CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. – Returning to the hardwood after a 10-day break for finals, Fordham University women's basketball fell 82-56 to Virginia Thursday afternoon, despite strong play from the Rams for the majority of the contest.

A lopsided opening ten minutes would prove to be the difference as a resilient Rams team would battle back in the final 30 minutes of the game, being outscored by just six points the rest of the way. A convincing second half effort especially by Fordham saw them hold the Cavaliers to just 32 points in the second half.

Matilda Flood would help pace the Rams on the offensive front, supplying a career high 14 points including 3-of-6 shooting from long range, while also collecting six rebounds and three steals. Taylor Donaldson would tie her for the team lead Thursday with 14 points as well, in addition to a trio of steals and three dimes. Mandy McGurk would tack on 12 points, completing the group of double-digit scorers for the Rams, while Maranda Nyborg dished out a career best five dimes along with four points and five rebounds.

Starting the game with four makes on their first five attempts from the floor, Virginia took an early lead in the first and would extend their lead to 20 as the opening quarter wound down, despite the Rams collecting 11 rebounds in just the first quarter alone, including six on the offensive glass.

A much stronger second quarter saw the Rams start to find themselves once again on the offensive end, led by Donaldson, who would score nine points on three-of-four shooting from long range in the period. Excluding the first quarter, the Rams would hold their own the rest of the way, with the Cavaliers outpacing Fordham 55-49 in the final three quarters.

After a somewhat quiet 10 minutes out of the halftime break, Virginia would extend its lead slightly, before the Rams tallied their most points in any quarter, drilling 22 in the final period on 8-of-14 shooting as a team. 

Fordham women's basketball will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 30 with one final game before the New Year, as attention turns fully to the Atlantic-10 side of the calendar. Having already opened the A-10 slate earlier this month, the Rams will take on Saint Joseph's in the second game of a doubleheader at the Rose Hill Gym, with tipoff set for 4:00 p.m.