Bronx, N.Y. – The defending Atlantic 10 Champion Fordham women's basketball team will kick off its 2019-20 campaign in style when it hosts last year's national runner-up, Notre Dame, on Tuesday, November 5, at 7 p.m. inside the Rose Hill Gym. The Rams have today announced their nonconference schedule in full, comprised of 13 total contests, seven of which will take place at home. Times are to be determined unless stated below.
 
"We are really excited about the challenging schedule we have put together for our team," head coach Stephanie Gaitley said, "We feel last year's schedule prepared us for the tough A-10 schedule. It is really going to be rocking in Rose Hill on November 5 when we take on Notre Dame, the national runners-up. Let's 'FILL THE HILL'!"
 
Fordham will prepare for the upcoming season with a Halloween evening exhibition, Thursday October 31, against NYIT at 7 p.m. before opening up the campaign five days later against the Fighting Irish, who finished #2/3 in last season's final national polls. Fordham will head to the road for two consecutive contests afterwards, first at nearby rivals, Columbia, on Sunday, November 10, before traveling out to Penn State on Wednesday, November 13.
 
The Rams will return to the Rose Hill Gym for two contests over four days, first against Villanova on Sunday, November 17, at 5 p.m., with an opener of Seton Hall and Saint Joseph's taking place beforehand. That following Wednesday, November 20, the Rams will welcome Northeastern to Rose Hill with a 7 p.m. tip-off.
 
Fordham will be away from home for the following three weeks, traveling to former A-10 foe, Charlotte, on Sunday November 24, before taking part in the 2019 Bahamas Hoopfest across November 29-30, taking on Arkansas and Lehigh, respectively. Once back in the Bronx, the Rams will play their final road nonconference game against nearby rival, Manhattan, on December 5, in the 51^st Battle of the Bronx.
 
The Rams will close out nonconference play with four consecutive home contests, first against Georgetown on Sunday, December 8, at 2 p.m., and then against Southern the following Saturday, December 14, with the same start time. The 16^th Fordham Holiday Classic, in its 12^th consecutive year, will take place over Sunday and Monday, December 29-30, featuring Hofstra, Houston, and Samford. The Rams will take on Samford to kick things off on Sunday at 1 p.m.  
 
Fordham's 25 wins last year were tied for third-most in the program's history, while the squad, one of the youngest in the country, set a new school record with nine straight conference wins and tied a record with a 12-game overall win streak that stretched into and through the Atlantic 10 championship, where the Rams coasted to the title with an average margin of victory of just under 23 points across three games. After starting the year 5-5, the team went on a 20-3 run, including a 13-3 record in league play, a new school benchmark for victories, and secured a first-round bye with a share of its first-ever A-10 regular season championship. Fordham made its third-ever appearance at the NCAA Tournament with a trip to #12 Syracuse.
 
The Rams enjoyed their highest-ever finish in the national ranks in several categories, namely finishing the year ninth in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 54.4 points per game. Fordham was also seventh in turnovers per game (11.5) and ninth in fouls per game (13.3). The Rams were 37th in assist/turnover ratio (1.14) and sank the 37th-most three-pointers in the nation (267), a new school single-season record. In regard to the former number, five players finished with at least 50 assists on the year and four recorded between 80 and 94.
 
For her efforts leading the program, head coach Stephanie Gaitley was named Coach of the Year by both the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Assocation's and the Basketball Coaches Association of New York, her third time earning the former during her eight-year tenure in the Bronx, while Bre Cavanaugh was named Player of the Year and a First Team member by both organizations, as well, and outgoing senior Mary Goulding was named to each Second Team. The pair became the first Fordham teammates in the Atlantic 10 era to both be named to the All-Conference First Team, with Goulding also earning All-Academic accolades. The duo were also named ECAC Honorable Mention.
 
The Rams lost Goulding and program career minutes played leader, Lauren Holden, to graduation but welcomed graduate transfer Isis Young from Syracuse and a three-player freshmen class. On the coaching staff, with the departures of Angelika Szumilo, who became head coach at Fairleigh Dickinson, Samantha Clark, and Chris Scerbo, Gaitley added new assistant coach Candice Green and recent graduates Kerri McMahan and Nicole Munger as the new video coordinator and Coordinator of Recruiting and Player Development, respectively.