Feb. 19, 2010
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Washington, D.C. - The Fordham women's basketball team takes to the road, traveling to our nation's Capital, Washington, D.C., for their final road trip of the season against George Washington University. The Rams and Colonials will tip off at 2 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 20 for the Rams' penultimate regular season contest. The game is designated the annual Pink Zone contest for the Colonials.
Ram fans can follow the game live via webcast and GameTracker live stats on www.gwsports.com. Broadcasters from Fordham's own WFUV Radio will also be calling the action live on www.WFUV.org.
SATURDAY'S GAME: The Rams (8-19, 2-10 A-10) and Colonials (5-18, 2-8 A-10) are both fighting for a spot in the annual Atlantic 10 Tournament held on March 5-7 in Upper Marlboro, Md. Fordham has one game left to play after George Washington, against the No. 6 team in the country, Xavier, on Feb. 27. After Fordham, George Washington has a tough three-game finish against Saint Louis on Feb. 23, who recorded two wins this week to go up 4-8 in the league; then back-to-back games against Richmond (Feb. 26) and at Temple (Feb. 27).
Currently, both George Washington and Fordham have two wins in the A-10, and both are on the hunt for Win No. 3 to separate themselves from the two-win tie at the bottom of the standings to help get into the post-season conference tourney.
Statistically, Fordham has the advantage over GW, scoring 1.3 ppg more on average and allowing 3.2 ppg less.
FORDHAM FACTS: Fordham is coming off a tough loss at home against Saint Louis, 71-60 on Feb. 16, where senior Randall Hurst scored her second consecutive 20-point game. Hurst has recorded back-to-back 20-point contests two other times this season -- in the beginning of the season vs. Albany (Nov. 13) - 22 points, at Central Connecticut (Nov. 18) - 20 points, at Bucknell (Nov. 21) - 23 points; and in the middle of the season, at Providence (Dec. 31) - 23 points, and at Princeton (Jan. 2) - 23 points.
Hurst has been coming off the bench to score bher most recent 20-point scoring stint, giving the Rams the energy spurt they need mid-game. Hurst, who will be honored in next week's senior day, has moved up her average that was at 13.4 ppg after the Dayton game (Feb.11) to 14.1 ppg, currently.
SCOUTING GEORGE WASHINGTON: The Colonials are led by Tianna Myers, who has started all 23 games this season. Myers averages 12.7 points per game. She is aided by Sara Mostafa, a fellow consistent starter, with 9.9 points per game. Of the Colonials line up, just Mostafa and Myers have started every game.
Brooke Wilson leads the Colonials at the boards with 175 total rebounds, 7.6 rebounds per game.
George Washington is currently riding a four-game losing streak, starting on Jan. 30 with a 63-47 loss at Saint Joseph's. In the four-game stint, the Colonials have lost to then-No. 10 Xavier, 72-56 (Feb. 3), a close loss decided by last second free throws at Duquesne, 66-64 (Feb. 6) and most recently a 74-50 loss at St. Bonaventure (Feb. 14). The Colonials have been out of game play for a week, compared to Fordham's three-day turnaround.
At St. Bonaventure, Mostafa tallied her fifth double-double of the season with 14-points, 10 rebounds. Myers added 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting and four assists.
George Washington is currently 11th in the Atlantic 10 standings.
RAMS VS. COLONIALS - THE SERIES: Saturday's contest marks the 16th meeting between the two conference rivals in series history, the 15th in regular season play.
Fordham has yet to win a game in the series dating back to Jan. 20, 1996.
In the past three games, George Washington was ranked twice, No. 12/14 in 2007, the Rams lost 77-51 and No. 15/15 in 2008, a 66-27 loss to the Colonials.
The Rams and Colonials faced off in the second round of the A-10 tournament on March 5, 2005. George Washington got the better of the Rams, 62-51 to move on in the tournament.
WHEN LAST THEY MET: The teams last saw eachother on Jan. 17, 2009, at Rose Hill in the closest match up between the two teams in series history. The Colonials narrowly defeated the Rams, 55-52. Fordham had three players score in double-digit figures, and Randall Hurst tallied a double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds.
The match-up between the Rams and the Colonials was a hard fought 40 minutes in a game that featured 11 lead changes and 12 tied scores. With 3:06 remaining in the game, Fordham found itself down 47-49 until Becky Peters took an inbound pass from Annie Zopf underneath the net and put down a layup that tied the score 49-49.
Two free-throws from George Washington's Tiana Myers gave the Colonials another two-point lead, but Peters notched the game, once again, with a jumper just moments before the shot clock expired to put the game at 51-51 with 2:16 remaining.
Jessica Adair bucketed two of her game-leading 21 points with 1:17 left to go to bring the Colonials back to a two point lead. Randall Hurst cut that lead to within one with a free-throw with 12 seconds left, but would see two free-throws from Yolanda Lavender fall through to put the Colonials up 55-52. The Rams had a chance to tie the game, but a last second three from senior Zopf hit off the rim and landed out of bounds to end the game.
LAST TIME OUT: With near perfect shooting from Saint Louis' post players, the Fordham women's basketball team was outscored by the Billikens, 71-60, in Atlantic 10 play in Tuesday night's Pink Zone contest at Rose Hill. The Billikens' trio combined for 53 of Saint Louis' points, shooting 22-for-27 from the floor.
Fordham's senior forward Randall Hurst tried to fight the hot-shot shooting as she tied her season-best scoring effort with 23 points, off 6-for-12 in field goals and an impressive 10-for-11 at the free throw line. Hurst has scored 23 points three other times this season, the last time at Princeton on Jan. 2. The senior's 23 points was her second consecutive 20-point game and eighth this season.
The game got underway with a 3-pointer from senior guard Katie Paganelli, but Fordham came back strong with four consecutive free throws and a trey from junior guard Kyara Weekes to swing the game in the Rams' favor.
Fordham led 11-5 at the 15:35 mark before the Billikens went on a 15-0 run, over 5:37 minutes to go ahead 20-11 with 9:23 left to play. Junior guard Kristina Bell put a stop to the drought and pulled up for the 3-ball. Bell's trey was answered by a jumper from Amanda Kemezys, but Hurst, set up by Bell, sunk her own trifecta, only the fourth in her career.
Saint Louis scored a quick six points to take a 30-24 lead, and post presence from the Rams kept it close at halftime to make it a six-point game at the half, 34-28.
In the second period, the Billikens led by 16 points, 53-37, with 10:56 remaining. Freshman forward Charlotte Stoddart and Hurst scored two in a row for the Rams in the paint to cut the Saint Louis lead to 12, 53-41, with 8:56 to go.
Fordham was able to cut the Billiken lead to 10, 64-54, as Stoddart laid the ball up for two points with just over one minute remaining. Free throws allowed Saint Louis to stay just ahead of the Rams as Fordham was defeated by Saint Louis, 71-60.
For Fordham, Bell aided Hurst's 23 points with 15 of her own with three assists. Peters shot 5-for-18 for 10 points with an additional three steals. In the second period, Fordham outscored the Billikens 20-16 in the paint. Overall, the Rams' bench outscored the Billikens' 31-7.
RANDALL'S ROARING TWENTIES: In her opening four contests this season, Randall Hurst scored at least 20 points in three of four games, missing a fourth by just two points. Her 20-point games make her the first Ram since Mobolaji Akiode in the 2002-03 season to have three consecutive 20-point games. She now has eight 20-point games on the season with two 20-point performances in both games versus La Salle and back-to-back 20-point efforts on Feb. 13 (La Salle) and Feb. 16 (St. Louis).
COMING ATTRACTIONS: The Rams will finish their season at home vs. No. 6 Xavier on Saturday, Feb. 27. Tip off is slated for 1 p.m. at Rose Hill. Senior Randall Hurst will be honored in a pregame presentation.
