Rams Top UNLV, 72-63

Box Score

A pair of Rams put up 20 points apiece on Saturday, as Fordham downed UNLV, 72-63, in the opening game of the Lady Rebel Round-Up.
 
Erin Rooney was one of those two players, shooting 8-12 from the field and grabbing seven boards to lead the Rams in their winning effort.  Rooney's performance marked her sixth straight game with at least 20 points. 
 
Hannah Missry also scored 20, hitting five of her nine attempts from downtown and leading the squad with three steals.
 
With the win, Fordham moves to 5-2 on the season and extends its winning streak to four games.  UNLV falls to 2-4 with the loss.
 
Abigail Corning also finished in double figures for the Rams, netting 11 points and distributing a game-high five assists. 
 
Emily Tapio had another solid game in the win, tallying seven points and a game-high eight rebounds.
 
After UNLV got on the board first, the Rams rattled off eight in a row, taking an early 8-2 lead just over two minutes into the game.  Missry and Samantha Clark hit from deep on the run, while Corning chipped in two.
 
UNLV worked its way back into the contest with an 11-3 streak following the Fordham run, tying the game at 13 with 12:47 left in the opening half. 
 
The Lady Rebels opened up a slight lead a few minutes later, pulling ahead 16-15 on a Rejane Verin free throw.  From there, the Rams went on fire, scoring 12 in a row to grab a 27-16 advantage at the five minute mark.
 
UNLV chipped away at the Fordham lead over the half's closing minutes and the Rams entered the locker room with a 31-23 advantage.
 
The Lady Rebels knocked the Fordham lead down to as little as four in the opening minutes of the second half, as an Alana Cesarz jumper made it 39-35 just over four minutes into the period.
 
The Rams then uncorked a 7-2 run, as a Rooney jumper pulled Fordham ahead by 12, 49-37, forcing a UNLV timeout with 12:36 remaining in the second half.
 
Fordham worked its lead to as high as 15 over the next few minutes, as Corning absorbed contact and made three the old fashioned way with just under eight minutes on the clock.
 
The Lady Rebels knocked the Rams lead back to single digits inside the four minute mark on a pair of free throws, but Missry nailed a three from the left corner to put Fordham back up by 11 with 2:45 to go.
 
UNLV kept fighting, chipping the Fordham win down to seven on a few occasions in the closing minutes, but the Rams held tough, coming out on top with a 72-63 win in the Cox Pavilion.
 
The Rams will play in the championship game of the Lady Rebel Round-Up tomorrow, facing the winner of Saturday's contest between Charlotte and Cincinnati.