PHILADELPHIA, PA. (Feb. 28, 2024) – One of the leaders in the A-10 in forcing turnovers all season long, Fordham University women's basketball forced the turnovers they needed down the stretch to take a 62-57 win over conference leading Saint Joseph's Wednesday night on the road.
The win for the Rams gives Fordham its sixth win in a row as they improve to 13-15, and 8-9 in the Atlantic 10, and hand the Hawks just their fourth loss of the season. Fordham currently sits as the No. 9 seed with one game to play before the end of the regular season.
Taylor Donaldson would sink the Rams final make from the field, a three pointer with 36.1 seconds to play in the fourth that put her side up by two. She would finish the game with a team high 18 points, along with four rebounds and three steals. Emy Hayford would join her in double figures, while for the second game in a row Aminata Ly tallied eight points and eight boards. Matilda Flood would also tally eight rebounds, while scoring six points and collecting two steals.
Fordham would tally the first two buckets from the floor, before an 11-0 run by the home side gave Saint Joseph's an early lead. Answering back out of the media timeout, the Rams would score six unanswered to get back within a point as the first quarter came to a close.
A hot scoring second quarter would see the Rams continue to keep pace with the Hawks, nailing 7-of-13 shots in the frame. Taking as much as a five point lead in the quarter, St. Joe's would remain close, tying the game with just under a minute to go, before a Donaldson floater just before the horn gave Fordham a two-point cushion heading into the break.
Fordham would stretch an eight point lead in the early stages of the second half, forcing a timeout by the Hawks. St. Joe's would work their way back into the deficit as the quarter progressed, taking back the lead just before the end of the frame, with Donaldson sinking a late bucket to make it a one score game.
Opening the fourth with seven of the first nine points, the Hawks attempted to pull away but a pair of quick scores by the Rams cut it back to a single possession. Flood would tie the game at 54 with 2:17 to play, ahead of what would be the final make from the floor for St. Joe's Wednesday night.
Tying the game on a Taya Davis floater with 1:33 to play, the Hawks would sink one of two free throws with just over a minute left to take a one point lead. From there, Donaldson would sink a corner three to put her side up two, before a trio of free throws from Davis and Hayford secured the victory in Philadelphia.
Fordham women's basketball looks to close the regular season Saturday afternoon when they return to the Rose Hill Gym to host La Salle on Senior Day.
