Women's Basketball Comprehensive in 67-41 Win over Richmond on Field Trip Day

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Bronx, N.Y. – The top two defenses in the Atlantic 10 squared off inside the Rose Hill Gymnasium on Wednesday afternoon in front of over 2,000 screaming local schoolchildren and fans but there was no question which defense had it working on the day as the Fordham women's basketball team trailed just once, in the opening five minutes, and eventually tallied its largest victory of the season in a 67-41 defeat of Richmond. With their fifth straight win, the Rams improve to 14-5 (5-0 A-10) on the season, while the Spiders fall to 8-9 (2-2 A-10).
 
"Great defensive effort today," Head coach Stephanie Gaitley remarked after the win, "We are a dangerous team when we play defense like that and make our shots. Total team win!"
 
Fordham's defensive effort was in full force straight out of the gate, allowing just nine points in the first quarter and a season-low five points to the Spiders in the second, finishing the first half on a 20-3 run with the offensive side of the ball thriving as well. The two teams were relatively even in the first frame but a strong second period allowed Fordham to go into the break with a 32-14 lead, its largest halftime lead of the season.
 
Kate Kreslina, the A-10's reigning Rookie of the Week, began the game by finishing a series of quick passes with a three, assisted by reigning A-10 Player of the Week G'mrice Davis. The Spiders took their lone lead of the game, 5-3, following a Jaide Hinds-Clarke jumper and a three from Lauren Tolson. Neither team could find their groove on offense in the opening minutes with the hosts shooting 1-of-5, all but one look coming from deep, and the visitors hitting just 2-of-6. Davis got on the board with a layup and Hannah Missry cut inside for a jumper to retake the lead, 7-5, before Micaela Parson's jumper was cancelled by two free throws from Danielle Burns. Tolson hit a quick two on the other end before nearly three minutes of scoreless ball. Both teams shot 0-for-2 and committed two turnovers until Lauren Holden's three-point attempt fell with 38 seconds to play to give her team a 12-9 lead.
 
Richmond's leading scorer Janelle Hubbard, coming off the bench, notched her first points with a long two to start the second quarter on the first possession but the Spiders would struggle the rest of the way, with Hinds-Clarke's jumper at the four minute mark and a free throw with 1:17 to play serving as the only points in the second quarter. Fordham held Richmond to 2-of-11 shooting in the frame and shot 8-of-15 with three steals. Burns had two of those steals, both leading to fast break buckets, and Missry added two more threes as the Rams busted the game wide open.
 
Richmond came out of halftime rejuvenated and outscored the Rams in the third quarter but just by two points, 18-16. The Spiders were efficient, shooting 7-of-11 from the field but committed four turnovers, while the Rams shot 42.9% (6-of-14) overall. Missry kicked the second half off with her third three of the contest, making it five of the last six games with at least three long-range efforts, before Amy Duggan answered with one of her own. Davis and Missry went back-to-back with layups to push the lead to 22, 39-17, and then Dee Hatcher and Anna Kelly traded threes a minute later. Richmond, spurred on by Hubbard found their shooting stroke after that, canning five of their next six shots, to finish the period on a 12-6 run, with Hubbard converting three jumpers. Tiffany Suarez had four of her team's six points during the run.
 
Suarez started the fourth quarter with a tough layup in traffic and it sparked a 19-9 fourth quarter effort for Fordham. Missry added two more threes in the frame and the Rams closed the game out with a 7-0 run on two Kelly layups and a free throw from Asnate Fomina.
 
Fordham shot 45.6% (25-of-57) from the field and 36.4% (8-of-22) from downtown, while holding Richmond to 35.6% (16-of-45) shooting from the floor. The Rams tallied 16 assists, second-most on the year, and committed just seven turnovers, the fifth game this season with single digit turnovers and third in the last four contests.
 
Missry's 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-11 from downtown, paced the Rams, who had eight different players get on the scoreboard. Missry's five triples move the senior past Amy Waugh (Xavier '03) and into sixth place in A-10 history with 283 for her career. She will reach the top five with six more treys. Davis notched her sixth straight double-double and 11^th of the year with 12 points and 14 rebounds to go with three assists and three steals. Burns also tallied 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field to go with eight rebounds, a team-high four assists, and two steals. Both players snagged four offensive rebounds and played 35 minutes. Suarez finished with six points and four arebounds in 11 minutes off the bench, Fomina tallied three points, two rebounds, and three assists in 19 minutes, and Kelly scored seven points in nine minutes.
 
Fordham has now held two straight opponents under 50 points, making it 38 straight games under Gaitley in which the team has won when doing so. Richmond's 41 points are a new season-low for Fordham opponents, as well, after UNC Asheville's 42 two weeks ago.
 
The Rams will look to match its' best-ever start to Atlantic 10 play, six straight, when they travel to Olean, N.Y. on Sunday for a meeting with St. Bonaventure. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.