Downey, Defense Stifle Saint Joseph's in 51-36 Win

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham women's basketball team shut down Saint Joseph's on Friday afternoon, holding its offense to just 36 points on 27.8% shooting en route to a 51-36 victory, the Rams' fifth straight. With the win, Fordham improves to 11-3 overall and 8-2 in Atlantic 10 play, while the Hawks fall to 5-6 and 3-6, respectively.
 
"Great team win with a few great individual efforts by Kaitlyn and Katie," Head coach Stephanie Gaitley said, "We struggled to score in the third quarter but we stayed tough defensively and that was the difference!"

Saint Joseph's rebounded from a 12-point first half on 15.4% shooting to outscore the hosts, 15-5, in the third quarter, to make it a close contest down the stretch, but Fordham used a big 8-0 run in the fourth to pull away. The Rams never trailed in the contest, leading for all but one minute. Kaitlyn Downey, who finished with a stat-stuffing 15 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, four blocks, and three steals, hit a three on her team's first offensive possession, which proved to be all Fordham needed in the game. The 36 points, the second straight time Fordham has held the Hawks to that number including last year's A-10 Championship first-round match-up, are also tied for the 11th-fewest ever allowed in program history. 
 
Neither team shot particularly well in the opening frame, but Fordham's two threes and three free throws gave the hosts an 11-7 edge after 10 minutes of action. The Hawks again hit just two field goals in the second period, missing 3-of-4 efforts from the line, while Fordham's offense began to click by hitting 7-of-13 shots, including 4-of-6 from behind the arc, using an 18-5 run to lead 29-12 at the interval. DeWolfe kicked things off in the period with an unassisted three, found Heremaia for a layup moments later, then drained another three on the fastbreak following a Katie McLoughlin steal, forcing Saint Joseph's into a timeout. Threes from Downey and McLoughlin plus two late Downey buckets rounded out the rest of the scoring.
 
The Hawks turned things around in a hurry, however, over the final five minutes of the third quarter. With Fordham leading, 32-16, with 5:24 left, the Hawks started a 9-0 run to get within seven over a four-minute span. A pair of Downey free throws were cancelled out by Alexis Santarelli's layup, leaving the Hawks still down by just seven heading to the fourth. Santarelli and Kaliah Henderson got the visitors down just five two minutes into the final frame, but the Rams were able to rally and keep separation. Following Henderson's basket, the Rams kicked off that 8-0 run with a Downey layup followed by a DeWolfe floater, which caused another Saint Joseph's timeout. Out of the break, Megan Jonassen made a pair of baskets, first from just inside the arc and the second on a bullet feed from Downey down low, sandwiched around a Heremaia jumper. The lead would remain in double figures the rest of the way with Heremaia, from distance, and DeWolfe each notching a final basket.
 
DeWolfe was held to a season-low 13 points, the first game that she didn't lead the team in scoring but the 14^th straight game in double figures to begin her sophomore campaign. She also handed out three assists over a season-low 33 minutes. Downey shot 5-of-11 from the field and drew eight fouls in addition to her stuffed line. Heremaia also finished in double figures with 12 points, adding six rebounds and an assist, while McLoughlin hauled in a career-best 10 rebounds while scoring seven points.
 
The Rams finished the contest shooting 36.5% from the floor, including 38.9% from downtown. Neither team shot well from the charity stripe, with Fordham's 42.9% mark besting the Hawks' 40.0%. Fordham won the battle of the glass, 41-32, including an 11-9 margin on the offensive end. Fordham scored 13 points off of nine Saint Joseph's turnovers.
 
Fordham hosts La Salle on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the team's annual Play4Kay game. It is also Senior Day, with three senior players, three scout squad members, and two team managers partaking in the pregame ceremony. ESPN+ and WFUV will carry live coverage of the contest.