Women's Basketball at Manhattan Wednesday for 49th Annual Battle of the Bronx

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham women's basketball team (2-2) rebounded from two close road losses with last Friday night's 48-33 victory over Northern Colorado, the lowest total by an opponent since 2013. The Rams will look to continue their momentum into Wednesday evening's 49th annual Battle of the Bronx contest, to played at Manhattan's (2-3) Draddy Gymnasium in nearby Riverdale. The all-time series is knotted up at 24-24. Fans can follow along with the game via the links above.
 
Upcoming Promotions
Toy Drive: The women's basketball teams will be collecting toys during TWO more home games (Dec. 3 and Dec. 9) for the Maria Ferari Children's Hospital. Fans that bring toys will get a ticket voucher for the women's game against George Washington on December 31.
 
Go4TheGoal: Wednesday's night contest will be "Lacing Up For Pediatric Cancer" with the Go4TheGoal Foundation. Both teams will be wearing yellow laces for the cause. Fans can make a donation by clicking here.
 
Last Time Out vs. RV/RV Northern Colorado
On the road at Boston College and then Albany, the Rams found themselves trailing each time entering the fourth quarters. Fordham rallied hard in both contests, falling just short against the Eagles in the final seconds, while taking a brief end-game lead at Albany, forcing overtime, and eventually falling to the Great Danes in extra time. The Rams looked a different team at home against Northern Colorado last Friday, trailing just once after the first basket of the game and outscoring the Bears, 27-15, in the second half. Fordham came out of halftime with a slim 21-18 lead but used an excellent two-way third frame to take a commanding 17-point lead, holding the visitors to just five points in that period. The Bears shot just 25.5% from the field overall and 1-for-26 from downtown, that lone make coming late in the fourth quarter. The Rams struggled somewhat offensively, shooting just 33.3% as a team and 21.4% from distance, but stout defense and yet another big double-double for G'mrice Davis (14 points & 17 rebounds) carried Fordham to its second victory of the season.
 
Series History vs. Manhattan
Wednesday evening will be the 49th annual Battle of the Bronx. The Jaspers are Fordham's most-played opponent in the school's history, with La Salle a close second at 47 meetings. The all-time series is split evenly, 24-24, since the 1979-80 season, when Manhattan was victorious at home, 69-56. The early portion of this classic rivalry tilted in the Jaspers' favor, with them winning 11 of the first 17 contests through the 1980s. After many years of back-and-forth results, the Rams have solidified their advantage, winning the last six meetings, all under head coach Stephanie Gaitley. Three of those contests were played at home and three on the road. Last year, Manhattan used a 27-15 third quarter to take a 52-41 lead at the Rose Hill Gym, but the Rams, undaunted, rallied furiously with a 22-8 fourth quarter to take the game, 63-60. Davis compiled a huge double-double (24 points & 18 rebounds), while Danielle Burns chipped in 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
 
Davis Scores 1,000th Point
G'mrice Davis entered her senior campaign with 970 career points scored and knowing it wouldn't be long to become the 20th Ram to ever accomplish the feat of scoring 1,000 career points in maroon and white. After scoring 28 combined points in her first two games, she was able to reach 1,000 quickly at Albany, midway through the first quarter on a textbook midrange jumper from near the left elbow off a pass from Lauren Holden. Davis would go quiet thereafter but explode in the second half, scoring 15 of her 17 points, including the go-ahead basket with 20 seconds left in regulation. The Philadelphia native added 14 points against Northern Colorado and now sits on 1,029 career points, just three points away from passing Carol Elser ('85) for 19th all-time.
 
Fourth-Ranked Defense
Fordham comes into the week allowing the fourth-fewest points per game in the country, allowing just 48.3 points to opponents. The Rams sit atop the Atlantic 10, as they did a year ago, and are behind just Green Bay, Stony Brook, and North Texas, as the only four programs to allow 50 or fewer points per contest. Last year, the Rams
 
Davis as Division I's Top Rebounder
G'mrice Davis, the nation's returning leading rebounder, hasn't missed a beat, leading all of Division I with 14.5 rebounds per game and 12.0 defensive boards per contest. The senior forward's four straight double-doubles to begin the season rank 10th overall, as well, and her 58 total rebounds rank 52nd.
 
National Ranks
It's never too early to cast an eye towards the Division I national statistics. Davis is once again doing her thing on the glass, but the Rams rank highly in several other team and individual categories, as well. Coming into Friday night's contest against Northern Colorado, junior guard Lauren Holden led the nation in minutes per game, at an unsustainable clip of 41.3 minutes per game, longer than an actual 40-minute regulation contest. After playing just 33 minutes against the Bears due to foul trouble, the junior is down to 39.3 minutes per contest, ranked fourth in the country. Redshirt freshman Bre Cavanaugh has made a big impact in the Fordham starting lineup and has been asked to log heavy minutes, averaging 38.0 per contest, which ranks 18th overall. Cavanaugh's been deadly from the free throw line thus far, converting on 88.9% of her attempts, which ranks 52nd in DI.
 
As a team, the Gaitley-led Rams continue to be a top-tier defensive squad, currently ranked fourth overall with just 48.3 points allowed per game. Part of that is the team's success guarding the perimeter, with opponents' hitting just 25.4% of their three-point attempts, ranked 40th in thecountry and second in the A-10.
 
Fordham's 74.6% team conversion rate at the free throw line has the team ranked 61st in the country, while the squad has really committed to minimizing fouls in the early going, with just 14.8 per game, ranked 29th overall. The Davis-inspired attack on the glass has the Rams with a reboundign margin of +8.5, ranked 52nd overall.
 
Defense, Defense, Defense
A staple of the Gaitley-led Rams is defense, and no stat better represents that than Fordham's 51-5 record when holding opponents under 50 points during her tenure. Last January, Saint Joseph's defeated the Rams, 47-44, at Hagan Arena in Philadelphia, ending a streak of 38 consecutive contests with such victories. The last time before that loss, coincidentally, was also against the Hawks, in the 2013 A-10 Championship game at the Barclays Center, 47-46. Fordham was 10-1 last year when holding opponents under 50 points.
 
Since Gaitley took over before the 2011-12 season, the Rams have ranked within the top-50 in all six seasons, and within the top-20 at the conclusion of half of them. The highest a Gaitley-coached defense has finished was 12th during the conference-winning 2013-14 campaign, holding opponents at 56.3 points per game, while the 2012-13 squad held opponents to just 52.4 points per game, ranked 16th nationally. Last year, Fordham held opponents to 56.2 points per game and was ranked 19th in the country at season's end. This season, the Rams are 2-0 in such games, holding UMBC to 46 points and Northern Colorado to 33 points, and rank fourth with 48.3 points allowed per contest.
 
Got a Minute?
Junior tri-captain Lauren Holden sits fourth in all of Division I in minutes played, currently at 39.3 per game. A starter since midway through her freshman season, Holden played in 39, 40, and 45 minutes, respectively, to start this campaign, missing just one minute of action in the season-opening win over UMBC on November 10, before being on the floor for just 33 against the Bears on Friday night due to foul trouble. Holden also reached the 2,000-minute mark against Northern Colorad and is fast approaching the all-time top-20. Bre Cavanaugh, meanwhile, is averaing 38.0 minutes per game during the first four contests of her Fordham career. She played 40 of 45 minutes at Albany and 35 against Northern Colorado. G'mrice Davis' 35.3 minutes per game also ranks 101st.
 
Fourth Quarter Rallies
In Fordham's two losses this season, the Rams have faced double-digit deficits but made furious charges in the final period of action to get close or take the lead. At Boston College, the Eagles led by 12 with 3:23 left in regulation. Fordham responded, however, and rattled off an impressive 10-1 run down to the final 20 seconds where the Eagles were able to hit both of their free throws and solidify the victory. At Albany, the Rams entered the fourth quarter trailing by 11. Fordham had shown flashes in the third quarter, outscoring Albany, 12-11, but still unable to make up the necessary ground. The Great Danes began the fourth with a short 4-2 run to lead by 13, but after that last basket, it was all Fordham. The Rams rampaged to a one-point lead with 20 seconds to play, capping a 15-1 run, with G'mrice Davis scoring 11  of those points. Unfortunately for Fordham, the Great Danes would tie things up and go on to win in overtime.
 
Slow Starts, Strong Finishes
Through four games this season, the Rams are being outscored by their opponents, 94-84, in first halves. Thanks to a 19-5 outburst in the third quarter of Friday's victory, the Rams are now outscoring opponents 57-43 in third periods and 60-43 in fourth quarters, despite the Bears outscoring the Rams, 10-8, on Friday. Combined, Fordham has outscored opponents, 117-86 over the final 20 minutes of this season's contests.
 
Davis Racks Up Preseason Honors
G'mrice Davis' breakout junior season saw her earn First Team All-Conference and All-Defensive honors, and the league's coaches predicted her to do so again as a senior. Read more about it by clicking here. Davis was also selected as one of 20 players in Division I for the inaugural Katrina McClain Award Watch List, to be given out to the nation's top power forward, starting with this season.
 
Fordham Picked to Finish Fifth in Preseason Poll
Likewise, the league's coaches also predicted an identical fifth-place finish for Fordham in the preseason poll. You can click the link above for more information.
 
Five Fordham Debuts
Five freshmen made their debuts on Friday against UMBC, the most since 2011. Three of those freshmen started the contest, the most in the last 15 years. Joey Klug's 13 points were the most by a freshman in her debut since Hannah Missry scored 14 in 2013. Klug became the first freshman to record both a block and a steal in her debut over the last 15 years, as well, and the first to record at least one block since Samantha Clark had two in her 2012 debut. Cavanaugh's 39 minutes were the most by a freshman making her debut since Megan Mahoney played all 40 minutes in 2007.
 
Gaitley Makes History
Stephanie Gaitley reached 100 wins with the Fordham program against Little Rock on November 19, 2016, and later won her 116th contest at home against Massachusetts, 74-43, in February, passing Kathy Mosolino ('74-'80) for the most wins in program history. Gaitley tied and passed the milestone with two typical Gaitley-inspired performances, with three-pointers and excellent defense, holding both opponents below 50 points. Entering the 2017-18 season, Gaitley had 120 wins across six seasons in the Bronx, an average of over 20 per campaign. Her 122 total wins are the second-most of any of Gaitley's stops in her 32-year career as a head coach, ahead of her 116 wins at Richmond (1985-91) but a ways away from her 10-year stint at Saint Joseph's (1991-2001), in which she racked up 196 wins. Gaitley has a career 586-348 record and has the second-most overall wins among active A-10 coaches, behind Saint Louis' Lisa Stone, and has the second-most wins by any Atlantic 10 coach, with 167 between Fordham and Saint Joseph's, but is 73 behind Joe McKeown's record of 240 that he accumulated during his 17 years with George Washington from 1989 to 2008.
 
This Is Our House
Fordham finished its 2016-17 campaign with a 16-3 at home, as opposed to a 5-7 record on the road and 1-2 at neutral sites. They were also 7-1 during home conference contests for the second year in a row. Since Gaitley took over before the 2011-12 season, the Rams hold a 73-24 (75.3%) record at home. They are 2-0 thus far this season in the Bronx. On the flip side, including this year's 0-2 start, Gaitley's Rams are 49-54 (47.6%) on the road or on neutral ground.
 
November Rams
Under Coach Gaitley, Fordham is 25-15 during the month of November, and 4-3 in season openers. This season they are 2-2.
 
Career Numbers Watch
- G'mrice Davis is 21 points away from 1,050
- G'mrice Davis is 22 rebounds away from 850
- G'mrice Davis is one offensive rebound away from 200
- G'mrice Davis is nine steals away from 100
- G'mrice Davis is three appearances away from 100
- G'mrice Davis is seven starts away from 75
- Asnate Fomina is two assists away from 150
- Asnate Fomina is 10 steals away from 50
- Asnate Fomina is 13 appearances away from 100
- Lauren Holden is three assists away from 125
- Lauren Holden is 30 field goals away from 200
- Lauren Holden is 10 three's away from 100
- Lauren Holden is seven appearances from 75
 
The "Yutes"
The Rams graduated three seniors last May and saw two other players depart. The turnover means there are five returning players and an incoming group of nine freshman, only one of whom will sit out the 2017-18 season. Fordham is one of the youngest teams in the country, with 64.3% of its roster made up of freshman. An unofficial survey yielded that the Rams rank 22^nd in terms of percentage of underclassmen on the roster, and, with no sophomores and nine freshmen, rank joint-first with percentage of freshman. You can view the 2017-18 roster here.
 
The Stephanie Gaitley Show
Back for a seventh season is head coach Stephanie Gaitley and so is her weekly show with WFUV. You can watch and/or listen to every episode by clicking here.
 
Class of 2018
Gaitley and the program announced a four-person recruiting class on Thursday morning: guards Chloe Chaffin and Cat Polisano, and forwards Kaitlyn Downey and Megan Jonassen. Read more about the newest Rams here.
 
2016-17 Review
Last year's Rams finished the season with a 22-12 overall record and 11-5 in conference play, good for a fifth-place final standing. Their efforts were rewarded with a WNIT bid, the program's third in the past five years under head coach Stephanie Gaitley, and Fordham, like its other two trips to the postseason tournament, made it past the first round, this time by rallying to defeat Georgetown on the road, before falling at Penn State a couple days later. Senior forward G'mrice Davis led the way, becoming just the second Ram to ever average a double-double over the course of the season, and was chosen as an Atlantic 10 First Team All-Conference and All-Defensive honoree. Davis was the second player to ever earn First Team honors (Erin Rooney in both 2013 and 2014), and third to garner All-Defensive recognition (Arielle Collins in 2013 and Samantha Clark in 2016). Davis finished the campaign second in total rebounding (436), rebounding per game (12.8), defensive boards per game (10.0), and third in double-doubles (24), but is the returning leader in those categories after graduations. Davis was recently predicted to repeat both of her accomplishments for her senior campaign, and was chosen as one of 20 players in Division I to the inaugural Katrina McClain Award watch list, to be given annually to the nation's top power forward.
 
The class of 2017, Danielle Burns, Hannah Missry, and Danielle Padovano, made up some of the most durable players in Fordham history, all three rankings in the top-seven in career games played and, in Missry's case, second all-time in career starts. The trio made up 32.1% of the Fordham offense a season ago. Missry, who broke the school's all-time three-pointers made record as a junior, continued to add to her tally, finishing her career with 310, which ranks third all-time in Atlantic 10 history.
 
Coach Gaitley earned win number 116 at Fordham in a big win over Massachusetts at home last February, breaking a tie with Kathy Mosolino (1974-80) for the most wins in program history. Gaitley finished the year with 120 victories over her six seasons in the Bronx, an average of 20 per season. The 120 wins are the second-most of any of Gaitley's stops in her 32-year career as a head coach, ahead of her 116 win at Richmond (1985-91) but a ways away from her 10-year stint at Saint Joseph's (1991-2001), in which she racked up 196 wins. Gaitley has a career 584-346 record and has the second-most overall wins among active A-10 coaches, behind Saint Louis' Lisa Stone, and has the second-most wins as an Atlantic 10 coach, with 175, but is 65 behind Joe McKeown's record of 240 that he accumulated during his 17 years with George Washington from 1989 to 2008.
 
Up Next
The Rams return to the Bronx to host Pittsburgh on Sunday at 2 p.m.