NEW YORK – Returning home to the Rose Hill Gymnasium for the final time in 2024, Fordham University women's basketball hosts an Interborough clash with LIU Sunday afternoon.
Turn Up and Tune In
For the Ramily
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Sunday features a Fordham basketball doubleheader with the Men's Basketball team hosting Maine at 12:00 p.m. ahead of the Women's game against LIU.
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Get into the holiday spirit and wear your ugliest sweater for a chance to win prizes, and enjoy a special giveaway!
Matchup Notes
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Sunday will mark the first meeting with LIU since becoming the Sharks prior to the 2019-20 season, merging LIU Brooklyn and LIU Post.
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In six meetings with the formerly named Blackbirds, the Rams were a perfect 6-0, with the two last facing each other during the 1990-91 season.
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Four of the Rams' six wins against the Blackbirds were played at the Rose Hill Gym.
Rams at a Glance
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Winners of three straight and four of their last five games, Fordham (5-3), returns to The Bronx after defeating Siena at home on Nov. 23, Stony Brook on the road last Sunday, and Yale most recently on Wednesday night in New Haven.
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Wednesday's victory at Yale marked the 50th victory of Head Coach Bridgette Mitchell's career.
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Sunday wraps a stretch of three games over the course of a week, as the Rams ventured to Long Island last Sunday, and up to Connecticut last time out in the midweek.
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The meeting with LIU also marks the final home game for Fordham before the ball drops in Times Square at the end of the month, with the Rams' next game at the Rose Hill gym coming on Jan. 2, 2025 against Richmond in the second game of A-10 play.
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Sitting amongst the top 100 teams in the nation in a number of defensive categories, Fordham enters the weekend 91st in the nation in field goal percentage defense, limiting teams to 37.4% shooting.
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Allowing more than 60+ points on just two occasions this season, Fordham is holding opponents to just 57.1 points per game, ranked 72nd in the nation for scoring defense.
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Fordham has gotten its own points on a number of second chance opportunities on the year, posting 13.4 offensive rebounds per game through the first eight games of the season, sitting 96th in the nation.
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Sitting sixth best in the conference, Fordham is averaging 9.1 steals per game, collecting a season-best 13 on two occasions against Adelphi and Cal St. Fullerton in the first two games of the campaign.
Key Contributions
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Taylor Donaldson leads the Fordham offense in minutes (29.0), points per game (16.3) and steals per game (2.2) shooting 40% from the field, 32.6% from three-point range, and 91.7% from the free throw line.
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Those stats place Donaldson sixth in the A-10 in points per game, seventh in steals per game, and ninth in three point percentage, along with placing her third in the league and 61st in the nation at 2.5 three pointers made per game.
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Irene Murua has been a key addition for the Maroon and White on offense, shooting 57.4% from the field for the year while averaging 12.0 points per game, and leads the team with 6.1 rebounds per game as well, pulling down just over 3.0 per game on each end of the floor.
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Murua also sits eighth best in the A-10 shooting 78.1% from the free throw line.
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Taya Davis has helped control the Fordham offense, dishing out 3.9 assists per game, fifth best of any player in the A-10, while also posting 1.6 steals per game, second best on the team.
During the Streak
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Over the last three games, the Fordham offense has lit up the floor, averaging 75.0 points per game while posting a scoring margin of +21.7.
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Shooting just shy of 50% from the field as a team, the Rams have also pulled down 40.3 rebounds per game during the win streak, outpacing their opponents by 7.7 rebounds per game.
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With a quartet of Rams averaging double-figures, Donaldson and Murua pace the offense at 16.3 points per game each, while Davis and Chae Harris are averaging an even 11.0 points per game over that span.
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Five players have attempted more than 10 shots while posting a field goal percentage of 50% or better, with Murua leading the way on an efficient 76.0% shooting on 19-of-25 shooting from the field.
About LIU
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At 2-6 on the year, LIU is seeking its second win in a row coming off a 63-61 win over Northeastern last Sunday in Brooklyn.
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Janessa Williams leads the Sharks offense at 11.1 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game.
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Sirviva Legions was named NEC Player of the Week, scoring a career-high 21 points last time out. Legions is averaging an even 11.0 points per game and a team-best 1.9 steals per game with 15 on the year.
Wednesday Night in New Haven
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With makes on their first two possessions of the game, the Rams let it be known they'd be scoring early and often, and did just that as they pulled away for a 71-54 win on the road at Yale.
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A trio of players finished the game in double figures, led by 23 points on 9-of-10 shooting from Taya Davis, who also tied for the team lead with three steals.
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Taylor Donaldson followed her with 16 points, five rebounds, and a team-high five assists
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Irene Murua tallied 12 points off 6-of-7 shots, and five rebounds.
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The 54 points scored by Yale also marks the sixth time in the first eight games of the year that the Fordham defense has held a team to fewer than 60 points.
Next Stop
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Fordham will have 13 days off before heading across the country to California for a pair of games at the Raising the B.A.R. Invitational hosted by Cal.
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The Rams will take on the host Bears on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8:00 p.m. EST before taking on either Temple or Xavier the following day.
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That will mark the first trip to California for Fordham women's basketball since the 1996-97 season when the Rams defeated San Diego and Loyola Marymount.
