Box Score Nov. 23, 2010
Box Score
Hackensack, N.J. -
For every punch that Fairleigh Dickinson threw at the Fordham Rams on Tuesday, the Rams came back with an answer each time. The Knights pulled within one point of the Fordham women's basketball team on four different occasions in the second half, but Fordham, led by a trio of double-digit scorers, never relinquished that lead, pulling out a gutsy 62-56 win at the Rothman Center in Hackensack, N.J.
With the win, Fordham improves to 4-1, extending the team's win streak to four games, while Fairleigh Dickinson falls to 2-2. The 4-1 start by the Rams is the best since a 4-1 start by the 1996-97 team.
"We made some big shots tonight. We didn't have our best defensive game, and you have to give credit to Fairleigh Dickinson for attacking us, but at the end of the day we made shots, we won the game, and I give credit to our gals for pulling the game out," said head coach Cathy Andruzzi in her postgame comments.
The teams went back and forth in the early stages of the contest with Fairleigh Dickinson taking a brief lead at 9-8 with 12:40 remaining. Fordham then took control of the first half behind a 13-2 run over the next five minutes, taking a 21-11 lead. The run was highlighted by five points by Kyara Weekes, which including a three-point play.
The Knights cut that lead in half to five, but the Rams responded with a fast break basket by Kristina Bell and a lay-up from Caitlin Shadbolt to regain a nine-point lead, 27-18. Fairleigh Dickinson closed back with four, but Weekes ended the half with a three-pointer with 5.4 seconds left, leading the Rams into the locker room with a 30-23 lead.
At the break, the Rams shot 52% from the field (13-25), and held an 18-14 scoring advantage in the paint. Fordham's Weekes and Becky Peters led all scorers with eight points at the break with Peters also having four rebounds.
The second half saw the Knights make a surge to get back into the game, highlighted by a three-pointer from Danielle Pankey, but Fordham received three straight baskets from Shadbolt to keep the Rams in the lead, 37-34.
The Knights would close the lead to one on each of the next three possessions, but Fordham had an answer each time with the final one being a three-point basket from Peters to give Fordham a 44-40 lead with 9:44 to go. Later, Shadbolt also hit a long range three-pointer, extending the lead to seven, at 49-42.
Fairleigh Dickinson made a final push in the waning minutes of the game on three free throws, which put Fordham's lead at 53-51. Peters though would not relent, hitting her second three-pointer of the game to push the lead back to five. The Rams then hit six-of-eight free throws in the final 1:31 of the game to seal the six-point win.
For the game, Fordham shot 46% from the field, while holding Fairleigh Dickinson to 35.8% shooting.
For Fordham, Peters scored a game-high 21 points to go with eight rebounds. She was 6-of-10 from the field, including 2-for-2 from three-point range, while hitting 7-of-8 free throws. Shadbolt chipped in 13 points with Weekes adding 12 points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench.
Fairleigh Dickinson was led by Pankey's 20 points and four rebounds.
The Fordham women's basketball team will next be in action on Friday, November 26th, when the Rams begin play at the BTI Tipoff Classic, hosted by the University of Kansas. Fordham will match-up with Memphis in the first game of the tournament, with tip-off set for 5:30 PM Eastern (4:30 PM Central).
Game Notes: Fordham improved to 3-3 all-time against Fairleigh Dickinson... Fordham has won three straight games over the Knights... Fordham is out to its first 4-1 start in 14 years since the 1996-97 season. That year the Rams began the year at 5-1... Becky Peters became the fourth different Ram to have 20 points in a game this season, joining Kristina Bell, Tiffany Stokes, and Caitlin Shadbolt ... Fordham has scored at least 60 points in its first five games for the first time, since a five-game streak to open the 2002-03 season.
