Dec. 4, 2012
NEW HAVEN, CONN. -
Sporting the eighth best defensive scoring average in the country, the Fordham Rams travel north to New Haven to take on Yale in the John J. Lee Ampitheater Tuesday night.
The game will be the Rams' last road tetst for a while, as Fordham will play their next six games on the friendly hardwood of the Rose Hill Gym. The Rams are 3-2 on the road this year and a perfect 2-0 at home.
Tonight's matchup will also be a contest between two of the winningest coaches in women's college hoops. Fordham's Stephanie Gaitley, with 481 wins in 27 seasons, will face off against Yale's Chris Gobrecht, who has over 500 wins in 33 seasons at the helm.
SERIES HISTORY: Tonight will be the 17th meeting all-time between Fordham and the Elis, with the Rams holding the series lead by an 11-5 margin. The two teams faced off for the first time all the way back in 1973 in the Rams' third season of play.
The two teams are tied with a 4-4 record when the matchup has been held in New Haven, and the Rams hold a 7-1 record against the Bulldogs when playing in the Rose Hill Gym.
The Rams have held a distinct advantage over the Bulldogs in the past two and a half decades. As a matter of fact, Yale has not beaten Fordham since any of the players on the current rosters were born, with the Bulldogs' last win coming in 1986. Fordham has won the last six meetings between the two programs.
SCOUTING YALE: While Yale's 1-6 record coming into the game won't steal any headlines, the Bulldogs play a style of basketball that could keep them in a game against any opponent. Yale loves to shoot the long ball, converting on 61 of their 156 attempts from beyond the arc this season, good enough for 39 percent.
The Bulldogs have three scorers averaging in the area of double figures, with Sarah Halejian leading the way at 13.4 points per contest. The sophomore guard has been deadly from three, shooting 57 percent from downtown on the year. Yale's second leading scorer, Nyasha Sarju, has also been impressive from deep, converting on 53.6 percent of her tries. Janna Graf, also Yale's leading rebounder, averages just a touch under ten points per game.
Despite their offensive prowess, the Bulldogs have struggled to keep oppponents from scoring, allowing 78 points per contest over their first seven games.
Listen to the game live on wfuvsports.org with DJ Sixsmith and Mike Watts bringing you the call. The game is also available to watch for a fee on yalebulldogs.com.
