heading into the fourth quarter, which would've been the best mark for the Rams since the win over Duquesne at the beginning of the month. However, a tough 2-for-15 line from the field in that frame led to a 32.7% (17-for-52) final clip. Fordham struggled all night, though, from downtown, matching a season-low two makes in 16 attempts. The Rams did continue to shoot well from the charity stripe, knocking down 9-of-10, to remain the conference's most assured free throw shooters.
 
The Rams won the battle of the boards for the fifth time this season, 36-35, and the first time since the Duquesne game. Both teams had nine assists but Fordham coughed the ball up 18 times to St. John's 10 miscues.
 
Walker scored a game-high 18 points and secured a game-high eight rebounds over 32 minutes, followed by Kebbe's 16 points and seven rebounds. Lewis played all 40 minutes and racked up nine points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals for the Red Storm.
 
The Rams continue their out-of-conference homestand with Saturday's annual Battle of the Bronx, hosting Manhattan at 5 p.m. in the Rose Hill Gym.