Jan. 5, 2009
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Bronx, N.Y. - The Fordham Rams will wrap up non-conference play this evening against another Patriot League opponent in the U.S. Naval Academy. The Rams (7-7) look to finish non-conference play with a winning record for the first time in five seasons. The last time was during the 2003-04 season, when they were 7-5 in non-conference play. Fordham will also look to avenge last year's loss to Navy, a 55-45 decision at Alumni Hall in Annapolis.
THE OPPONENT: Navy is 6-8 this season after falling to Air Force, 65-62 on Saturday. They are coached by Stefanie Pemper, who is in her first season.
For Navy, Cassie Consedine is once again the focal point, averaging 13.9 points and 8.3 rebounds, while adding 33 blocked shots. Angela Myers is also having a solid campaign, averaging 10.1 points and 7.4 rebounds, while among the team leaders in assists (48) and steals (29). Whitney Davidson is the top shooter for Navy, hitting a team-best 21 three-pointers and averaging 10.8 points a game.
PETERS NAMED ATLANTIC 10 CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:Fordham freshman Becky Peters (Plainsboro, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro South) received her second straight Atlantic 10 weekly honor today, as she earned Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week. It is the first time Fordham has ever had a women's basketball player earn back-to-back weekly honors since joining the Atlantic 10 in the 1995-96 season.
Peters had another outstanding week for the Rams, averaging 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in two games, while shooting 55.2% from the field (16-29). She was named MVP of the Fordham Holiday Tournament after recording her second straight double-double with a career-high 24 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Bryant. She was the first Ram to record back-to-back double-doubles since Kyshawn Ruff did in the final two games of the 2002-03 season. In her other game of the week, Peters notched 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists in a loss to Lehigh on Friday.
Peters, currently the Rams' second leading scorer (11.1 ppg) and rebounder (5.3 rpg), has come on strong since joining the Rams' starting line-up on December 6th, averaging 16.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in eight games.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: At the halfway point of the 2008-09 season, the Fordham Rams already rank first in the NCAA in team turnaround for wins. The Rams have a seven-win increase which is at least three more than their nearest competitor, Alabama (+4). Here are the standings: 1) Fordham - +7 (from 0 to 7), 2) Alabama - +4 (from 8 to 12), 3) Hofstra - +3 (from 5 to 8); Central Connecticut - +3 (from 4 to 7); Colgate - +3 (from 1 to 4)
IT'S BEEN A WHILE: By winning three straight games in December, Fordham was able to put a number of streaks to an end. Fordham got over the .500 mark for the first time since December 4, 2005, while also winning three straight for first time since a three-game win streak in Atlantic 10 play during the 2004-05 season.
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: After managing only one double-double last season, the Rams have already had four posted this season.
Junior Randall Hurst had the first of the year against Bucknell, while freshman Becky Peters recorded back-to-back double-doubles against Norfolk State and Bryant. She was the first Ram since Kyshawn Ruff at the end of the 2002-03 season to accomplish that feat. Hurst followed with her second double-double of the year at Lehigh, giving Fordham three straight games with a player having a double-double.
STEPPIN' UP: Six games into her first season with the Rams, things were pretty slow for freshman Becky Peters. Averaging 4.5 points and 3.8 rebounds off the bench, she was shooting just 25% from the field and 12.5% from behind the three-point arc.
Move forward eight games, in which Peters was thrust into the starting line-up, and things are far better for the New Jersey native. She is averaging 16.1 points and 6.4 rebounds a contest in those starts, scoring in double figures seven times as well as having two double-doubles. Her shooting has also improved, connecting on 48% from the field and 30% from three-point range. She has also been named Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week once in that span.
FRIENDLY CONFINES: Fordham has posted a winning record over the first 13 games of the season for the first time since the 2002-03 season, but the big difference has come at the friendly confines of the Rose Hill Gym. Over the past two seasons, Fordham managed only a 2-27 mark at home, while this season, Fordham is 6-2 at Rose Hill, which is their best mark since the 1994-95 season, when they were 7-1 at home. The Rams are holding opponents to a 52.8 scoring average at home, while forcing opponents into 18.8 turnovers a contest.
RAINING THREES: On December 10th against Iona, Fordham had one of the top shooting nights in team history. Not only did the Rams shoot a season-best 54% from the field, but Fordham hit 12-of-16 three-point shots in the game (75%). The trio of Becky Peters (5-5), Annie Zopf (4-6), and Kristina Bell (3-3) all contributed to the shooting barrage.
The 12 three-pointers were the most by Fordham since December 16, 1999, when the Rams also hit 12 three-pointers at Texas. So far this season, the 75% shooting mark is the best single game three-point shooting mark in the NCAA with a minimum of 12 makes and 65% shooting. The previous best this season was 73.3% by Air Force against N.C. Central.
DEFENSIVE STAND: Defense has been the biggest key to Fordham's successful start this season. Last year, Fordham ranked 13th in the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense, giving up 68.2 points a game. This year, Fordham is currently on pace to set the school record for scoring defense, allowing only 55.4 points, good for third in the Atlantic 10.
Since the 1977-78 season, Fordham has allowed an average below 60 points per game only four times with the lowest coming in the 1978-79 campaign, when the Rams gave up 58.4 points a game. This season, Fordham has also been ranked in the top 35 scoring defenses in the NCAA for the first four weeks of statistical reporting, where the team currently ranks 29th in the nation.
On top of the scoring defense, Fordham ranks in the top half of the Atlantic 10 in most defensive categories this season. Fordham is seventh in steals (7.5/gm), fourth in blocks (3.9/gm), fifth in three-point percentage defense (.301), and sixth in rebounding defense (36.1/gm).
