Great First Half Helps Women's Basketball to 65-42 Victory Over Massachusetts

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BRONX, N.Y. -- Propelled by hot shooting and staunch defensive play in the first half, the Fordham women's basketball team was never threatened in a 65-42 triumph over Massachusetts inside the Rose Hill Gym Wednesday afternoon on Kids Day. With the victory, the Rams increase their win streak to six games, remain undefeated in Atlantic 10 play, and improve to 14-5 (6-0 A10) on the season, while the Minutewomen fall to 8-10 (2-4 A10) overall.

Fordham established season highs in points (40) and shooting percentage (64.0 percent) in the first half to help build a 40-17 lead at the break. The Rams converted 16-of-25 from the field, including 6-of-8 from three-point range. They also shutdown UMass on the defensive end by limiting the Minutewomen to only 25.9 percent (7-of-27) shooting.

UMass scored the first two points of contest, before Fordham took complete control with a 20-4 run that put the Rams in front 20-6 eight minutes in. The home team then finished the stanza strong with an 11-2 spurt over the final 4:40 to take their largest lead of the game up to that point.

The first 13 minutes of the second half were played in the complete opposite direction for Fordham. The Rams connected on only three of their first 15 shots and turned the ball over six times, while UMass shot 9-of-15 and made all three of its three-point attempts, which allowed the visitors to cut the Fordham advantage to 52-39.

But the Rams responded and held the Minutewomen scoreless over the next seven minutes, pumped their lead out to 63-39, and finished the game by scoring 13 of the final 16 points.

Fordham finished the contest shooting 48.9 percent (23-of-47) and swished 6-of-14 from distance while knocking down 13-of-16 from the charity stripe. UMass shot 33.3 percent (17-of-51), connected on 4-of-7 from downtown but made only 4-of-12 from the free throw line. The Rams also won the rebounding battle, 34-29, and recorded a season-high 11 steals.

Freshman G'mrice Davis scored 11 of her team-high 13 points in the second half to pace the Fordham scoring. Graduate student Tiffany Ruffin manufactured her first career double-double with 12 points (8-of-8 FT) and a career-high 12 boards to go along with four assists and three steals. Sophomore Hannah Missry knocked down her first three attempts from behind the arc, where she finished 4-of-7 to score 12 points.

The Ram defense limited the Minutewomen's leading scorer, Kim Pierre-Louis, to only 13 points, as she came in averaging nearly 19 points per game, which ranks third in the conference. Rashida Timbilla tallied nine boards, seven assists and three steals for UMass.

Fordham looks to continue its historic Atlantic 10 start this Saturday, Jan. 24 when it travels to St. Louis, Mo. to take on Saint Louis in a nationally-televised contest on CBS Sports Network, with tipoff scheduled for 4 p.m. EST.