Box Score
Despite closing the contest on a 17-6 run, the Rams fell short against the Dukes, 65-61, on Wednesday night for their first home loss of the season. The defeat also ended a school-record 12 game winning streak for Fordham.
Erin Rooney led the way for the Rams (13-2, 2-1 A-10), scoring 22 points and grabbing seven boards for her 11
th game with at least 20 points this season.
Samantha Clark finished the game with 19 points and eight boards, while
Abigail Corning narrowly missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Emily Tapio had a true blue collar game, grabbing ten rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. She also scored seven points and dished out four assists.
Wumi Agunbiade, a First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection from last year, had an outstanding effort for the Dukes (10-6, 2-1 A-10). The senior forward shot a blistering 10-11 from the field, finishing the game with 26 points and nine rebounds. She also tallied five assists.
The Rams and Dukes battled to start the game, with Rooney doing a lion's share of the work for her team. The redshirt senior scored eight of the squad's first 12 points while assisting on another bucket, helping the Rams grab a 12-11 lead just over five minutes into the game.
Duquesne grabbed the lead, 13-12, less than a minute later, but Clark took it right back with a layup on the next possession.
The Dukes went on top again a few minutes later on a Raegan Moore layup and expanded their lead to as much as nine, 27-18, with 3:33 left before the break.
Corning would cut the deficit to six with a triple 20 seconds later, but Duquesne bumped their advantage back to nine heading into the locker room, 31-22.
Rooney led Fordham with eight points in the opening half, while Corning chipped in seven. Tapio did all she could to keep the Rams in the game in the first period, grabbing seven boards and dishing out three assists.
Duquesne extended its lead out of the locker room, jumping ahead by as many as 15, 47-32, in the opening minutes of the second half.
The Rams continued to score, but the Dukes seemed to have an answer for every Fordham bucket, taking a 53-38 lead into the under eight minute media timeout and eventually climbing ahead by as many as 19.
Trailing by 15, 59-44, with four minutes left in the half, the Rams began their late surge. Corning made a layup and Tapio converted on a pair of free throw to move within 11. After Agunbiade went 1-2 from the charity stripe, Rooney and Corning combined for four straight, pulling the Rams within eight, 60-52, with 39 seconds to go. Fordham sent the Dukes to the line, where another 1-2 trip allowed the Rams to pull within six on a Clark three-ball with 19 seconds remaining. Following two made free throws by the Dukes, a Rooney three made it a five point game, and following another 1-2 trip for Duquesne, another Rooney three made it 64-61 Dukes with four seconds to go. That would be as close as the Rams got; however, falling 65-61 for their first home defeat of the year.
Prior to the game, Corning was honored in a ceremony commemorating her 1,000
th career point, a milestone she reached on Sunday at UMass.
The Rams will next be in action on Saturday afternoon in the Rose Hill Gym, playing host to the Richmond Spiders at 2 PM.
