Dec. 28, 2012
BRONX, N.Y. -
Coming off a long lay-off for final exams and the Christmas holiday, the Fordham Rams return to the hardwood when they take on the Lafayette Leopards in the first game of the Fordham Holiday Classic. The winner of this contest will advance to the championship game of the sixth annual tournament, facing the winner of the Providence/ Colorado State matchup, which will occur about thirty minutes after the conclusion of this game.
SERIES HISTORY: Saturday marks the 17th all-time meeting between the Rams and the Leopards, but it's been quite a while since these two foes have had a chance to face each other. Fordham and Lafayette have not played in women's basketball since February of 1995, when Fordham still played its basketball as a member of the Patriot League. The Rams hold the series advantage by an 11-5 margin and own a 5-3 record when playing in the friendly confines of the Rose Hill Gym.
SCOUTING LAFAYETTE: If there's one thing that can be said about Saturday's matchup, it's that the two women patrolling the sidelines have their fair share of wins. While Fordham's Stephanie V. Gaitley has accrued almost 500 victories in her 27 seasons at the helm of a Division I program, Lafayette's Dianne Nolan has racked up an astounding 551 wins in nearly four decades on the bench.
Between the lines, Lafayette has been led so far this season by the play of front court powers Emily Homan and Danielle Fiacco. Homan, a 6'3" sophomore from Upper Darby, Pa., leads the Leopards in scoring with 11.1 points per contest heading into Saturday. She also ranks second on the team in rebouding with 6.9 boards per contests in nine games played. Fiacco, one of the tallest players in the women's game at an imposing 6'7", nearly averages a double-double with 10.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per outing. The junior native of Brewster, N.Y., certainly has no trouble making opponents think twice about driving to the basket, swatting away four blocks per game, good enough for fifth in the nation.
Follow all the exciting action of the Fordham Holiday Classic by checking the Tournament Central Page
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