Women's Basketball Travels to St. John's Tuesday Night

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham women's basketball team (5-3) bounced back from a tough midweek loss at Penn State to dominate Iona on Saturday afternoon, 78-48, the team's first 30-point win since last Febraury against Massachusetts. Winners of three of their last four, the Rams now set their sights on a local road contest with Big East foe St. John's (6-2). The Red Storm have defeated Fordham each of the last two years, the first two contests in the all-time series since 2001.
 
Upcoming Promotions
Coach Gaitley Coloring Contest: CLICK HERE to receive your coloring contest entry. Submissions will be accepted at just one more game: Sunday, December 17 against Bucknell (Bring Your Daughter Day). Presenting your submission to the ticketing table gives you a free ticket to that day's game. All entries will be voted upon and winners will be announced at the December 28 game against Hartford at 1 p.m. Prizes include a Rams prize pack.
 
Take a Kid to a Game Day: Free admission for children 12 years and younger. Our Youth Clinic will be held from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Vince Lombardi Field House for girls 8^th grade and younger and boys 6^th grade and younger.
 
Last Time Out vs. Iona
Senior forward G'mrice Davis tallied a big double-double, her seventh straight to begin the campaign, with 26 points, one shy of her career-high, and 16 rebounds, and the Rams put forth a terrific all-around performance, leading from start to finish on Saturday. Fordham notched a season-high of 20 assists and a season-low of six turnovers as nine different players got on the scoreboard, including double-digit efforts from Bre Cavanaugh (14 points) and Mary Goulding (11 points). The Rams shot 49.2% from the field (29-of-59) and 15-of-20 from the free throw line (75%), but continued to struggle from behind the three-point arc, converting on just five-of-18 attempts (27.8%). They continued to be fearsome on the glass, though, with a 44-27 advantage, including 12 offensive  boards. Freshman guard Zara Jillings chipped in a season-high 11 rebounds off the bench, while classmates Johanna Klug, Ralene Kwiatkowski, and Lauren Murphy combined for 17 points off the pine, as well. Fordham led from start to finish, starting with a 7-0 run among a sluggish 13-8 first quarter, but exploding with a 21-6 difference in the second period, and 47-21 between the second and third periods, before the Gaels slightly outscored Fordham, 19-18, over the final 10 minutes. The win was Coach Gaitley's 125th in the Bronx.
 
Series History vs. St. John's
The Red Storm have won 21 of the all-time series' 26 contests, dating back to 1971. The two schools met 10 times in that decade and St. John's won the first nine, until Fordham was victorious, 65-57, in the Bronx on Febraury 10, 1979. Fordham won a year later, as well, at Iona in New Rochelle, but it was two weeks after St. John's had won by two, 73-71. The Rams would have to wait 18 years for its next series victory, 88-82, in the Bronx in 1988. Their only other series wins came in 2001-02, winning, 62-41, in Queens, and a year later, 53-49, in South Orange, N.J. The former is Fordham's lone win at Carnesecca Arena. The Red Storm are 12-1 against Fordham at home all-time.
 
Davis Scores 1,000th Point
G'mrice Davis entered her senior campaign with 970 career points scored and knowing it wouldn't be long to become the 20th Ram to ever accomplish the feat of scoring 1,000 career points in maroon and white. After scoring 28 combined points in her first two games, she was able to reach 1,000 quickly at Albany. The Philadelphia native has since scored 71 points over her last four contests and now sits on 1,086 career points, having just passed former teammate Erin Rooney ('14) for 17th all-time. Heather Donlon ('93) is next with 1,121.
 
Cavanaugh Named A-10 Rookie of the Week
Redshirt freshman Bre Cavanaugh was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week last Monday afternoon after two standout performances two weeks ago. The Allamuchy, N.J. native set two new career-highs in scoring when she scored 16 points at Manhattan and then a team-high 21 points against Pittsburgh.
 
Fifth-Ranked Defense
Fordham comes into Tuesday allowing the fifth-fewest points per game in the country, at just 51.1 to opponents. The Rams allowed an opponent to score more than 60 points for the first time all season, with Penn State scoring 65 last Wednesday night, but all other opponents have scored between 33 and 59, with just two hitting the 55-point mark. Fordham sits atop the Atlantic 10 and is behind just Green Bay, North Texas, Central Arkansas, and Clemson as the only programs to allow fewer than 52 points per contest. Last year, the Rams held opponents to 56.2 points per contest, which ranked 19th by season's end.
 
Davis as Division I's Top Rebounder
G'mrice Davis, the nation's returning leading rebounder, hasn't missed a beat, leading all of Division I with 14.7 rebounds per game and 11.6 defensive boards per contest. The senior's seven double-doubles rank eighth overall. Davis has recorded at least 12 points, 13 rebounds, and one steal in six consecutive contests.
 
National Ranks
It's never too early to cast an eye towards the Division I national statistics. Davis is once again doing her thing on the glass and the Rams are, as usual under Coach Gaitley, a top defensive squad, but this year's team is also minimizing fouls and sinking free throws. Fordham ranks ninth overall with just 110 fouls and 11th nationally with 13.8 per game, both of which rank first in the conference. Opposing teams are hitting just 26.7% of long-range attempts, ranked 17th, and 36.9% from the field overall, which ranks 79th. At the free throw line, the Rams convert on 74.8% of their attempts, ranked fourth in the A-10 and 39th in the country. With six players averaging at least 3.3 boards per game and the nation's leading rebounder, the group unsurprisingly rank 31st overall with a 9.8 rebounding margin over opponents.
 
At the individual level, guards Lauren Holden and Bre Cavanaugh, plus G'mrice Davis, have been asked to log heavy minutes this year. The blowout win over Iona on Saturday has led to a decrease in average minutes played for the trio, but they all still rank within the top-50. Holden, who once led the nation in minutes per game earlier this season, still ranks ninth overall and joint-first in the conference with Saint Louis' Jackie Kemph, at 38.6 minutes played per contest. Cavanaugh and Davis rank 44th and 46th, respectively, with 36.4 and 36.3 minutes played per game. Davis played 33 minutes against the Gaels but the two guards played under 30 minutes. Cavanaugh and Davis have excelled at the charity stripe, too, sinking their freebies at clips of 85.7% and 83.3%, respectively, ranked 61st and 97th overall. For Davis, that represents a personal-best mark.
 
Defense, Defense, Defense
A staple of the Gaitley-led Rams is defense, and no stat better represents that than Fordham's 52-5 record when holding opponents under 50 points during her tenure. Last January, Saint Joseph's defeated the Rams, 47-44, at Hagan Arena in Philadelphia, ending a streak of 38 consecutive contests with such victories. The last time before that loss, coincidentally, was also against the Hawks, in the 2013 A-10 Championship game at the Barclays Center, 47-46. Fordham was 10-1 last year when holding opponents under 50 points and are 3-0 this season.
 
Since Gaitley took over before the 2011-12 season, the Rams have ranked within the top-50 in all six seasons, and within the top-20 at the conclusion of half of them, in scoring defense. The highest a Gaitley-coached defense has finished was 12th during the conference championship-winning 2013-14 campaign, holding opponents at 56.3 points per game, while the 2012-13 squad held opponents to just 52.4 points per game, ranked 16th nationally. Last year, Fordham held opponents to 56.2 points per game and was ranked 19th in the country at season's end. This season, the Rams are 3-0 in such games, holding UMBC, Northern Colorado, and Manhattan all to under 48 points, and rank fourth with 48.2 points allowed per contest.
 
Crashing the Offensive Glass
Fordham grabbed an astounding 23 offensive rebounds at Penn State, compared to 16 on the defensive end, which was 20 more than the Lady Lions' three by night's end. Mary Goulding grabbed nine of her 10 rebounds on offensive possessions, while G'mrice Davis split her 14 boards evenly on either side. For the season, of the Rams' 318 rebounds, 107 have come on the offensive glass, or more than one third of the time (33.6%). For the season, Goulding has more offensive boards (21) than defensive (16), while Holden has one fewer (7-8), and Johanna Klug has an even 13 of each. Seven players have at least five offensive boards and four have at least nine.
 
Opponents Scoring <>
The Rams, all-time, since the move from the AIAW to the NCAA in 1983, have held opponents under 40 points 18 times, all coming in 1990 and beyond. Under Stephanie Gaitley, that number is seven, with Northern Colorado's output of 33 points being the latest. The Bears came into that contest averaging 69 points per contest over five game. Their 33 points were the third-lowest by a Fordham opponent all-time.
 
Got a Minute?
Junior tri-captain Lauren Holden sits ninth in all of Division I in minutes played, currently at 38.2 per game and had completed the full 40 minutes in three straight contests prior to Saturday's contest, four total, and also played all 45 minutes in an overtime loss at Albany. A starter since midway through her freshman season, Holden passed the 2,000-minute mark against Northern Colorado and is fast approaching the all-time top-20. Bre Cavanaugh's 36.4 minutes per contest ranks 44th overall, while G'mrice Davis' 36.3 minutes rank 46th.
 
Fourth Quarter Rallies
In Fordham's two losses early in the season, the Rams faced double-digit deficits but made furious charges in the final period of action to get close or take the lead. At Boston College, the Eagles led by 12 with 3:23 left in regulation. Fordham responded, however, and rattled off an impressive 10-1 run down to the final 20 seconds where the Eagles were able to hit both of their free throws and solidify the victory. At Albany, the Rams entered the fourth quarter trailing by 11. Fordham had shown flashes in the third quarter, outscoring Albany, 12-11, but was still unable to make up the necessary ground. The Great Danes began the fourth with a short 4-2 run to lead by 13, but after that last basket, it was all Fordham. The Rams rampaged to a one-point lead with 20 seconds to play, capping a 15-1 run, with G'mrice Davis scoring 11 of those points. Unfortunately for Fordham, the Great Danes would tie things up and go on to win in overtime.
 
Slow Starts, Strong Finishes
With so much turnover between last season and this it isn't surprising that the Rams struggled to begin contests, with three freshmen in the starting lineup the first two contests then then logging heay minutes after Goulding's return from injury. Over the first five games of the season, opponents were outscoring Fordham, 58-49, in first quarters and, after the Pittsburgh game, were being outscored in second periods, 75-71. Conversely, the Rams were thriving in the second half, outscoring opponents, 88-67, in the third quarter, and 182-137, in second halves. Fordham has performed better from the jump the last two contests, outscoring Penn State 49-42 over three quarters, and holding a 34-14 halftime lead over Iona, but the script was flipped in the final period, being outscored 42-29, by the Lady Lions and Gaels. Still, on the season, the Rams hold an advantage over their opponents over all four periods of regulation and 451-396 overall. Things are still tight in the first and fourth frames, with Fordham holding just a eight-point and one-point lead in those respective quarters.
 
Davis Racks Up Preseason Honors
As mentioned, Davis' breakout junior season saw her earn First Team All-Conference and All-Defensive honors, and it was announced at A-10 Media Day that the league's coaches have predicted her to do so again as a senior. Davis was also recently selected as one of 20 players in Division I women's basketball for the inaugural Katrina McClain Award watch list, to be given out to the country's top power forward, starting this season.
 
Fordham Picked to Finish Fifth in Preseason Poll
Likewise, the league's coaches also predicted an identical fifth-place finish for Fordham in the preseason poll. Dayton, last year's champions, garnered eight first-place votes for a total of 182 points, just ahead of Saint Louis, who tallied 174 points and three first-place votes, and Saint Joseph's, with 170 points and the final three first-place votes. Duquesne, with 160 points, rounds out the top five in a predicted fourth-place finish. George Washington (116), La Salle (114), George Mason (79), Richmond (78), and Massachusetts (73) filled out spots 6-10, followed by VCU (56), St. Bonaventure (50), Rhode Island (46), and Davidson (22).
 
Five Fordham Debuts
Five freshmen made their debuts against UMBC, the most since 2011. Three of those freshmen started the contest, the most in the last 15 years. Joey Klug's 13 points were the most by a freshman in her debut since Hannah Missry scored 14 in 2013. Klug became the first freshman to record both a block and a steal in her debut over the last 15 years, as well, and the first to record at least one block since Samantha Clark had two in her 2012 debut. Cavanaugh's 39 minutes were the most by a freshman making her debut since Megan Mahoney played all 40 minutes in 2007.
 
Gaitley Makes History
Stephanie Gaitley reached 100 wins with the Fordham program against Little Rock on November 19, 2016, and later won her 116th contest at home against Massachusetts, 74-43, in February, passing Kathy Mosolino ('74-'80) for the most wins in program history. Gaitley tied and passed the milestone with two typical Gaitley-inspired performances, with three-pointers and excellent defense, holding both opponents below 50 points. Entering the 2017-18 season, Gaitley had 120 wins across six seasons in the Bronx, an average of over 20 per campaign. Her 125 total wins are the second-most of any of Gaitley's stops in her 32-year career as a head coach, ahead of her 116 wins at Richmond (1985-91) but a ways away from her 10-year stint at Saint Joseph's (1991-2001), in which she racked up 196 wins. Gaitley has a career 588-348 record and has the second-most overall wins among active A-10 coaches, behind Saint Louis' Lisa Stone, and has the second-most wins by any Atlantic 10 coach, with 169 between Fordham and Saint Joseph's, but is 71 behind Joe McKeown's record of 240 that he accumulated during his 17 years with George Washington from 1989 to 2008.
 
This Is Our House
Fordham finished its 2016-17 campaign with a 16-3 at home, as opposed to a 5-7 record on the road and 1-2 at neutral sites. They were also 7-1 during home conference contests for the second year in a row. Since Gaitley took over before the 2011-12 season, the Rams hold a 75-24 (75.8%) record at home. They are 4-0 thus far this season in the Bronx. On the flip side, including this year's 1-3 start, Gaitley's Rams are 50-55 (47.6%) on the road or on neutral ground.
 
Fordham on the International Scene
The Rams boast one of the larger international contingents, between players and coaching staff, in the country. Seven different countries are represented: Barbados (Sonia Burke), Fiji (Valerie Nainima, Vilisi Tavui), Germany (Johanna Klug), Latvia (Asnate Fomina), Poland (Angelika Szumilo), and New Zealand (Mary Goulding, Kendell Heremaia, Zara Jillings), and 13 from the USA.
 
Career Milestone Watch
- G'mrice Davis is 14 points away from 1,100
- G'mrice Davis is 27 rebounds away from 900
- G'mrice Davis is 22 free throws away from 250
- G'mrice Davis is 21 field goals away from 450
- G'mrice Davis is six assists away from 100
- G'mrice Davis is four steals away from 100
- G'mrice Davis is five starts away from 75
- Asnate Fomina is two assists away from 150
- Asnate Fomina is 10 steals away from 50
- Asnate Fomina is 13 appearances away from 100
- Lauren Holden is 16 field goals away from 200
- Lauren Holden is two three's away from 100
- Lauren Holden is three appearances from 75
 
Up Next
The Rams host Bucknell this Sunday afternoon, December 17, at 2 p.m., before welcoming nationally-ranked UCLA to the Rose Hill Gym three days later.