Box Score Jan. 6, 2013
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BRONX, N.Y. -
With her team's lead dwindling and only a handful of minutes to go in the second half, Stephanie Gaitley told redshirt junior guard Erin Rooney that she had to take over. Rooney responded in spectacular fashion, rattling off 13 consecutive points for the Rams, allowing the team to hold off the Holy Cross surge and emerge with a 67-60 victory in the Rose Hill Gym.
With the win, Fordham closed out non-conference play with a 10-5 record, the program's highest number of non-league wins since 1983-1984.
Rooney scored 14 of her game-high 20 points in the second half, dished out six assists and committed only one turnover to lead the Rams in the win. Three other Rams finished in double figures on the afternoon, as Marah Strickland netted 16, Abigail Corning chipped in 13 and Arielle Collins scored ten.
The Rams and Crusaders played back and forth basketball during the first few minutes of their 40th all-time meeting. An Ashley Cooper layup gave Holy Cross a 9-8 advantage with 14:01 left on the clock before the Rams uncorked an 11-2 run, highlighted by a Collins three-pointer and four points apiece from Corning and Rooney to give the Rams a 19-11 lead.
But Holy Cross chipped its way back into the contest, tying the game at 24 just inside the five minute mark of the half on a Christine Ganser layup.
The Rams outscored the Crusaders 6-3 over the remainder of the half, ending the period on a Corning layup as time expired.
Collins led the way for the Rams in the first half, netting ten points on 4-6 shooting, including 2-3 from downtown. Corning added 8 points and a pair of assists, while Rooney chipped in six points and two helpers.
As a team, the Rams registered an unreal 7:1 assist/turnover ratio in the opening stanza.
The Rams came out quick to start the second half, as
Marah Strickland scored seven points in a 9-2 run to open the period, giving Fordham a 39-29 lead just under three minutes into the half.
Fordham extended the lead to as high as 16 on a Strickland three-pointer with 12 and a half minutes to go, but Holy Cross wouldn't quit, chipping the Fordham lead down to two, 55-53, with 4:48 to go following an 18-4 run.
With the game close and her team struggling from the floor, Rooney took the game into her own hands. The Christchurch, New Zealand native scored 13 consecutive points for the Rams, making sure her team never surrendered the lead.
Rooney's 20 point effort marked the third time this season that she reached the 20 point plateau, and her six-to-one assist to turnover ratio marked the best by a Fordham player this season.
For the game, the Rams only turned the ball over four times, smashing their previous season-low of nine. Their 3.25/1 assist-to-turnover ratio also marked a season-best.
The Rams kick off the A-10 season a week from today when they take on the Charlotte 49ers down in North Carolina. Tip-off for that game is set for 2 PM, and the contest can be seen live on the CBS Sports Network.
