CHICAGO – Opening the day with 11 of the game's first 13 points, Fordham University women's basketball held the lead for more than 30 minutes Saturday afternoon, en route to a 68-53 win over Loyola Chicago.
Saturday marked the second game in a row and ninth time this season the Rams held a team below 60 points, and improved to 10-2 on the year when scoring at least 60 points themselves. In a dominant performance the Rams spent 31:08 with the lead to claim their fourth straight victory and improve to 10-6 on the year, and 4-1 in Atlantic 10 play, now currently tied for second in the league standings.
For the first time ever since joining the A-10 back before the 1995-96 campaign, the Rams saw four players finish in double figures for the fourth game in a row, led by Donaldson with 17 points including four makes from beyond the arc, along with five assists and three rebounds. Irene Murua and Chaé Harris added 13 points each, along with a block apiece and five and three rebounds, respectively.
Rounding out the quartet, Taya Davis tallied 10 points and a season-high nine assists, and a team-best four steals, collecting a third of the Rams' 12 as a team on the night. Emma Wilson-Saltos nearly made it five Rams in double figures, adding nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and four rebounds.
Fordham outshot the Ramblers from the field and from three point range, leading 38-24 on points in the paint and 14-4 on second chance points.
Wilson-Saltos tallied the first points of the game two minutes into play, sparking a dominant start for the Rams that saw the visitors open the game on an 11-2 run, while limiting Loyola to just one make through the first five minutes of play. Battling back, the Ramblers used an extended run from there to take back the lead but a late make just before the horn by Davis saw the first quarter end with the two sides square at 15-all.
Even at 20 apiece midway through the second quarter, the Rams rattled off eight of the next 11 points and maintained that five point cushion to wind down the first half, leading 32-27 at the break.
Pushing as much as a 12-point advantage, the Rams controlled the majority of the second half, maintaining a two-possession lead for the final 20 minutes. Closing the quarter on a 9-4 run, the Rams went back up by nine heading into the fourth and continued to pour it on heading to the fourth.
Donaldson tallied the Rams' first nine points of the final frame on three consecutive trey's to put the Rams up 15 points, before going on to take an 18-point lead, their biggest of the night with 3:02 to play.
The Maroon and White head to Philadelphia for their next game Wednesday night, a meeting with Saint Joseph's at 7:00 p.m.
