As the regular season winds down, the Fordham women’s basketball team finds themselves in the midst of a three game losing streak that has highlighted some of this season’s inconsistencies.

Last Thursday’s 61-49 road loss to the La Salle Explorers illustrated the Rams’ lack of a tertiary scoring option, and Sunday’s 74-63 “Senior Day” defeat against the George Mason Patriots at Rose Hill emphasized their need to have “pristine” shooting performances.

Graduate student Asiah Dingle and senior Anna DeWolfe currently lead the Atlantic 10 in scoring. Dingle’s 19.3 points per game and DeWolfe’s 18.3 points per contest lead the pack. Their success has helped the Rams stay competitive in a top-heavy conference.

Last week’s loss to La Salle was a rare occurrence. DeWolfe and Dingle only tallied 17 and 15 points respectively and shot a combined 13-39 from the field.

The Explorers led from the opening minute on and received a fantastic performance from graduate guard Kayla Spruill. The Maryland native posted a game-high of 24 points as well as four made three-pointers, six rebounds and an assist. Mia Jacobs was also key to the Explorer win. She tallied 10 points, eight boards and two assists.

Fordham could not overcome Dingle and DeWolfe’s struggles. Sarah Karpell contributed six points, but graduate students Kaitlyn Downey and Jada Dapaa could only muster two points apiece.

The Rams shot a lowly 31.8% from the field, and La Salle took full advantage of a team that could not find a reliable third scoring option.
Sunday’s “Senior Day” matinee against George Mason figured to be a celebration. Chloe Chaffin, Dapaa, Kate Deutsch, DeWolfe, Dingle, Downey, Megan Jonassen and Karpell were all honored before the game in a touching ceremony at center-court. However, the Rams’ 74-63 defeat dampened the mood at Rose Hill.

Once again, the Rams suffered from poor shooting and were outscored 21-13 in the opening frame. George Mason benefited from a number of solid outings, but it was Kaysia Nalani who did most of the damage. She totaled 11 first half points and ended the day with a team-high 19 points.

Kaityln Downey tallied 10 first half points for Fordham in what would be a 12-point afternoon. The Rams trailed by eight at the halfway mark but eventually made an impressive run in the final quarter that almost granted them full momentum. DeWolfe lay-in trimmed the Patriot lead to three with 4:25 remaining in regulation, but Fordham could not keep pace and succumbed to poor shot selection as time wound down.

Dingle finished with a team high 20 points while DeWolfe finished with 17 of her own. Neither player was particularly efficient, and Fordham’s broader offensive struggles are due to their identity as a squad that needs to shoot well in order to win.

Fordham’s advantage lies in having the A-10’s top scorers, but the Rams have not learned how to gut out wins when Dingle and DeWolfe are not firing on all cylinders.

The women in maroon have now lost three games in a row. Their 8-6 conference record has placed them in the A-10’s fifth slot.

Fordham now faces a crossroads. They will have a chance to right the ship Wednesday when the second-place Rhode Island Rams come to the Bronx before ending the regular season on the road against the Davidson College Wildcats on Saturday afternoon.