Box Score Dec. 30, 2012
Final Stats |
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BRONX, N.Y. - After dropping a heartbreaker to Lafayette in the opening game of the Fordham Holiday Classic, Fordham rebounded in a thrilling fashion on Sunday, topping Colorado State 64-59 in double overtime.
The Rams of Fordham improved to 8-5 on the year with the win, while the Rams of Colorado State fell to 3-9 with the loss.
A trio of Fordham Rams finished the game in double figures, as Marah Strickland led the way with 18 points, Abigail Corning put forth an astounding 17 point, 14 rebound performance, and Arielle Collins added 13. Although Sunday marked the first time this year that Erin Rooney failed to reach double figures, the junior guard did more than her fair share in the Fordham victory. The Christchurch, New Zealand native came within one point and one assist of notching the program's first ever triple-double, finishing the afternoon with 12 boards, nine points and nine assists. Rooney's outburst established new career-highs in rebounds and assists, while Corning's 14 boards marked a career-high for the Wethersfield, Conn., product.
Fordham had no trouble finding the bottom of the bucket early on, as the Rams scored the first ten points of the contest, with five a piece coming from Strickland and Samantha Clark. Rooney picked up three assists on Fordham's first four field goals during that stretch.
Colorado State worked its way back into the game over the middle part of the first half, uncorking a 9-0 run to pull within one, 15-14, with just over six minutes to go until the break.
The two teams traded buckets over the remainder of the half, and Colorado State entered the intermission with a 24-23 advantage.
Strickland led the way for Fordham in the first half, leading all scorers with six. Rooney, Clark and Collins each chipped in five points during the opening stanza.
After eventually being done-in by a slow start to the second half in Saturday's loss to Lafayette, Fordham came out of the locker room strong on Sunday, opening up the action with an 8-2 run over the first three minutes to take a 31-26 lead.
Fordham kept Colorado State at bay for the next several minutes, but a 7-0 CSU run over three minutes put the other Rams ahead, 39-36, with 9:25 left in the second half.
The next eight minutes played even, with neither team taking a lead larger than three, and Rooney tying the game at 50 on a slash to the basket with 1:38 left in the half. Neither squad could find the bottom of the bucket over the final 98 seconds, and the fans in the Rose Hill Gym would find themselves treated to some extra basketball.
The first extra period started with the two teams trading three-pointers, as Strickland and LaDeyah Forte each drained one from deep. A Collins steal at half-court led to an uncontested layup for Fordham, but Meghan Heimstra made one of two from the line to pull CSU within one, 55-54, with just over three minutes to go.
On the following offensive possession, the Rams proved that hustle points often win games, as Fordham pulled down two offensive rebounds, the second of which Corning put back for two.
After Colorado State missed a jumper on the ensuing offensive possession, Rooney cleaned the glass and got the ball back for Fordham. On the resulting offensive possession, Rooney pulled down a board on a missed Collins jumper and ate precious seconds off the clock with the score remaining at 57-54 in favor or Fordham.
But Fordham could not seal the game with a bucket, and Colorado State took possession with 15 seconds to go and, after a timeout, ran a designed play that resulted in a Sam Martin three-pointer, tying the game at 57.
Rooney got the ball with just under five seconds to go, drove the length of the floor and watched a floater that would have won the game fall just short, sending the contest into a second overtime.
Fordham grabbed the lead in the second overtime, as Rooney made a free throw and Corning sank a pair to put them up 60-57. After CSU pulled within one on an Alicia Nichols jumper, Rooney found Strickland in the corner and the graduate student from Mt. Airy, Md., drilled a three to put Fordham up four, 63-59, with 1:20 to go. Fordham held Colorado State scoreless and Strickland made one of two free throw attempts over the remainder of the period, allowing Fordham to come out on top with a 64-59 victory.
The Rams will be back in action on the road for the first time in a month on Friday, when they travel to our nation's capital to take on American University. Tip-off for that game is set for 1 PM.
Providence vs. Lafayette
Symone Roberts scored a game-high 16 points on 9-10 shooting from the charity stripe to lead Providence to a 66-54 victory in the championship game of the Fordham Holiday Classic.
Four Lafayette players scored in double figures in the losing effort, led by Danielle Fiacco's 15 point, nine rebound performance.
2012 Fordham Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team
MVP: Tori Rule- Providence
Erin Rooney- Fordham
Symone Roberts- Providence
Danielle Fiacco- Lafayette
Sam Martin- Colorado State
