Box Score Dec. 18, 2010
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Bronx, N.Y. -
It was a tale of two halves in the 42nd annual "Battle of the Bronx" in women's basketball action from the Rose Hill Gymnasium on Saturday night. In the end, Manhattan's Abby Wentworth scored a game-high 18 points as the Jaspers took home a 49-45 win over the Fordham Rams.
The Rams are now 6-6 on the season, while the Jaspers improved to 6-3.
The first half began well Rams as they owned a 30-18 advantage at the break. They opened the game with an 18-6 run and eventually built a game-high 15 point lead.
Fordham jumped out to the 18-6 advantage as Becky Peters scored 10 of her team-best 16 points in the first nine and a half minutes of the half. After the Jaspers countered with buckets from Alyssa Herrington, Lindsey Loutsenhizer and Maggie Blair, the lead was reduced to five at 18-13.
The Rams then went on a 10-0 run to lead 28-13 with 3:57 left in the period. During the run, a hoop by Kyara Weekes and three-pointers from Abigail Corning and Charlotte Stoddart helped build the 15-point advantage. At the intermission, the Rams had made 6-of-11 three-pointers (54.5%).
The second stanza went in the wrong direction for the Rams, as the Jaspers caused 14 Ram turnovers in the second half. Fordham saw their 12-point halftime lead disappear as a basket by Manhattan's Wentworth tied the game at 40. The Jaspers then built a five-point lead, 46-41, on baskets by Wentworth and Loutsenhizer and a foul shot from Herrington with 3:40 left.
With 1:38 remaining in regulation, Tiffany Stokes scored two of her 14 points to pull Fordham back within two, 46-44. The stingy Fordham defense forced a shot clock violation at 1:10, giving the Rams an opportunity to even the score, but Corning missed her lay-up attempt. Fordham then committed a foul to put Wentworth on the line, where she made one-of-two foul shots to give Manhattan a 47-44 lead.
The Rams once again had a chance to tie the game. Becky Peters missed a three-pointer from the top of the key, forcing the Rams to foul again. Manhattan would hit two free throws over the final ten seconds to seal the four-point game.
For Fordham, Peters scored a team-high 16 points to go with six rebounds, with Stokes adding 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Corning also chipped in nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range to go with six rebounds.
Fordham returns to action on Wednesday, December 22nd as they face their second consecutive MAAC opponent, the Iona Gaels, in New Rochelle. The game is scheduled for 5:00 pm.
Game Notes: Fordham is now 18-24 all-time against Manhattan in the `Battle of the Bronx'...Kristina Bell started her 99th career game, tying her with Annie Zopf for 6th place all-time...Becky Peters passed Annette Kennedy on the all-time scoring list for 24th place. Her 799 career points leave her three shy of Jada Jefferson for 23rd.
