AMHERST, Mass. -- Senior
Samantha Clark's layup with 43 seconds left in the game proved to be the game-winning bucket for the Fordham women's basketball team, as the Rams let a second-half lead slip away, before holding on to defeat Massachusetts, 60-55, Saturday in Atlantic 10 play inside the Mullins Center. With the victory, Fordham improves to 11-12 (6-4 A10) overall and wins three straight for the first time all season, while the Minutewomen fall to 6-16 (0-10 A10) overall.
Clark tallied eight of the Rams' final 10 points to finish with 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, with all 10 coming in the second half, resulting in her 10th double-double of the season. Freshman
Lauren Holden added 12 points, four rebounds and a season-high six assists, while junior
Danielle Burns also had 12 points, including 10 in the second half, five rebounds and five assists. Sophomore
G'mrice Davis rounded out the double-digit scoring for Fordham with 10 points and nine rebounds, and junior
Hannah Missry scored all nine of her points in the first half on three trey balls.
For the second consecutive contest, the Rams only played six players, as Holden, Burns and Missry played all 40 minutes, while Clark saw her consecutive-games streak of 40 minutes played snapped at 39. Davis logged 36 minutes, and junior
Danielle Padovano was the lone player off the bench for the second straight game as well.
The first 20 minutes were evenly played on the scoreboard. Holden beat the buzzer at the end of the first quarter to tie the game at 14-14, and Fordham would take a pair of six-point advantages in the second stanza, with the last coming at 30-24 on a layup from Clark. However, the Rams failed to score over the final 3:59 of the half and went into the locker room leading 30-28.
Fordham shot a solid 44.8 percent (13-of-29) over the first 20 minutes, but the defense allowed UMass to shoot 50 percent (13-of-26).
The Minutewomen tied the contest twice over the first two minutes of the third quarter, and with the score deadlocked at 32-32, Holden knocked down a triple and then a second one to cap an 8-0 spurt, which gave Fordham its largest lead of the game, 40-32, at the 4:31 mark of the period.
UMass slowly worked its way back into the game, and a three-pointer with 42 seconds left knotted the contest at 44-44, before Burns knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Rams a 46-44 advantage heading into the final quarter.
The Minutewomen tied the game to start the fourth, and Burns regained the lead for Fordham with a jumper. On UMass' next possession, Cierra Dillard drained a three-pointer, which moved the home team back in front by one.
Burns once again put the Rams back in front, but the Minutewomen quickly went back ahead. With 4:02 remaining in the game, Clark scored on a layup that ultimately gave Fordham the lead for good at 52-51.
Clark extended the lead to 54-51 with a pair of free throws at the 3:21 mark, but neither side could score over the next two minutes until UMass made it 54-53 with 1:09 left.
Another layup from Clark with 42 seconds left placed the Rams in front 56-53. On the next Minutewomen possession, the home team was able to corral two offensive rebounds, and Rashida Timbilla scored on the second putback and was fouled, giving UMass an opportunity to tie the game with 16 second left.
Instead, Timbilla missed the free throw, Clark grabbed the rebound, and found Holden, who was fouled and made both free throws. The Minutewomen then missed a potential-tying three with 10 seconds left, and Clark grabbed her 10th board of the game, before going to the line to clinch the victory for Fordham.
The Rams finished the contest shooting 38.9 percent (21-of-54) from the field and 5-of-18 from distance. Fordham was excellent from the charity stripe, draining 13-of-15, including 12-of-14 after halftime. The Rams also assisted on 18 of their 21 made baskets and narrowly lost the rebounding battle, 34-33.
The defense held UMass to 35.2 percent shooting in the second half, which resulted in 41.7 percent (25-of-60) overall. The Minutewomen also knocked down 2-of-6 from distance and 3-of-5 from the line.
The Rams return to action Wednesday, Feb. 10 when they travel to Philadelphia, Pa. to take on Saint Joseph's at 7 p.m. Fordham defeated the Hawks, 47-40, inside the Rose Hill Gym Jan. 17.
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