Christmas was not kind to Fordham Women’s Basketball. With an 82-56 loss to the University of Virginia on Dec. 21, the Rams took a five-game losing streak into their week-long Christmas break. The losing streak would unfortunately be a sign of things to come. With Atlantic 10 play beginning at the turn of the new year, Fordham has stumbled out to a 1-6 start, their worst since 2009.
Fordham technically played their first conference game on Dec. 5, a one-off affair against Duquesne University in which the Rams battled valiantly but fell 75-73 in overtime. It’s unusual to play an A-10 opponent that early in the season, but the Rams looked competitive against a promising Duquesne team, lending to some optimism about the team’s latter half of the season.
The Rams would have to wait until the end of December for their remaining 17 conference games. Despite the five-game losing streak, vibes weren’t at an all-time low. Three of the five losses were one score games decided in the final possession. While head coach Bridgette Mitchell isn’t one to celebrate moral victories, it was encouraging to see a Fordham team with low expectations compete tightly in the non-conference slate.
You’d prefer to have momentum going into conference play, but at the same time, it was hard to be dissatisfied with a 5-7 record after Christmas. Entering the season with low expectations and loads of uncertainty, the overhauled roster had managed to show spurts and glimpses of winning basketball.
But the five-game losing streak proved to be more than just a blip on the radar. Conference play resumed on Dec. 30 against the dangerous and dynamic St. Joseph’s University. The Hawks quickly overwhelmed the Rams, leaping out to a 23-4 first quarter lead. Fordham’s four points marked their lowest output in a single quarter as the Rams went 2-15 from the field in the opening frame. It was certainly not the picture perfect way to start a two and a half month stretch of A-10 play, with Fordham ultimately falling by 27 points.
Three days later, the Rams bounced back, earning their first win since Nov. 28 with a 65-57 win over St. Bonaventure University. Entering the game with a season-high six-game losing streak, their longest since 2012, Mitchell had some brutally honest words for her squad.
“It’s time for you guys to do something. We’ve tried a few things, now it’s up to you guys to go play.”
Sparked by their coaches’ call to action, the Rams were wide-awake for the 11 a.m. tip off, leading 21-8 by first quarter’s end. Behind 24 points from senior guard Taylor Donaldson, Fordham claimed their first conference win of the year.
The win snapped the losing streak, but a new one would quickly resurface. Following their Jan. 3 win against St. Bonaventure, the Rams have dropped their last four conference games, sitting dead last with a 1-6 A-10 record.
The new skid has been marked by a jarring lack of offensive production, with Fordham averaging a measly 49.8 points per game over their last four. Despite boasting the A-10’s leading scorer in Donaldson with 17.6 points per game, the Fordham offense has struggled to find consistent means of scoring, particularly beyond Donaldson’s efforts.
The Rams had an opportunity to stack wins after playing the Bonnies, going on the road against a La Salle University team that entered with a 3-10 record and amidst an eight-game losing streak. Fordham, however, struggled down the stretch as the Explorers outscored the Rams by 12 in the second half for a 64-53 victory.
The Rams followed that up with a 57-54 loss to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). While the last two weeks have not been marked by excellence, this was certainly the brightest spot in the current skid as Fordham battled hard against a VCU team that currently has the second best overall record in the A-10 at 16-2. Outside of a six-point quarter where the Rams shot 2-13, Fordham was highly efficient, shooting 54% through the other three frames.
Unfortunately, this game encapsulated one of Fordham’s key issues as Donaldson’s 27 points accounted for exactly 50% of Fordham’s scoring. Graduate student Emy Hayford finished with 10 points after playing just two minutes in the first half, but the bulk of Fordham’s offensive pressure fell on the shoulders of Donaldson.
It seems that this formula has betrayed them in the last two games as the Fordham offense has hit rock bottom. The Rams mustered 48 points in an 18-point loss to Davidson College and followed that up with just 44 points against the University of Rhode Island (URI) last Wednesday.
The common denominator in both losses was the opposing team neutralizing Donaldson. Davidson held her under double figures for the first time all season as Donaldson tallied eight points on a season-low seven shots attempted. Donaldson responded nicely with 11 first half points against URI but a third quarter injury contributed to a scoreless second half.
Hayford has stepped up in this recent stretch, reaching double figures in her last five games and scoring a career high 23 points against URI. Still, the ancillary scoring has proven to be a bigger issue as the team has transitioned into conference play. Fordham tallied just two bench points in their most recent contest and has struggled to find a consistent means of offense.
Thanks to the two lengthy skids, Fordham has managed just one win in their last 11 contests dating back to Dec. 2. On top of an A-10 worst 1-6 conference record, they now sit at 6-12 overall, third worst in the conference.
Granted, the recent stretch has presented some very challenging competition. The A-10 is the strongest and deepest it’s been in several years and St. Joseph’s, VCU, Davidson and URI are four of the conference’s most dangerous teams. Still, Fordham will need to improve upon their recent play if they wish to be competitive down the stretch.
Fordham is back in the Bronx this week for back-to-back home games, a much-welcomed return after the Rams fell to 0-8 on the road with the loss at Rhode Island. After six days off, Fordham will take on Loyola University Chicago on Wednesday before hosting George Washington University this weekend.
