Women's Basketball Hosts Duquesne Thursday Night to Open A-10 Play

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham women's basketball team (4-2), sitting in third place in the Atlantic 10 standings in the very early going, opens up conference play a month early this year, on Thursday night at 7 p.m. against last year's A-10 Championship runner-up Duquesne (4-3) in the Bronx.
 
Last Time Out
The Rams traveled down to beautiful, sunny Miami this past weekend to compete in the Miami Thanksgiving Tournament, where the team split its contests to finish in third place overall. Fordham fell to Texas Tech, 59-50, on Friday afternoon, but bounced back to defeat Grambling State, 59-53, on Sunday. Junior G'mrice Davis was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 14.5 points and 19.0 rebounds over the weekend, also tallying at least one block and steal in each game.
 
The Rams held Texas Tech, one of the Big 12's most explosive offenses, to just 59 points, and the conference's leader scorer, Recee Caldwell, who had averaged 26 points per game over the team's first three contests, to just six points on two field goals. Eight Rams got on the scoresheet but just one had more than six points. The team shot 31.8% from the field. Davis played a career-best 37 minutes and corralled a career-high 17 rebounds in the contest, seven on the offensive glass.
 
Against Grambling State, the Rams used a big second quarter to propel themselves past the Tigers in a very sloppy affair. Davis once again led the way, with 15 points, but also hauled in a new career-high 21 rebounds, becoming just the fifth player to reach that tally in a single game in program history. It's the first time a Ram has grabbed 20+ boards since Kyshawn Ruff in 2003. Senior guard Hannah Missry had an electric second period, scoring 13 of her 15 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, to contribute to an 80% period from the floor (8-10).
 
Series History vs. Duquesne
The Dukes hold a 21-5 all-time advantage over the Rams since 1995. Last year, the Rams fell, 55-40, in Pittsburgh in early January and were later knocked out of the A-10 Championship on March 4 in a tight 70-65 loss to the Dukes.
 
Scouting the Dukes
The Dukes are 4-3 heading into Thursday night's contest and are coming off a win and loss at the Cal Classic in Berkeley this weekend. Last year's runners-up were picked by league coaches to repeat this season, in a tie with Dayton, but receiving three first-place votes. The Dukes went 28-6 last year and 13-3 in league play, earning an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament and advancing to the second round with a 21-point win over Seton Hall before falling to Connecticut. Senior Amadea Szamosi and sophomore Kadri-Ann Lass were selected to the preseason All-Conference team and both have been successful thus far into the season, averaging 14.3 and 10.4 points, respectively, plus 10.7rebounds per game in Szamosi's case, but Duquesne is led by sophomore guard Chassidy Omogrosso in scoring. Omogrosso has led the team in scoring in all but one contest and leads the team with 17.0 points per game on 38.9% from the field. Omogrosso was named the A-10's Player of the Week last week after helping the Dukes to wins over St. John's and Iona, posting 19.5 points per game on 55% shooting with just two turnovers in 78 minutes. Omogrosso enjoyed a career-high 25 points against the Johnnies. The same week, freshman Nina Aho was named Rookie of the Week.  
 
Gaitley Hits 100
With the win over Little Rock, Stephanie Gaitley has reached 100 wins with the Fordham program. This marks the third school the 31-year veteran head coach has reached the century mark, plus four with at least 95 wins. Gaitley has previously reached the milestone with Richmond and Saint Joseph's, plus garnered 95 wins with LIU Brooklyn, the first three schools she coached at. Her most at a single stop was 196 over a decade with the Hawks. 14 more wins and Gaitley will become the all-time winningest head coach in Fordham history.
 
Gaitley's 900^th Game
Last Tuesday night's double overtime win over Albany was Stephanie Gaitley's 900 career contest as a head coach. She has a 566-336 record over 31 seasons with five different schools.
 
Second-Most Wins in A-10 History
Continuing the trend of Gaitley milestones, the win over Albany was Gaitley's 157^th all-time as a coach of an A-10 school (Saint Joseph's and Fordham), passing Theresa Grentz for second-most all-time. Gaitley now has 158 with the win over Grambling State but needs 83 more to break Joe McKeown's all-time record of 240.
 
566 and Counting
Stephanie Gaitley, among active coaches, has the 21st-most career wins in Division I, with 565 after Saturday's win over Little Rock. All-time, the 31-year veteran coach is 42nd.
 
100 Straight For Burns
Senior Danielle Burns played in her 100th straight game in maroon and white on Saturday against Little Rock. Burns hasn't missed a single contest since arriving in the Bronx, making 51 starts. Fellow senior Hannah Missry recently hit the century mark on Sunday against the Tigers, while Danielle Padovano needs four appearances to reach the same milestone.
 
Davis Boarding with the Best
G'mrice Davis has been a force on the glass this season, putting up career numbers across the board that has her near the top of Division I's rebounding lists. Davis' nine defensive rebounds per game is second-most in the nation, her 75 total rebounds ranks fourth, and her 12.5 rebounding average is sixth overall. Additionally, her three double-doubles in six games rank 22^nd in the country.
 
Actively One of the Best from Deep
Hannah Missry has amassed 251 three-pointers in her career in the Bronx and is fifth among active players in Division I for all-time downtown makes. She is one behind Washington's Kelsey Plum in 11 fewer games. Sydney Wiese of Oregon State tops the chart with 279 career makes in exactly 100 games, like Missry, but Kelsey Mitchell's otherworldly number of 278 in just 76 contests sits right below her.
 
Missry Breaks Out
Senior guard Hannah Missry had struggled over her first three games this season before Tuesday tonight, scoring 12 points on 4-of-17 from the field. On Tuesday night, Missry bested her career-high for minutes played by four, with 47, and poured in 16 points on 6-11 shooting, including a 5-of-9 clip from beyond the arc. Missry also matched her career-high with three assists. After being held to just five points against Texas Tech on Friday, Missry exploded in the second quarter versus Grambling State, hitting 5-of-5 shots, 3-of-3 from downtown, for 13 of her 15 points in the win.  
 
87 To Go
Missry is 87 three-pointers away from breaking Jessica Jenkins' all-time Atlantic 10 record of 338 threes set at St. Bonaventure from 2009-12. Missry recently passed April Robinson (Duquesne 2013-16) for 11th-most all-time. Five more and Missry will join both Amra Mehmedic (Saint Joseph's 2001-04) and Erin Shields (Saint Joseph's 2011-14) in the top-10. Missry has averaged 79.7 three's over her three seasons in the Bronx and if she kept up her career pace, would finish within the top-three all-time.
 
Holden on Fire
The sophomore guard has been very efficient to start the season, shooting 17-of-34 from the field (50.0%) and 10-of-21 (47.6%) from behind the arc. Holden is averaging 9.5 points per game, second-highest on the team, despite taking the fifth-most shots. The sophomore is tied with Dayton's Kelley Austria for tops in the league and, if she were eligible, would rank joint-seventh in overall field goal percentage. Holden is coming off a career-high 18 points in the double overtime win over Albany with a career-best six rebounds in a career-high 43 minutes played.
 
 
G's Two Big Games
Junior forward G'mrice Davis totaled 28 points, 25 rebounds, six steals, and two blocks over two games, at #1 Notre Dame and against Little Rock at home, before struggling with foul trouble against the Great Danes on Tuesday. Against the Fighting Irish, Davis corralled a career-high 15 rebounds and led the team with nine points, three assists, and four steals in 36 minutes, matching a career-high. Against the Trojans, Davis enjoyed her first double-double of the year, notching 19 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals over a team-high 31 minutes.
 
Defense, Defense, Defense
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, Fordham has held its opponents to less than 50 points 32 times resulting in 32 victories. Under Gaitley, Fordham is 42-4 in such instances and have now won 33 straight with the most recent win over Little Rock, limiting the Trojans to 43 points. The Rams are 2-0 this season holding opponents under 50 points.
 
Fordham Debuts
Three Rams made their debuts against Furman: redshirt freshman Kate Kreslina started and tallied 10 points and eight rebounds over a team-high 35 minutes, while Mary Goulding and Anna Kelly came off the bench for four and seven points, respectively. Goulding added four rebounds, an assist and a block in 19 minutes, while Kelly added two boards, an assist, and a steal in 11 minutes. Junior transfer Tiffany Suarez made her long-awaited Fordham debut against Little Rock, tallying two points and an assist in nine fourth quarter minutes against the Trojans on Saturday.
 
Five Sign NLIs in 2016-17 Recruiting Class
Coach Gaitley announced this past week the additions of five student-athletes  to national letters of intent: Halei Gillis, Kendell Heremaia, Zara Jillings, Ralene Kwiatkowski, and Vilisi Tavui. Fordham's global reach under Coach Gaitley continues with two players from North Carolina, two from New Zealand, and one from Fiji. The three international players all have experience playing within their countries' junior ranks.
 
You can read all about the five additions here.
 
Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll
The Fordham Rams were selected to finish sixth in the annual preseason coaches' poll, announced at A-10 Media Day, held in Richmond, Va., the site of the 2017 A-10 Championship. The Rams finished last season tied for sixth, with an 8-8 conference record, and reached the second round of the conference postseason. Saint Louis, who tied for last year's regular season title and reached the third round of the WNIT, garnered nine first-place votes. Dayton and last year's runner-up Duquesne tied for second in the poll with 166 points apiece, with the latter receiving three first-place votes. Two-time defending champion, George Washington, gathered the remaining two first-place votes and is predicted to finish fourth. Following the Colonials are VCU, Fordham, Richmond, and Saint Joseph's to round out the top eight. Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, George Mason, La Salle, Davidson, and Massachusetts rounded out the preseason rankings, respectively.
 
2015-16 Season Review
The Rams finished last season 14-17 and 8-8 in conference play, defeating Massachusetts in overtime in the first round of the A-10 Championship but falling to eventual runner-up Duquesne in the next round. New Director of Player Development Samantha Clark was named Second Team All-Atlantic 10 as well as to the All-Defensive Team after a fantastic senior campaign where she led the squad with 12.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, also chipping in a team-high 36 blocks and 30 steals. Clark led the A-10 in minutes played per contest (37.2). Fordham will return the other four starters from last season, with three of them averaging between nine and 10 points per game. Junior G'mrice Davis tallied 9.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per contests with 10 blocks and 21 steals during a solid sophomore season, while Danielle Burns scored 9.6 points per game on 39.8% shooting from the field and led the team with 76 assists. Hannah Missry continued her volume three-point shooting and set the school record for most career long-range makes as a junior, finishing the year with 239. She has averaged 79 threes over her three seasons but will need 100 to break the A-10 career record. Sophomore Lauren Holden solidified her spot as the team's starting point guard as a freshman by averaging 6.3 points per game with 55 assists and 35% shooting from deep, good for third-best on the team. Danielle Padovano and Asnate Fomina were both vital cogs in the rotation off the bench, scoring 4.5 and 4.1 points per game, respectively, while also joining the starting lineup a combined 16 times last season.
 
Fordham WBB Ticket Plans
Two women's ticket options are available:
Flex Plan: $35 for 15 tickets
Community Partner: $100 for 50 tickets
 
With the flex plan option, fans receive 15 ticket vouchers good for use at any Fordham women's basketball game, plus a special Fordham scarf. As a community partner, you also have the opportunity to provide 50 tickets to a group of your choice.

The Rams have eight remaining out-of-conference match-ups within the Rose Hill Gym and six in Atlantic 10 play, including one nationally televised home contest – the home season finale against Dayton on February 19.
 
You can purchase single game tickets for all home contests here.
 
Up Next
Fordham will host Boston College on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.