Box Score Dec. 30, 2010
Box Score |
Photo Gallery 
| Tournament Central
Bronx, N.Y. - In an exciting game that came down to the closing seconds, the Fordham Rams fell to the Siena Saints 49-47 in the opening game of day two of the 2010 Fordham Holiday Classic. The Rams, the hosts of the tournament, finished with a 1-1 record, after beating Yale and falling to Siena. Fordham's Tiffany Stokes missed a last-second shot that would have tied the game. With the loss, Fordham is 7-8. The Saints improve to 2-8.
The Fordham defense did what they do best on Thursday, holding Siena to under 50 points. This was the fourth straight opponent they held under 50 points. However, in uncustomary fashion, the Rams got outrebounded 28-27 and surrendered 3-of-7 three-pointers.
The game began with the visitors taking a 6-2 lead courtesy of a Maja Gerlying jumper at 15:47. From there, the Rams used a 10-2 run to grab a 12-8 lead at 11:18. All the points on the run came from Becky Peters and Tiffany Stokes. The game continued back and forth with neither team getting a lead above five points. Siena had the ball in the closing seconds of the half, but Peters stole it and took it back for a buzzer-beating layup. The game was even at 25-25 at the half.
Siena opened the second stanza with a 13-2 run capped by a Kate Zarotney foul shot at 12:07 to make the score 38-27. The Rams turned up the defensive pressure from there.
After an Abigail Corning jumper cut the lead to nine, Stokes blocked a shot and scored on the other end, bringing the Rams within seven at 38-31 with 11:01 left. Fordham trimmed the lead further as a Kyara Weekes jumper inside of eight minutes made the score 40-37 for Siena. Peters scored a layup at 6:06 to trim the Saints' lead to one, 42-41.
The game was back and forth once again until Cathy Cockrum broke a 47-47 tie with a basket with 0:40 left. In the closing seconds, Fordham guard Kristina Bell stole the ball from the Saints and the Rams called a timeout. Out of the timeout, Stokes missed the tying basket and Siena won 49-47.
Peters led all scorers with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Weekes chipped in with 11 points and added two assists. Stokes had eight rebounds and scored nine points, narrowly missing a double-double for the second straight game. The Rams will spend the New Year heading to Albany as they complete their non-league schedule against the Great Danes on January 2. They return home to open Atlantic 10 play with the LaSalle Explorers on Saturday, January 8.
Game Notes: Siena was the fourth straight team held under 50 points by the Rams...Fordham forced 18 Siena turnovers...Fordham erased an 11 point deficit in the second half of the game...The Rams were outrebounded for the first time since the Monmouth game on December 11.
Game 4 - Villanova 57, Yale 44
Box Score
The final game of the 2010 Fordham Holiday Classic concluded with Villanova taking home a 57-44 victory over Yale. With the win, Villanova improves to 7-6 overall, while Yale goes to 3-9.
A slow first half would see the Bulldogs have the lead at halftime, 27-21, as the Wildcats shot just 28.6% from the field in the first half. Yale closed the first half with a seven-point spurt, highlighted by a three-pointer from Allie Messimer.
Yale continued to lead by six, 30-24, in the second half, but Villanova came alive behind a 14-3 run, headed up by three baskets from Laura Sweeney, to grab a 38-33 lead. Villanova never looked back after taking the lead, leading by as many as 15 in the second half.
Lindsay Kimmel and Sweeney paced Villanova with 15 points each, while Yale was led by Megan Vasquez with 12 points.
Following the conclusion of the tournament, the following were selected to the 2010 Fordham Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team:
Laura Sweeney - Villanova
Lindsay Kimmel - Villanova
Kyara Weekes - Fordham
Serena Moore - Siena
Mady Gobrecht - Yale
