Women's Basketball Blows Past Yale, 80-67

Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham women's basketball kicked off its 2022-23 campaign in style with a 80-67 victory over NR/RV Yale on Monday evening. It was interim head coach Candice Green's first career victory. The Rams are now 1-0.
 
"I'm super excited for this team and our potential." Green said, "We have some things we have to clean up but I'm happy we were able to start off on a win."
 
The Rams netted 80 points for the first time since last year's second contest despite hitting just five three-point attempts. The offense shot 15-of-20 from the free-throw line and converted on 53.2% of its two-point attempts. The defense posted 12 steals, a number that would've tied for third-most a year ago, while the offense put up 17 assists to just 11 turnovers. Yale coughed up the ball 16 times leading to 20 Ram points. Nearly one-third of Fordham's 39 rebounds came on the offensive glass (12).
 
Fordham led nearly wire-to-wire and led by as much as 19 early in the fourth quarter. The Rams took the lead for good with 1:39 left in the first period on an Asiah Dingle jumper following a Matilda Flood steal. That started a 7-0 run to end the first quarter. Fordham would take a double-digit lead for the first time early in the second although the Bulldogs would whittle the deficit back down to six but by halftime the Rams led, 39-28.
 
The two schools traded baskets for much of the third period until a quick Sarah Karpell layup and a pair of Kaitlyn Downey free throws gave the hosts their largest lead to that point, 58-43. A 6-2 run to start the fourth, two baskets assisted by Dingle and one by Sophia Sabino, put Fordham up by 19, though Yale continued to battle and eventually got within nine late but the Rams made their shots down the stretch. Facing a 6-0 run to make it a nine-point game, Flood hit a freebie and Anna DeWolfe drilled a three with 30 seconds to go to put a stamp on the game and send the home crowd into a frenzy.
 
DeWolfe led the charge with 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting across all 40 minutes, hitting 4-of-8 from distance, with five rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Dingle nearly double-doubled with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds, four assists, and five steals. Kaitlyn Downey did double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, plus three dimes and three steals over just 22 minutes.
 
Megan Jonassen hit her first career three-pointer and finished with seven points and five boards, four offensive. Rounding out the starting five was Karpell, who nearly doubled her previous career-high of eight points with 15 efficient points, hitting a career-best six field goals and 3-of-3 from the line, adding three dimes and a pair of boards, too, over 32 minutes. Flood played a career-high 27 minutes off the pine and corralled seven rebounds, three offensive, with five points, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. Sophia Sabino also made her collegiate debut and notched two assists and a rebound.
 
Fordham remains at home to host Saint Peter's on Thursday night at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ and WFUV, though there will also be a tape delayed broadcast on SNY.