Dec. 17, 2010
Manhattan Game Notes | WFUV Audio | Live Video | GameTracker | Follow on Twitter
Bronx, N.Y. -
The Fordham women's basketball team looks to improve its 2-1 December record, as the team hosts the Manhattan College Jaspers at the Rose Hill Gym.
The game will be the third contest for the Rams against a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference school, having defeated both St. Peter's and Rider earlier in the season. Fordham will have a tough task against Manhattan, which has won four of its last five games, including a 61-49 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore on December 6.
Both teams are enjoying the hot December nights as the Jaspers boast 3-1 mark this month, while the Rams own a 2-1 mark.
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 42nd all-time meeting between Fordham and Manhattan for the 'Battle of the Bronx'; The Jaspers own a 23-18 edge in the series. The two teams last faced each other on December 22, 2009 in Riverdale. Manhattan has won six of the 10 meetings this decade. The last Fordham win in the series came in 2008 as the Rams beat the Jaspers 62-49 in the Rose Hill Gymnasium.
SCOUTING MANHATTAN: The Jaspers are 5-3 this season, and won four of their last five. Manhattan is coached by John Olenowski, who is in his second season with Manhattan, posting a 20-18 record.
The Jaspers have had a consistent starting point, featuring Wentworh, Peters and Roeder as starters in all eight games. Abby Wentworth is Manhattan's top scorer this season at 13.5 ppg, while also leading the team with 24 steals and 36 assists. Despite averaging under six ppg, Nadia Peters leads the team in rebounding and blocks and is second in assists. Monica Roeder is second on the team in scoring, with 9.0 ppg. She is also shooting .400 (16-40) behind the three-point line.
ROSE HILL OR RIVERDALE: The Rams have dominated in the Rose Hill Gymnasium versus the Jaspers in recent years, winning four the last five contests held on Fordham Road. In the last five games in Riverdale, Manhattan has taken four wins.
HOME SWEET HOME: For the second straight year, Fordham has opened the season with a 3-0 record at the Rose Hill Gym. Over the last 30 years (since 1980-81), the Rams' best start at home was 7-0 in the 1983-84 season.
HITTING THE GLASS: One of the biggest improvements for the Rams this season has been the team's work on the glass. Fordham has out rebounded its opponents in six of ten contests this season. The Rams have five players averaging at least 4.3 rebounds per game, led by Tiffany Stokes at 7.0 per game. Fordham won the rebounding battle only nine times in 30 games a year ago.
FROM NEW YORK, THIS IS 20-20: In just 11 games this season, the Fordham Rams have had four different players break the 20-point barrier in a game, surpassing last year's total through 30 games.
Kristina Bell got the ball rolling with her first career 20-point game, posting a career-high 22 against Elon University. The following night, senior Caitlin Shadbolt matched that total with her first 20-point game, scoring 22 points against Stony Brook, while fellow senior Tiffany Stokes netted 21 points for her third career 20-point game. Becky Peters then joined the mix with a season-high 21 points at Fairleigh Dickinson, a 20-point game at Rider, and most recently with a second 21 point performance against Monmouth.
Shadbolt has added two more 20-point efforts since the Stony Brook game, netting a career-high 26 points versus Memphis and 22 points at Kansas, giving Fordham seven 20-point games. The Rams had 11 during the 2009-10 season.
TURNING UP THE DEFENSE: After a pair of sub-par defensive efforts in the opening two games, the Fordham Rams returned to its stingy ways against the Bucknell Bison on November 17th, even more so against Holy Cross on November 20th, and most recently on December 11 against the Monmouth Hawks.
Fordham allowed only 42 points to Bucknell, the lowest output for a Rams' opponent since La Salle scored 42 points on January 24, 2009. The Rams' held Bucknell to just 3-of-14 shooting in the second half, which included a 15-minute stretch without a Bison basket. Bucknell was also forced into 17 turnovers in the second half, and 28 for the game, which turned into 37 points on the offensive end.
The following game against Holy Cross was even better, as the Rams held Holy Cross to just 13 first half points, and 36 overall in the game. It was the lowest point total by a Fordham opponent since Puerto Rico-Mayaguez netted 31 points in the San Juan Shootout on December 22, 2004.
The 31-point win by Fordham was the largest margin of victory since that same game over Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, which was a 41-point margin. Most recently, the stingy Rams defense limited the Hawks to 34% shooting for the game and held them to only 55 total points. In fact, the Rams defense has posted three consecutive "double nickels", holding St. Peter's and Rider to just 55 points in addition to the Hawks.
COMING ATTRACTIONS: Fordham takes a short road trip up to nearby New Rochelle, New York to take on long time foe, Iona College on December 22 at 5:00 PM. Following the matchup with the Gaels, the Rams offer their fans a sweet basketball treat as they host The Fordham Holiday Classic and welcome in Siena, Yale and Villanova on December 28th and 29th. Both of Fordham's games start at 1:00 PM. After the classic, the Rams spend the New Year in Albany, New York to face the Great Danes before opening up Atlantic 10 Conference play with LaSalle on January 8th at the Rose Hill Gymnasium.
