Fordham Downs Richmond, 70-59

Box Score

Erin Rooney tallied 14 points and 11 assists for her sixth double-double of the year, leading Fordham to a 70-59 win over Richmond in the Rose Hill Gym on Saturday afternoon.
 
With a career-high 11 helpers, Rooney became the first Fordham women's basketball player since Annie DeRoy in 2001 to record double digit assists in one game.
 
The Rams were on fire from the field, converting on 61 percent of their chances.  The effort marked the first time since February 24^th, 2006 that the Rams (14-3, 3-1 A-10) shot 60 percent or better from the floor.
 
Abigail Corning had a characteristically complete contest for the Rams, registering 12 points, six rebounds, and six assists in the win. 
 
Two other Rams finished the game in double figures, as Samantha Clark and Danielle Burns each tallied 11 points and five rebounds. 
 
Richmond (7-10,1-3 A-10) found its three-point stroke early in the contest, hitting three of their first four attempts from downtown to take an 11-9 lead five minutes into the game.
 
The Rams grabbed the lead back, 15-13, a few minutes later on a Mary Nwachukwu jumper from the elbow, and Corning answered a Richmond three-pointer with one of her own, giving the Rams an 18-16 advantage with just over 11 minutes to play in the first half.  Corning's bucket kicked off a 14-0 run for Coach Gaitley's squad, giving the Rams a 29-16 lead with just over seven minutes to go.  Rooney and Corning scored seven points apiece on the tear.
 
Fordham expanded its lead even further in the closing minutes of the half, pulling ahead by as many as 15, 36-21, with 4:20 on the clock. 
 
Heading into the half, the Rams led by 13, 38-25.  Rooney led all scorers with 11 points in the first half, in addition to dishing out seven assists.  Clark and Corning put up seven points apiece in the opening period.
 
Corning scored Fordham's first five points out of the locker room, but Richmond's offense began to click as well, narrowing the Rams advantage to single digits, 43-34, just over three minutes into the half.
 
Two minutes later, a Rooney three bumped the Fordham lead back to 12 and the Spiders did not get back inside ten until there were 90 seconds left in the contest.  By that time, the Rams lead proved insurmountable, as Fordham closed out the game, 70-59.