Bronx, N.Y. – Graduate guard
Asiah Dingle stole the show on Thursday night, racking up an astounding, and program-record, 10 steals in just 26 minutes, with her teammates adding 11 more to set another program record with 21 total, in an 81-39 victory over Saint Peter's inside the Rose Hill Gym. The Rams are off to a 2-0 start.
It took awhile for the Fordham offense to find its groove, though they trailed just once after the game's first basket, finally hitting another gear midway through the second quarter and finishing the first half on a 17-3 run, making eight of its last nine field goal attempts and four of its last five threes. Dingle's defense, however, was in midseason form, posting six steals by halftime, a number matched only 12 times in program history and bested only six other times, including five instances of the record eight thefts, with Lauren Fleischer in 2001 being the most recent. Dingle matched the record early in the third quarter, broke it early in the fourth, and then notched her 10
th on the next possession.
With a 39-20 lead at the break, the Rams maintained their momentum on both ends of the court, holding the Peacocks to just seven points and one made field goal in the third period while scoring 24 on 52.6% shooting. The fourth was much of the same, outscoring the visitors, 18-12, as play slowed down. Fordham finished the contest shooting 47.8% from the field and 57.1% from inside the arc, making 33 field goals, which is tied for eighth-most in a single game, too. Saint Peter's 29 turnovers, meanwhile, are tied for the second-most by a Fordham opponent.
Dingle finished with the program's first double-double involving steals, with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 10 steals, while flirting with a triple-double by adding eight rebounds, plus three assists and a block, all in 26 minutes.
Anna DeWolfe posted 13 points on 50% shooting, hitting 3-of-5 three-point attempts, with a pair of steals, while
Kaitlyn Downey chipped in 10 points, six boards, two dimes, two blocks, and a steal. Eight Rams had at least one steal and four had two.
Off the bench, several players made their Fordham debuts – graduate transfer
Jada Dapaa played 19 minutes and nearly double-doubled with eight points and nine rebounds, plus a block, while freshmen
Ashley O'Connor and
Faith Pappas made their collegiate debuts, the former chipping in two points, two boards, a block, and a steal in six minutes.
Colleen McQuillen set several new career-highs with four field goals, including two tough driving layups, for nine points, adding two steals over 20 minutes, while
Matilda Flood handed out a personal-best four assists, adding six points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block over 20 minutes.
Sophia Sabino posted a point, two boards, an assist and a steal across 12 minutes and
Kate Deutsch netted two points with a board in two minutes in her Fordham debut, as well.
Thursday was the school's first 40-point victory since a 76-34 win over Duquesne in the 2019 Atlantic 10 Championship semifinals, one day before winning the conference title. It's Fordham's first back-to-back 80-point games since 2013 and just the second time in the A-10 era (1995-96). All-time it's the seventh instance, though that number grows to 12 if you include losses, as well.
Fordham next heads to the road for a meeting with #17/18 Maryland on Sunday at 1 p.m. That game will be streamed live on BIG+ and WFUV.
Gallery: (11-11-2022) vs. Saint Peter's
