Women's Basketball Advances to Quarterfinals with 16-Point Win over George Mason

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Wilmington, Del. – Fordham women's basketball opened up play at the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championship with a resounding 66-50 victory over #14 George Mason on Thursday night inside Chase Fieldhouse. With the win, the Rams improve to 18-9 overall on the year and will take on #3 Massachusetts on Friday night in the quarterfinals.
 
"Super proud of the effort tonight." Head coach Stephanie Gaitley said, "The first game is always the toughest and we got off to a quick start. It's survive and advance time!"
 
The Rams did indeed get off to a hot start, scoring eight unanswered points via a pair of Kaitlyn Downey threes and an Anna DeWolfe jumper. By the end of the opening period, Fordham was up, 24-6, with Downey leading charge with nine points among a balanced scoring attack to go with the team's typically stout defense. George Mason's Paula Suarez hit a three to begin the second quarter but a quick-fire personal 5-0 run by Kendell Heremaia brought the lead to 20 for the first time, 29-9, just two minutes into the frame. Heremaia kept it going, scoring 13 of Fordham's 19 points, including a pair of free throws with under a second to play to make it a 22-point margin at the interval, 43-21.
 
At the half, Fordham was shooting 53.6% from the field, including a blistering 8-of-13 over the opening 10 minutes, 4-of-6 from deep, and 7-of-13 overall from behind the arc, plus 6-of-8 from the line. The Rams struggled a bit with their shot in the third, getting three more shots than the Patriots but converting one fewer, finishing the period at a clip of 31.3% from the floor and 1-of-5 from distance. Still, the margin was 18, 55-37, heading to the final frame.
 
The fourth was a defensive back-and-forth in favor of Mason, 13-11, with the Patriots attempting seven more shots but the Fordham defense was constant and held George Mason to just 4-of-16 shooting in the quarter en route to a 16-point win.
 
Heremaia posted a team-high 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting, 4-of-10 from distance, and 4-of-6 from the charity stripe with three assists and two boards over 32 minutes. Asiah Dingle notched her third double-double of the season, hauling in a game-high 12 rebounds, four offensive, with 17 points, also adding a game-high three steals and an assist, shooting 6-of-12 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the line. Like Dingle, DeWolfe played all 40 minutes, scoring 12 points to go with four rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Downey finished with an across-the-bard 11 points, eight boards, five assists, two blocks, and two steals, across 33 minutes.
 
For the game, Fordham shot 45.3% overall and 36.4% from distance, plus 10-of-14 from the line. George Mason comparatively shot 27.6% overall, 1-of-14 from deep, and 17-of-19 from the line. The Rams outrebounded their opponents, 40-35, although the Patriots won the offensive board battle, 15-11.
 
Fordham and UMass meet once again in the quarterfinals on Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and WFUV.