Women's Basketball at Rhode Island Sunday Afternoon

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Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham (16-5, 7-2) begins a critical stretch of three games in six days against three of the A-10's top contenders, starting at NR/RV Rhode Island (19-3, 9-0) on Sunday, February 13, at 1 p.m. on ESPN+ and WFUV. 
 
The Stephanie Gaitley Show
Episode 4 has arrived! Click the link to catch WFUV's Dylan Balsamo and Coach Gaitley talk about the team's recent stretch of five games in 10 days, plus an interview with Coach and her son, Coop, and a profile of Kendell Heremaia! To watch the previous three episodes, click HERE to go to Fordham Athletics' YouTube page.
 
Last Time Out
Fordham rallied on the road to defeat Duquesne, 59-52, stifling the Dukes over the final five minutes and winning with an 11-0 run. The hosts raced out to a 19-8 lead in the opening frame, making half of their shots, before a late Kendell Heremaia three brought the lead back to single digits, where it would stay the rest of the way. The Rams regrouped during the break and used a 15-6 run to take their first lead, 26-25, although they'd trail by three at half. The Rams kept in step with the Dukes throughout the second half, answering a 9-4 Duquesne run with one of their own to make it 44-44 late in the third quarter. Fordham trailed by four, 52-48, with 5:14 to play after five quick points from Fatou Pouye, but from that point on it was all Rams.
 
Asiah Dingle led the Rams in nearly every category, amassing 24 points on 8-of-18 shooting, including 2-of-4 from behind the arc and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line, with eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals across all 40 minutes. Heremaia and Anna DeWolfe combined for 28 points, each with a full line, as well, while Kaitlyn Downey and Megan Jonassen combined for seven points and five offensive rebounds. Off the bench, Matilda Flood and Sarah Karpell each grabbed four boards, three on the offensive end. Fordham was outshot and outrebounded but the Rams had 16 offensive boards, leading to 12 second-chance points, and Duquesne committed 20 turnovers (to Fordham's eight), leading to 18 points for the visitors. Read all about it here.
 
Series History with Duquesne
Fordham holds a 22-19 all-time advantage since 1981. The two schools met that season and the next, both Rhody wins, before waiting until 1996 when Fordham joined the Atlantic 10. The (Bronx) Rams are 9-11 in Kingston but have three straight victories inside the Ryan Center, including a 64-58 win last January. One month after that, Fordham was victorious, 56-53, in the Bronx. In the former contest, DeWolfe and Heremaia each shot 4-of-6 from distance, and combined for 43 points. In the latter, Downey double-doubled with a pair of blocks, and DeWolfe and Heremaia combined for 29.
 
Triple D - DeWolfe, Dingle, Downey
Shut the front door! So far this season, the Fordham trio have been gnarly, righteous, dynamite, and, perhaps most importantly, the bomb-dot-com. All three already have one A-10 Player of the Week award so far this season. Combined, they make up 66.7% of the team's scoring on a combined 41.5% shooting overall. They are the real deal. For context for the uninitiated, this entire blurb is related to Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
 
Hungry Like DeWolfe
The reigning Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year became the 24th Ram to reach 1,000 career points on December 12 against Lafayette, doing so on a patented mid-range jumper, hitting nothing but net. DeWolfe leads the Atlantic 10 in scoring (19.6 points per game) on 41.6% overall shooting, 32.5% from distance, and 87.8% from the line. She is second on the team with 60 assists and 34 steals, and is currently second in the nation with 38.4 minutes per game, and 21st in points per game. She has 13 games this year of 20 or more points, including a stretch of eight in a row.
 
At the end of her sophomore campaign, DeWolfe ranked 22nd nationally with 20.8 points per game, one of seven underclassmen in the top-25 and just the third Ram to averaging over 20 points, and was 25th with 37.3 minutes played and 29th with 2.7 threes per contest. DeWolfe has started 71 consecutive contests in her collegiate career, beginning with her first game against #16 Notre Dame at home in front of a sold out Rose Hill Gym where she nearly triple-doubled (10 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists) in a close five-point loss to the Irish. DeWolfe was a three-time Rookie of the Week and All-Rookie selection that year while leading all freshmen in minutes played (1,152).
 
Variety Pack
The Rams have had three different Atlantic 10 Players of the Week this season. First it was Asiah Dingle after averaging 26.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.0 steals, and 3.0 assists over wins against Quinnipiac and Seton Hall to kick the season off. The week after it was Kaitlyn Downey after averaging 19.5 points at Notre Dame and against Michigan State, including a career-high-matching 24 points in the win over the Spartans. Anna DeWolfe has now earned the award twice this year. It's only the third time in program history three different Rams have garnered the award and just the second time in the A-10 era - last year DeWolfe, Downey, and Heremaia earned Player of the Week at least once.
 
Kendell Here-oh-my!
Kendell Heremaia became the 23rd Ram to reach 1,000 points for her career, doing so at Seton Hall in the second game of this season, matching her career-high of 29 points and shooting a blistering 8-of-11 from behind the arc, just one off the single-game program record. Against GW, she became the 11th Ram to reach 700 career rebounds, as well. The New Zealand international has since ascended to 14th all-time with 1,184 career points, 6th with 751 boards, and 6th with 201 made three-pointers, with Bre Cavanaugh ('20) next at 208.
 
Heremaia, now with 300 assists (tied for 11th with Erin Rooney), is one of just two Rams to reach 1,000 career points, 700 career rebounds, 300 dimes, and 100 steals - Abigail Corning ('14) did it, as well. Heremaia also has 132 steals over 137 career appearances and 109 starts, the latter two numbers ranking solo 2nd and 5th all-time.
 
The Senior Captains
The two senior captains, Downey's third year and Jonassen's first, have been instrumental to Fordham's success in recent years. Downey, a three-time A-10 Player of the Week and a Third Team All-Conference selection a year ago, has never missed a game in her career, making her 100th straight appearance against George Washington in her 94th start. The Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. native is up to 876 career points, an average of 8.3 for her career, and 606 rebounds, a clip of 5.8 per contest. She has been a consistent shooter through her career, hitting 39.2% from the field with a rate of 33.6% from distance, including a career-best 39.1% this season., which is currently 11th-best in a single season in program history.
 
Jonassen, who has missed just three games in her career and made her 100th appearance against Saint Joseph's, is more known for her rebounding prowess, averaging 4.3 for her career with a whopping 246 offensive rebounds of 441 total (55.8%). A consistent shooter from the floor, whether its in the paint or a patented long jumper, hitting 45.2% of her attempts, she has put in tremendous work in becoming a better free-throw shooter: after making just 20-of-53 over her first two seasons (37.7%), she has been a 68.9% shooter from the stripe this year and last, including a mark of 70.0% this season.
 
100 Straight
Kaitlyn Downey made her 100th consecutive appearance to begin her collegiate career in a home win over George Washington on January 19th. She is one of just 14 active players in Division I that have done the same, including Saint Louis' Ciaja Harbison. Downey has now appeared in 105 straight contests, making 99 starts.
 
Dingle All the Way
The Boston native made her 100th career appearance against St. Bonaventure and has started all 21 games for the Rams so far this season, up to 84 for her career. The year's first first A-10 Player of the Week after averaging 26.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.0 steals, and 3.0 assists over 39.5 minutes of two exciting wins to begin the campaign, Dingle leads the team in assists and steals, is second in scoring and fourth in rebounding. For her career across three schools, she has accumulated 1,322 points at an average of 13.1 per game. She is a 42.2% career shooting with 3.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.1 steals per game.
 
5 Games in 10 Days
The Rams just wrapped up a 10-day stretch with five games, finishing with a 4-1 record. Fordham defeated George Washington, Saint Joseph's, and St. Bonaventure at home and Davidson on the road, but fell in heartbreaking fashion at Dayton. Over the five games, Fordham outscored opponents 57.8 to 49.0 (+8.8) while holding opponents to 34.5% shooting overall and 22.8% from distance. The offense, led by Anna DeWolfe's 19.4 points, recorded 68 assists to 62 turnovers while shooting 37.8% from the field and 30.9% from behind the arc. On the glass, Fordham outrebounded opponents, 37.4 to 30.4, with 62 offensive rebounds of 187 total (33.2%).
 
Nationally Speaking (as of 2/11)
Like last year, stoppages in play lead to falling down the national and conference ranks in many categories, so per-game averages take on an added importance. Among their Division I peers, the Rams are 34th in turnovers per game (13.4), 42nd in scoring defense (56.8), 64th in free-throw percentage (.746), 68th in assist/turnover ratio (1.04), 74th in fouls per game (15.1).
 
At the individual level, Anna DeWolfe is 2nd in minutes played per game (38.4) and 31st in total minutes (807), 21st in scoring (19.6), 12th in field-goal attempts (389) and 21st in makes (162), and is 54th with 52 made threes and 43rd with 2.5 per game. Asiah Dingle is 76th with 2.24 steals per game and 73rd with 47 total steals.
 
Conference-Only
The Rams are 7-2 in league action so far this year, outscoring opponents 59.7 to 53.3, with four of those wins coming on the road. The Rams are shooting 38.4% overall, 29.7 from deep, and 69.6% from the free-throw line, while holding opponents to 36.7% and 27.7%, respectively. On the glass, Fordham holds a 37.6 to 32.9 advantage and have 122 assists to opponents' 79, while commiting just 109 turnovers.
 
Anna DeWolfe leads with 18.6 points on 38.9% shooting, 27.8% from behind the arc, and 17-of-18 from the stripe with 13 steals and the second-most assists (26). Asiah Dingle leads with 29 assists and 15 steals, and is averaging 15.4 points on 42.1% shooting and 38.1% from deep, while attempting a whopping 51 free-throw attempts, converting on 68.6%. Kaitlyn Downey is shooting 39.5% from deep (15-of-38). Megan Jonassen has 29 offensive boards to 32 defensive and Sarah Karpell has been fantastic recently, grabbing 13 of her 24 rebounds on the offensive end with 10 assists and terrific defense over 22.9 minutes.
 
Chairwomen of the Boards
Fordham was beastly on the boards last year, averaging 38.4 per contest and with the 22nd-highest rebounding margin in the country (7.6), holding opponents to just 30.8 boards. The Rams grabbed 213-of-691 rebounds on the offensive glass, or 30.8%, and had six players with at least 17 offensive boards. Downey was 35th in the country with 10.2 rebounds per game and 11th overall with 8.5 defensive boards per game, while Jonassen was 20th with 3.9 o-boards per game.
 
Through 21 games, Fordham's rebounding totals are below last year's, averaging 35.0 boards per game, but are hitting the offensive glass even harder than a year ago, with a whopping 253 out of 734 total (34.5%). Jonassen unsurprisingly leads the way with 62 o-boards but seven other Rams are also in double figures - Dingle (41), Prior (24), Downey (26), Flood (23), Karpell (19), Heremaia (18), and Nyborg (14) each just behind her, all but the latter three averaging one per game or better.
 
Gaitley's "Most Challenging" Nonconference Schedule Yet
Fordham women's basketball head coach Stephanie Gaitley called this year's nonconference slate her "most challenging" of any of her teams in her career. It featured five predicted conference favorites (Quinnipiac, Baylor, Stony Brook, Princeton, Florida Gulf Coast), one runner-up (Manhattan), and three third-place finishers (Seton Hall, Michigan State, Houston), plus two NCAA champions (Baylor, Notre Dame), and six programs that received votes in at least one national preseason poll. Fordham had one top-25 win (Princeton) and four top-100 wins (Quinnipiac, Michigan State, Houston, Stony Brook), and finished nonconference 49th in the NET rankings.
 
This Is Our House
Since Coach Gaitley took over before the 2011-12 season, the Rams hold a 130-33 (79.8%) record at home across 163 contests. Over the last four-plus seasons, the Rams are 74-13 in the Rose Hill Gym, including a 35-7 mark in conference play and three straight Holiday Classic crowns. The loss to La Salle snapped a 12-game win streak, but Fordham now has two straight since.
 
60 is the Magic Number?
Fordham is 81-12 over its last five seasons when scoring 60 points or more, including an 8-3 mark last year and 13-1 record this season. The offense has been clicking so far for the Rams, with seven of their wins coming with 70 or more points.
 
Class of 2026
Head coach Stephanie Gaitley has announced her 2021 recruiting class made up of four future Rams – Kaila Berry, Rose Nelson, Ashley O'Connor, and Faith Pappas. Read all about the incoming class here.
 
Preseason Poll
Fordham was predicted to finish third in the annual Atlantic 10 preseason coaches poll, totaling 163 points among the 14 head coaches, just behind Dayton (193) and Rhode Island (174). The Rams return four of their five starters and 91% of their scoring from a year ago, while adding senior transfer Asiah Dingle and Australian U19 international Millie Prior. Anna DeWolfe, the reigning Co-Player of the Year, was selected to the preseason All-Conference First Team, while Kendell Heremaia was named to the Second Team.
 
Up Next
The Rams is next at Massachusetts on Wednesday night with tip-off set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+ and WFUV.