Box Score
Last season, the Fordham Rams hit the 70-point mark just four times en route to an historic 26-9 finish, relying on their shutdown defense to earn a victory. This season,
Stephanie Gaitley's squad has utilized a trio of offensive outbursts, reaching 80 or more points for the third time in an 80-52 pounding of Yale on Friday night in the Rose Hill Gym.
Fordham (3-2) climbed back above the .500 mark behind the stellar efforts of two senior captains,
Erin Rooney and
Abigail Corning.
Rooney scored 23 points, a career-high, for the third consecutive game on Friday. The Christchurch, New Zealand, native also grabbed a season-high 11 boards, notching her third double-double of the season in just five tries. Perhaps her most impressive stat of the night, she did this all in just 27 minutes on the floor.
Corning had the most complete game of her career against the Bulldogs, tallying 16 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists, falling just one helper short of the program's second ever triple-double. Kelly Roche has the only triple-double in Rams' history, registering 17 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 blocks on February 1
st, 1992 against Navy.
With Rooney and Corning each nabbing a double-double, the win marked the first time since January 9, 2005 that two Rams accomplished the feat in the same game. On that day nearly a decade ago, Joy Johnson had 19 points and 10 boards, while Jada Jefferson registered 13 points and 10 rebounds during a loss to Temple.
While the upperclassmen grabbed their fair share of attention on Friday night, freshman
Hannah Missry had the best game of her young Fordham career. The Jackson, N.J., native tallied 18 points on 5-7 shooting, including an unconscious 4-6 effort from beyond the arc.
Junior
Emily Tapio nearly became the third Ram of the game to notch a double-double, pouring in seven points and eight boards on the night.
Fordham got on the board first in the early going, as Corning threw a nice pass inside to a wide-open
Samantha Clark who banked it in for her first points of the night. After Yale (3-2) tied the game a few possessions later, the Rams would uncork a 9-0 run, moving ahead 11-2 on a Corning layup at the 16:14 mark of the half.
The Rams offense kept its foot on the gas over the next few minutes as five baskets from five separate players helped Fordham stave off a Yale push. At the 10:42 mark of the opening half, the Rams led 21-10 and were shooting over 56 percent from the floor.
Fordham continued to pour it on, as Rooney scored five points on a 9-4 run, giving the Rams a 30-14 advantage with just over six minutes left until the break.
After Yale scored a bucket to bring them back within 14, Tapio converted on an and-one and the Bulldogs' bench received a technical foul on the play. After Missry and Tapio combined to make the three free throws, it marked a five point swing that moved the Rams ahead 35-16 with 5:47 left on the clock.
Yale narrowed the gap with a huge run to end the half. After the Rams went up 19, the Bulldogs outscored Fordham 19-5 over the next five minutes before Missry hit a three to end the half.
At the break, Fordham led Yale by only eight, 43-35.
It's unknown exactly what Coach Gaitley said in the locker room at halftime to motivate her team, but it sure worked. The Rams opened the half on a 12-2 tear, led by two treys from Missry. After the run, the Rams led 55-37 just five minutes into the half.
Fordham kept its intensity in full gear over the next few minutes, kicking off a huge run that would put the game well out of reach for Yale. Rooney scored seven points on a 15-0 streak that spanned almost seven minutes, putting Fordham ahead 70-39 just inside the eight minute mark of the second half.
In all, Fordham outscored the Bulldogs 27-4 in the first 12:07 of the second half.
31 would be the Rams' largest lead of the second half, but they closed out the game with a strong effort, downing the Elis by 28, 80-52.
