Box Score Jan. 4, 2013
Final Stats
Washington, D.C. -
Known as a team that derived its success mostly from stellar defensive play early in the season, the Fordham Rams looked to have added another dimension in the new year, shooting season-highs from the floor and from three en route to a 71-50 pounding of American in Washington, D.C.
Behind a tough defensive effort to start, Fordham came out of the gate hot, jumping out to a 6-0 lead four minutes into the contest. The Rams forced five American turnovers over that stretch.
American tightened the score over the next few minutes, narrowing the lead to 12-10 with 10:38 left in the half. From there, the Rams went on fire from downtown. Having struggled from beyond the arc as a team so far this season, the Rams couldn't miss. Fordham used three-balls from Abigail Corning, Marah Strickland, Charlotte Stoddart and Arielle Collins to unleash a 18-2 run, giving the Rams a 30-12 advantage with 4:20 to go until the break.
Overall, the Rams closed the half on a 27-6 run, taking a 39-16 lead into the locker room. As a team, Fordham shot 52 percent and 56 percent from the floor and from three, respectively, in the first half. In addition, the Rams forced 12 American turnovers, which led to 19 points for Coach Gaitley's squad.
Strickland had an unconscious first half for Fordham, netting 14 points on 6-8 shooting. Coming off a near triple-double performance against Colorado State last time out, Erin Rooney scored five points, pulled down three boards and dished out four assists in the opening stanza.
American's 16 points tied for the fewest given up in a half by the Rams this year, as they held Southern to the same total on December 10th in the Rose Hill Gym.
The Rams showed no let up to open the second half, as Corning and Clark combined for nine points and Collins drained another three in the opening minutes of the latter stanza.
Fordham maintained pressure throughout the remainder of the contest, never allowing the Eagles to get closer than 18 points, and eventually coming out with a 71-50 victory.
Statistically, Fordham turned out its best offensive performance of the season, shooting 52 percent from the floor and an even 50 percent from beyond the arc. Their 71 points were one shy of a season-high and the team's 18 assists were one off their season-high of 19 against Delaware State.
Strickland turned in her second consecutive 18 point performance to lead all scorers, and was one of four Rams to finish in double figures. Clark and Corning each finished with 14 points and six boards, while Collins chipped in 11 points on 3-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Stoddart had one of her best performances of the year on Sunday. The senior from Manchester, England put up five points, pulling down six boards and distributing five assists. Rooney finished with the same stat line as Stoddart, registering five points, six rebounds and five assists.
