Women's Basketball at Duquesne for Wednesday Night Clash

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham women's basketball team (20-7, 11-3 A-10) saw a three-game winning streak snapped at Dayton on Sunday afternoon as the Flyers clinched at least a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season title in the process. The Rams must now focus on their next opponents in short order as they travel to Duquesne (22-5, 12-2) for a Wednesday evening clash between the second and third-place squads in the conference. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
 
Upcoming Promotions
Senior Day - 2/24/18 @ 2PM - Please join us as we celebrate our seniors on Saturday for all they have done the past four years!
 
Harry's Hustlers Youth Groups – Coach Gaitley established Harry's Hustlers in honor of her late father, Harry Vanderslice, which allows a different youth group to be the team's special guests for a game. Guests will attend the contest for free, will get special seating directly behind the Fordham bench, and get to participate in the high-five tunnel during player introductions. All those in attendance will receive a Harry's Hustlers t-shirt. Must be 8^th grade or younger. For more information on participating, please contact Clare Berenato at cberenato@fordham.edu.
 
Last Time Out at Dayton
Things started out decently well in the very early going for Fordham, started the contest off with a 6-2 lead. However, the Flyers responded with a quick 5-0 run to take a 7-6 run at the first quarter media timeout, and that would prove to be the eventual go-ahead points as Dayton stretched that run up to 14 unanswered points to take a 10-point lead, 16-6. The Rams would get within five at the end of the frame, 21-16, but the Flyers started the second quarter off hot and returned the advantage to double figures where it would stay the rest of the game.
 
The Flyers were led by terrific shooting performances from their backcourt of Jenna Burdette and Lauren Cannatelli, who combined for 49 points on 17-of-30 shooting, including 10-of-17 from behind the arc. Burdette added eight assists, as well, over 39 minutes. The Rams struggled with the Flyers' defense, as well, as Alex Harris and company blocked seven shots and held them to just 31.7% shooting overall. Dayton converted 51.8% of all attempts and 48.0% (12-of-25) from deep. Fordham was led by G'mrice Davis' 15 point, 11 rebound double-double, although the senior hit just 4-of-15 shots. Bre Cavanaugh was held to 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting, with no threes on five attempts, while Lauren Holden and Mary Goulding combined for just 4-of-17 shooting. Kendell Heremaia did provide a spark off the bench, tying her career-high with 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting, 3-of-5 from downtown.
 
Series History vs. Duquesne
The Dukes hold a 21-6 all-time series advantage daing back to 1996 when Fordham joined the Atlantic 10. The Rams won two of the series' first five contests, in 1998 and 2000, but it's been nearly all Duquesne since then. Since back-to-back wins in 2006 and 2007, the Dukes have won 11 of the last 13 contests. However, Fordham defeated the Dukes en route to its 2014 championship in Richmond and the two schools' last meeting last December, 64-51, in the conference opener.
 
Davis Becomes Second Ram to Reach 1,000 Career Points and Rebounds
G'mrice Davis scored her 1,000th point with her first basket at Albany on November 19, the 20th Ram to ever reach the feat. She has steadily risen up the all-time scoring list and recently joined the all-time top-10. The Philadelphia native sits on 1,387 career points, having just passed Denise Hammersley ('95) for sixth all-time. Meanwhile, with Davis' 14th and final rebound at VCU on January 14, she reached the 1,000 rebound milestone, as well, becoming the second Ram to accomplish both feats, alongside Fordham Hall of Famer Anne Gregory O'Connell. However, Davis is still 894 boards away from tying her.
 
Gaitley Gets Career Win Number 600
Stephanie Gaitley got her first career win against Siena in December 28, 1985. She got her 500th career victory while at Fordham, against Temple on March 10, 2013, in the Atlantic 10 Championship semifinals in Philadelphia. After stops at Richmond, Saint Joseph's, LIU Brooklyn, Monmouth, and now Fordham, the Ocean City, N.J. native can claim what less than 70 coaches all-time can: 600 career wins. She did it with a 72-48 win over St. Bonaventure on January 25, on her birthday, to boot, and currently holds a 604-353 all-time record.
 
20 Wins
With their 66-45 win over La Salle on Tuesday night, the Rams reached 20 wins for a second consecutive campaign and a fifth time since Stephanie Gaitley became head coach. In fact, the Fordham women's basketball program has only ever had 10 20-win seasons, three with Kathy Mosolino (1977-80), one under Christina Wielgus (1991-92), and one under Kevin Morris (1993-94), and Gaitley has five of them. This is Gaitley's 17th time winning 20 games or more in her 32-year career.
 
Top-30 Ranked Defense
Stephanie Gaitley's Rams have spent the majority of this season in the top-10 nationally in scoring defense, as high as fourth and now as low as 28th after allowing a season-high 79 points in regulation at Dayton on Sunday. The Rams have allowed just 11 60-point games this season, holding a 6-5 record in said games, and have a 9-0 record when opponents score below 50. All other opponents this season have scored between 33 and 59 points, with just 13 of its 27 opponents reaching the 55-point barrier. Opponents are shooting 40.3% from the field but just 29.7% from behind the arc, ranked second in-conference and 74th in the country. Under Gaitley, the Rams have been a top-50 defense in all six of her previous seasons and have finished within the top-20 in half of them.
 
Rams Third in A-10 in RPI
The Rams began at 65th in the initial NCAA RPI and hovered for a few weeks between there and 59th. The one-point loss to Dayton dropped them down to 72nd before bouncing back to 65th after three straight wins. The Rams currently sit again at 72nd. Both Dayton (33rd) and Duquesne (61st) are ahead in-conference. This year, Fordham has wins over Northern Colorado (38th), St. John's (54th), UC Davis (64th),  George Washington (91st), George Mason (106th), and Saint Louis (123rd), and played Dayton, Penn State (83rd) and Albany (84th) tight, while holding UCLA (9th) to its eighth-lowest scoring output on the year. St. John's was ranked 12th at the time of their meeting.
 
One of the Nation's Top Rebounders
G'mrice Davis, the nation's returning leading rebounder, hasn't missed a beat, ranked second in all of Division I with 10.2 defensive boards per contest, second with 13.4 rebounds per game, and sixth with 335 total boards. The senior's 22 double-doubles ranks third in the country, as well. Davis has tallied at least 11 points, 11 rebounds, and one steal in all but eight contests this year. Her 13.4 rebounds per game currently ranks third in a single season at Fordham, behind Anne Gregory O'Connell's two best single-campaign rates and ahead of her third-best, 13.1. Last year, Davis' final clip of 12.8 boards per game ended up fourth-highest, ahead of Gregory O'Connell's worst mark of 12.4. Among active Division I players, Davis is second with 1,105 career rebounds, behind Stephanie Mavunga of Ohio State (1,175) and ahead of South Carolina's A'Ja Wilson (1,093). Davis' 52 career double-doubles are currently tied for most among active players with Mavung, just ahead of Iowa's Megan Gustafson and George Mason's Natalie Butler, who have 51.
 
National Ranks
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 turnovers and sinking free throws at solid rates. Fordham ranks 21st in Division I with just 14.2 personal fouls per game, and 35th with 384 total fouls. The former ranks first in the conference, the latter second At the free throw line, the Rams convert on 76.6% of their attempts, which currently ranks third all-time in program history and sits first in-conference and 15th in the country. Part of the team's success on defense comes from limiting opposing rebounds and three-point shooting. Fordham grabs just 37.7 rebounds per contest (173rd) but has a rebounding margin of +7.4, which ranks 33rd in the country, thanks to holding opponents to just 30.3 boards per game. Foes are also shooting just 29.7% from behind the arc, which ranks 74th in the country. The Rams have done better at taking care of the ball, too, with just 14.0 turnovers per game, ranked 66th overall.
 
Lauren Holden ranks second in all of Division I in minutes played per game, at 39.2, and second in total minutes at 1,059. The junior guard played all 50 minutes twice this year (at St. John's and at Saint Louis), and has gone the distance in 16 of 27 games this season. Aside from outings of 29, 33, and 34 minutes, the junior has played at least 36 minutes in every game. Bre Cavanaugh and G'mrice Davis have also been asked to log heavy minutes this year, ranked eighth and 29th, respectively, at 38.4 and 37.0 minutes. Both Cavanaugh and Davis rank within the top-130 in points per game, at 118th and 127th, respectively. They are also within the top-115 in field goals attempts, at 57th and 114th, respectively, with 402 and 369, while Davis sits 90th in the country, and fourth in the A-10, with 166 field goals to-date. Cavanaugh has been excellent from the line, hitting the third-most free throws by a Fordham rookie in the program's history, with 115. That number ranks 47th nationally, while her 83.3% shooting clip sits 61st.
 
Cavanaugh Among Freshmen Nationally
Bre Cavanaugh already ranks within the top-100 and top-125 overall in several categories thanks to a fantastic debut campaign in maroon and white but among her rookie colleagues, she is at or near the top of those lists. Her 38.4 minutes per game ranks first among all freshmen and her 83.3% free-throw clip ranks fourth. Cavanaugh has attempted the sixth-most free throws (138) and hit the third-most, with 115. She's also ranked third with 456 total points and 402 field goal attempts, fifth with 146 field goals, and seventh in three-point attempts (175).
 
Defense, Defense, Defense
A staple of the Gaitley-led Rams is defense, and no stat better represents that than Fordham's 56-5 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. Since that streak ended, the Rams have rattled off 12 wins dating back to last February. Fordham was 10-1 last year overall when holding opponents under 50 points and are now 9-0 this season, just missing out on two more against the Colonials and Minutewomen, who scored late baskets in the final seconds, with back-to-back 45 point games in the last 10 days.
 
Since Gaitley took over before the 2011-12 season, the Rams' defense have ranked within the top-50 in every season, and within the top-20 at the conclusion of half of them. 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 holding opponents at 56.3 points per game, which ranks 28th in the country.
 
Keys to Winning
Fordham has its fifth 20-win campaign under Stephanie Gaitley and 10th ever in program history. Over those 20 wins, the Rams are outscoring opponents 63.5 to 52.0, a margin of 11.5. Part of the team's success can be attributed to wide disparities in rebounding (38.5 to 28.3) and shooting from the field. Fordham converts on 42.8% of its overall shots and 33.8% from behind the arc, while holding opponents to 38.0% and 25.6%, respectively. G'mrice Davis leads the way with 17.5 points on 48.0% shooting and 13.7 rebounds, plus 11 blocks and 25 steals. Bre Cavanaugh adds 16.6 points, 43 assists, and a team-high 27 steals. Both Lauren Holden (11.1) and Mary Goulding (10.2) are in double figures, as well, with the former hitting 40.4% of her three-point attempts, and the latter hitting 49.4% of her two-point shots. Johanna Klug has been super-efficient in wins, as well, with 63.1% shooting on limited looks (84 attempts), while averaging 6.4 points and 3.9 rebounds, while adding a team-high 12 blocks.
 
Conference Play
Two of the Rams' three conference losses have come on a combined seven points, first a one-point loss against Dayton at home and then in double overtime at Saint Louis, before suffering the second-worst loss overall this year at Dayton on Sunday. Otherwise, Fordham has rattled off 11 league victories, six at home and five on the road. Coach Gaitley has used an eight-player rotation in league action that includes five freshmen. Across the Rams' 14 games, Bre Cavanaugh is leading the way with 19.1 points per contest, ranked second in the league, on 36.3% shooting, 27.2% from downtown, and 84.8% from the free-throw line across 39.1 minutes per game. The redshirt freshman also leads the squad with 20 steals, is second with 31 assists, and is third with 4.6 rebounds per contest. Her 6.1 field goals per contest are tied for seventh-most in the league. G'mrice Davis' 6.9 field goals per league game are third. The senior forward is averaging 17.7 points and 13.5 rebounds with 28 assists, and a team-high eight blocks and 16 thefts. Lauren Holden is averaging 11.1 points per game on 41.9% overall shooting and a team-best 44.6% from behind the arc, while Mary Goulding is chips in 9.8 points and 6.6 boards. Holden leads the squad with 33 assists, while Goulding has been very efficient from the field, hitting 45.0% of all shots and 47.7% of her two-point shots. Johanna Klug, who has started all 14 games, leads the way with a 57.4% clip from the field on limited efforts (47). Zara Jillings, who has started six contests, is shooting 47.5% and is third with 30 dimes, while Kendell Heremaia has added 10 three-pointers on 41.7% shooting. As a team, Fordham is outscoring opponents 64.4 to 57.9 and holds superior percentages aside from overall shooting: 34.9% to 32.6% from deep and 78.6% to 76.4% at the line, but 41.6% to 41.1% in favor of opponents. The Rams control the glass, as well, 37.9 to 29.5.
 
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. This year, they are 13-2 thus far in the Bronx, including a 6-1 mark in conference play. Since Gaitley took over before the 2011-12 season, the Rams hold a 84-26 (76.4%) record at home across 110 contests. On the flip side, including this year's 7-4 mark, Gaitley's Rams are 56-57 (49.6%) on the road or on neutral ground during her tenure.
 
Improved from Downtown
The Rams have been much improved from behind the arc over their last six games (4-2 record), shooting 39.2% as a team during that stretch. Lauren Holden has been particularly potent, hitting 51.6% of her long-range efforts (16-of-31), while both Mary Goulding (40.0%) and Kendell Heremaia (42.9%) are converting more than 40%. Even Johanna Klug has hit one of her two three-point attempts. Bre Cavanaugh is the only other player taking shots from downtown during these games but is hitting slightly above her season average, 28.9%, hitting 13 of a team-high 45 attempts. The 21 games before this current stretch, the Rams were hitting just 29.3% of their attempts from deep.
 
G's Double-Doubles
G'mrice Davis is tied with Ohio State's Stephanie Mavunga for most active career double-doubles in Division I, with 52. The senior forward has 22 this season out of 25 games after 24 (out of 34 games) a year ago. After failing to record one as a freshman, she tallied six as a sophomore. In her career, Davis has recorded 10 or more rebounds in 56 of 118 contests and has scored at least 10 points in 73 games. In her senior campaign, thus far, Davis has failed to record double-digit rebounds just three times (nine vs. Bucknell, eight vs. UCLA, and nine vs. La Salle), and failed to reach double figure points just once (seven vs. UCLA). Before pulling down just nine boards on Tuesday, she had fired off 13 straight double-doubles, which was tied for the 11th-longest streak in NCAA history.
 
Got a Minute?
Junior tri-captain Lauren Holden ranks second in the country with 39.2 minutes played per contest, and is second with 1,059 total minutes played. She has gone the distance on 15 separate occasions this season, including two separate 50-minute efforts. Aside from two blowout wins and 33 minutes against Northern Colorado due to foul trouble Holden has played at least 35 minutes in every game and at least 39 in 18. A starter since midway through her freshman season, Holden passed the 2,500-minute mark against Davidson in mid-January and entered the all-time top-20. Bre Cavanaugh and G'mrice Davis are also inside the top-30 nationally in minutes played, with 38.4 and 37.0, ranked eighth and 29th, respectively. Davis' 3,301 career minutes ranks 10th all-time, while Holden's 2,907 sits 17th. 
 
Holden From Downtown and At the Line
Lauren Holden entered her junior campaign outside of the top-10 for career three-point makes and has since ascended up to eighth on the all-time list, passing Annie Zopf ('09), Monica Mack ('05), and now Arielle Collins ('13), with 142 career triples. She is 13 away from passing Becky Peters ('12) for seventh all-time. Holden's 83,3% conversion rate at the charity stripe, as well, ranks sixth-best in Fordham history.
 
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, hauled in another 19 (compared to 20 defensive) at VCU, 17 more against St. Bonaventure, and another 20 at Davidson. For the season, of the Rams' 1,019 rebounds, 334 have come on the offensive glass, or just under one third of the time (32.8%). For the season, Davis has 79, Goulding has 51, Klug has 47, Jillings has 30, and Cavanaugh has 26. Klug has just six fewer offensive boards than defensive and more than one-third of Jillings' boards come on the offensive end (30-of-72 - 41.7%). Three others have between 11 and 17. Fordham outrebounds its opponents on the offensive glass, 334-219.
 
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. Gaitley has amassed 140 victories in the Bronx, an average of 20 per campaign, and the second-most of any of her stops during 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 recently claimed her 600th win on January 25 against St. Bonaventure, yet again hitting a milestone with a big margin and an opponent under 50 points (72-48). She now has a career 604-353 record and the second-most overall wins among active A-10 coaches, behind Saint Louis' Lisa Stone, who has 607. She does hold the second-most in-conference wins by any Atlantic 10 coach, with 176, between Fordham and Saint Joseph's, but is 64 behind Joe McKeown's record of 240 that he accumulated during his 17 years with George Washington from 1989 to 2008.
 
Bre for Three-Seven
Bre Cavanaugh set a Fordham freshman record at Saint Louis, dropping 37 points on 12-of-30 shooting, 5-of-8 from three-point range, and hitting all eight of her free throw attempts, all over 48 of 50 possible minutes. The 37 points are a new season-high among Atlantic 10 players and are the most ever by a Ram rookie. Cavanaugh is also the third freshman to have multiple 30-point games, along with Fordham Hall of Famers Anne Gregory O'Connell, Sharon Nast, and Jeanine Radice. In fact, only six players have ever had multiple 30-point performances in a single campaign. Both Cavanaugh's 12 field goals and five triples were both season-highs as were her 30 attempts. The Allamuchy, N.J. native scored the final eight points for Fordham in regulation, including clutch free throws with 10 seconds left to tie the game up, and eight points in the double overtime period.
 
Cavanaugh's Other Career Night
Cavanaugh previously busted loose for 34 points in the one-point loss to Dayton in mid-January. She did so on 10-of-19 shooting, 4-of-11 from behind the arc, and 10-of-11 from the free throw line, the latter of which still stands as a season-high. Cavanaugh scored 19 in the first half, with 13 coming in the first quarter, on 8-of-14 shooting. In the second half, she took just five shots, hitting two, but did most of her damage from the charity stripe. The 34 points were then the second-most ever by a Ram rookie in a single game, behind Anne Gregory O'Connell's 36 against Cordlandt State in 1976.
 
Bre the Thief
The Allamuchy, N.J. native has done several things this year that no other freshman has ever done but last Sunday against Rhode Island, she did something no player has ever accomplished in Fordham history - tallying seven steals. In the program's history, four different players (Liz McGovern, Mary Hayes, Cami Cass twice, and Lauren Fleischer) have recorded eight in a single game but no one has ever had seven in a single game. Cavanaugh is second on the team with 38 steals.
 
Counting on Cavanaugh
The redshirt freshman waited two years to grace a collegiate basketball court in an official capacity and her hardwork and perseverence has paid off in a big way. Now a four-time Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week, plus Metropolitan Basketball Writers' Association and CollegeSportsMadness.com's Player of the Week, twice each, Cavanaugh has scored in double figures in all but three games (a team-high nine against UCLA, eight points vs. Bucknell in the next game, and a season-low four at Richmond), including 10 20-plus point efforts and two 30-point explosions. The Allamuchy, N.J. native ranks eighth in the country with 38.4 minutes played per game and has gone the distance 11 times, including a stretch of seven straight between UC Davis and Dayton, playing at least 37 minutes in all but four games this year. Cavanugh has hit at least one three-pointer in all but two games (at Richmond and at Dayton), two in 12 games, thrice with three, one with four, and recently a season-high five at Saint Louis. She's turned her game up a notch during league action, as well, averaging 19.1 points per contest, ranked second in the league. She's doing that on 36.3% shooting overall and 84.8% from the line, with a 31/23 assist/turnover ratio.
 
Cavanaugh Among Fordham Rookies
Cavanaugh's current 17.2 points per game pace is the second-highest among freshman, behind Hall of Famers Anne Gregory O'Connell (22.0 in 1976-77), her 429 overall points already ranks fourth, and her 107 free throws made are already second-most behind Liz Kane's mark of 117 in 1986-87. Her 962 minutes, 137 field goals rank sixth, and 48 three-pointers all rank fourth among rookies. Her 83.6% free-throw rate is second-highest. She's also the ninth rookie to start at least 25 contests.
 
Davis, Cavanaugh and Weekly A-10 Awards
G'mrice Davis and Bre Cavanaugh swept the weekly awards for the week of January 8th, named the Atlantic 10 Co-Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively. Davis became Fordham's first-ever back-to-back weekly award winner, while Cavanaugh took home her third of the season. Since then, the redshirt freshman has won another, garnering Rookie of the Week accolades this week after averaging 28.5 points and 4.0 steals. That makes it four for Cavanaugh, one more than Megan Mahoney (2007-08) and just one back of Samantha Clark (2012-13) for most in a single season.
 
60 is the Magic Number?
The Rams were 15-0 when scoring 60 or more points last season. Fordham was also 11-1 when holding opponents under 50 points (and 13-1 when holding them at 52 or under). After scoring at or under 55 points across their first six contests this year, the Rams have scored 60 or more in 17 of their last 21 contests, and have an 14-3 record in such games.
 
Jillings Dishing It Out
Zara Jillings dished out eight assists against Davidson on January 10, a season-high for all Fordham players. It was also the most in a game since Tiffany Ruffin notched nine at Rhode Island on February 15, 2015, and were the most by a freshman in the last 25 years. Jillings' 42 dimes on the year ranks fifth in the squad but her 30 helpers in conference play are three short of Lauren Holden's team lead.
 
Career Milestone Watch
- Bre Cavanaugh is 44 points away from 500
- Bre Cavanaugh is four field goals away from 150
- Bre Cavanaugh is one three-pointer away from 50
- Bre Cavanaugh is 35 free throw away from 150
- Bre Cavanaugh is 12 steals away from 50
- Bre Cavanaugh is 64 minutes away from 1,100
- G'mrice Davis is 13 points away from 1,400
- G'mrice Davis is 45 rebounds away from 1,150
- G'mrice Davis is 31 offensive rebounds away from 300
- G'mrice Davis is three field goals away from 550
- G'mrice Davis is seven free throws away from 300
- G'mrice Davis is five blocks away from 50
- G'mrice Davis is 49 minutes away from 3,350
- G'mrice Davis is one start away from 90
- G'mrice Davis is two appearances away from 120
- Mary Goulding is 26 points away from 300
- Mary Goulding is 31 rebounds away from 250
- Mary Goulding is 24 assists away from 100
- Mary Goulding is 48 minutes away from 1,100
- Lauren Holden is 34 points away from 800
- Lauren Holden is eight three-pointers away from 150
- Lauren Holden is 21 assists away from 200
- Lauren Holden is 93 minutes away from 3,00
- Lauren Holden is nine appearances away from 100
 
Opponents Scoring Under 40
The Rams, all-time, since the move from the AIAW to the NCAA in 1983, have held opponents under 40 points 19 times, all coming in 1990 and beyond. Under Stephanie Gaitley, that number is eight, including two this season and Richmond's 38 points being the latest. Northern Colorado and Richmond each came into their respective contests averaging 69 points per game. The Bears' 33 points were the third-lowest by a Fordham opponent all-time.
 
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.
 
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. Jillings and Klug each participated with their respective national teams over the summer, with the former playing sporadically for the New Zealand senior national team and Klug helped lead Germany to the European U20 B championship. 
 
Four Sign NLIs in 2017-18 Recruiting Class
Coach Gaitley announced a four-player class earlier this week, made up of two guards and two forwards, locally from New York and Pennsylvania: Chloe Chaffin, Kaitlyn Downey, Megan Jonassen, and Catherine Polisano. Read more about them HERE.
 
Up Next
The Rams return home for their regular season finale and Senior Day this Saturday afternoon against Saint Joseph's, with tip-off set for 2 p.m.