RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Taking the early lead in the first half, an offensive barrage in the third quarter saw Fordham University women's basketball fall to Manhattan Wednesday night in the Battle of the Bronx

Fordham tallied five of the first six makes from the floor to pull ahead early, but a resurgent Manhattan team would extend a run through the first two quarters to draw level, and sink a three at the buzzer to lead by three points at the half. 

Both teams would nearly double their point totals out of the break, with Manhattan holding a 41-37 advantage in second-half points, with the Jaspers holding off Fordham in the closing stages. The Rams fall to 2-3 on the year, while the Jaspers improve to 4-1, winning their fourth straight game.

Taylor Donaldson led the Rams with 20 points including six-makes from beyond the arc, with Amiyah Ferguson joining her in double figures with 11 and leading the rebounding efforts with six boards. Rose Nelson collected six rebounds as well while tallying nine points on 4-of-4 from the floor, as did Irene Murua who finished with nine points along with five boards. 

Chaé Harris got the scoring started in the opening minute of the game, as Fordham was feeling it right out of the gates, taking a 12-2 lead in the first quarter. An extended run through the end of the quarter saw Manhattan string together 10 unanswered points down the stretch to even the score after one quarter of play.

The Jaspers continued that run into the second period, taking their first lead of the game with a three pointer to open the second period. Fordham eventually snapped the run with a three of their own to make it 17-15 with just over 5:00 to play in the half. 

Battling back as the quarter came to a close, Fordham leveled the score at 21-all just before the break, but holding for the last shot, Manhattan sank a buzzer-beater from the corner to take a three-point lead into the locker room.

Nelson and Ferguson would dominate the first half, combining for 13 of the Rams' 21 points on a combined 6-of-8 shooting, and nine rebounds as well.

A high scoring affair in the third quarter, the two teams combined for 40 points in the frame, with Manhattan outscoring the Rams 23-to-17 in the highest scoring quarter for either side on the night. Pushing as much as a 13-point lead, the Jaspers saw their lead cut to single digits heading to the fourth, as Murua sank a three pointer as time expired to make it 47-38. 

Heating up from beyond the arc, Donaldson cut the Manhattan lead to one-possession with back-to-back buckets from long-range to open the fourth quarter, pushing a nine-point run for the Rams in exactly 1:00 of game time.

Tallying the next three makes from the floor, the Jaspers would re-extend a double-digit lead at the final media timeout of regulation, holding the Rams off the board from there for nearly six minutes. Despite that, the Rams tallied 13 points in the final 2:46 of the game, cutting the lead to as little as five down the stretch, but Manhattan held off the comeback effort for a 65-58 win.

Fordham returns to action Saturday afternoon at the Rose Hill Gym, hosting Siena at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+.