PHILADELPHIA – Nailing a clutch three pointer with 9.7 seconds to play, Chaé Harris tallied the game winning basket to lift Fordham University women's basketball past La Salle, 61-58 Wednesday night.The clinching bucket capped a night that saw Harris tie her career high with 22 points, on 8-of-16 shooting, and scored eight of the Rams' final 14 points down the stretch, along with five rebounds and a pair of steals. Harris led a trio of Fordham players in double figures, with Taylor Donaldson finishing with 17 points and six rebounds, while Irene Murua added 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting along with four rebounds and a career high six steals.
Posting a career high as well, Taya Davis dished out 13 dimes Wednesday night, scoring or assisting on 15 of the Rams' 24 made baskets, while also posting five steals and a pair of blocks. Davis' 13 assists are the most by a Fordham player since Cami Cass dished out 15 against Bucknell on Feb. 16, 1991, and the first time a Ram has tallied 10+ dimes since Erin Rooney did so twice during the 2013-14 campaign.
Wednesday's victory snaps a four-game losing streak for the Rams, who improve to 13-11 on the year, and 7-6 in league play with five games left before the Atlantic 10 Championship in Henrico, Va.
A back and forth start to Wednesday's contest saw Fordham and La Salle tally six buckets a-side in the opening frame with the Rams leading 14-10 after one quarter of play.
The Maroon and White held the Explorers without a make for the first 6:01 of the second period and just three points on a trio of free throws. A quiet scoring quarter for both sides, the Rams pulled within two at the break, trailing 24-22.
Starting the second half with five of the first six makes from the floor, La Salle extended a double-digit advantage just over three minutes into the third quarter, and kept a 10-point lead through the end of the frame.
Cutting that deficit in half within the first 34 seconds of the fourth, Fordham used a 9-0 run later in the quarter to pull in front 56-55 with 2:38 to play. The Rams defense allowed just a single free throw and one make from the floor the rest of the way, using a Kaila Harris layup with 35 seconds left to tie the game at 55. An offensive foul by the Explorers gave the Rams back possession with a three second difference between the shot and game clocks, setting up a wild final sequence.
The Rams lost the ball with 10 seconds to play, before Harris immediately intercepted the outlet pass attempt, finding herself wide open just beyond the arc, nailing a three-pointer from the wing to seal the Rams' first win over La Salle since the 2019-20 campaign.
Fordham returns home Sunday afternoon for a Battle of the Rams against VCU at 2:00 p.m. at the Rose Hill Gym.
