Highs and lows are a major part of life, sports and everything in between. Fordham Women’s Basketball has experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in the past week alone.
Fordham saw their season-high win streak snapped in the regular season finale, still earning a first-round bye and the ninth seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, but doing so after a week that can only be described as pure chaos.
Fordham entered the week riding a season-high five game win streak. The Rams sat in ninth place, just high enough to earn the first-round bye in the conference tournament, but with an upcoming matchup against the A-10-leading Saint Joseph’s University Hawks, staying in the top nine was far from a sure thing.
The Rams were already coming off an eventful week. After a 15-point victory against the reigning champions Saint Louis University, Fordham earned a forfeit win against Davidson College, who canceled the game, and later their entire season, due to non-COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
The team was playing their best basketball thanks to an improved defensive system and a balanced offensive attack. Alongside the A-10’s leading scorer, senior Taylor Donaldson, graduate student Emy Hayford was enjoying her finest stretch of the season alongside increased offensive production from their overall core.
All of it would be tested against a formidable St. Joe’s team with a 25-3 overall record and a 14-2 conference record that was tied for best in the A-10. Boasting three all-conference selections in Mackenzie Smith, Talya Brugler and Laura Ziegler, the Hawks weren’t just one of the most dynamic offensive units in the conference — they also boasted the fourth-best scoring defense in all of Division 1 basketball, allowing just 53.0 points per game.
To make matters worse, the Rams were without the 6-foot-1 Nelson, giving even more of an advantage to the Hawks’ playmaking bigs.
St. Joe’s had defeated Fordham by 27-points back in December, but things would be much tighter this time around. Fordham scored the first four points of the night in the first 50 seconds. The Hawks responded with 11 straight points, but the Rams found a response and trailed by just one point after the inaugural quarter.
Both sides would trade blows in the second, but it was Donaldson who raced down the court and banked a two-in as the clock expired to give the Rams a two-point lead at halftime. Through one half of play, the Hawks seemed to be caught off guard by Fordham’s energy and their relentless defensive pressure. But with an entire halftime break to adjust, it seemed unlikely that Cindy Griffin, in the midst of her 23rd season at St. Joseph’s, would not cook up a response.
St. Joe’s looked a little slow to start the third and the Rams took advantage, extending their lead to eight and forcing a Griffin timeout just three minutes in. The timeout proved to be a turning point as, sure enough, the Hawks came alive. Beginning with a three-pointer by Smith, St. Joe’s ended the third on a 17-8 run. 12 of the points came from Smith, who exploded in the final seven minutes, while freshman Gabby Casey hit a clutch corner 3-pointer to give the Hawks a one-point lead entering the final frame.
The fourth quarter brought much of the same exciting action as both sides continued to go bucket for bucket. Neither team was able to grab a significant edge and the Hawks carried a one-possession lead into the final minute.
Cue Fordham’s signature moment of the season. Trailing 57-56 with 37 seconds to go, Donaldson sent a sideline inbound to a curling Davis. Making a beeline for the near corner, Donaldson buried the three, gaining separation thanks to a beautiful flare screen drawn up in the huddle by head coach Bridgette Mitchell. Fordham had shot just 1-14 from beyond the arc and Donaldson herself was 1-8. But in the biggest moment of the game, and the biggest moment of the season to date, the A-10’s leading scorer buried the three and gave Fordham a two-point lead.
Nonetheless, St. Joe’s had a full shot clock and a chance to respond. Unsurprisingly, Griffin put the ball in the hands of Smith, who had jolted the Hawks’ offense alive with a game-high 24 points. Smith drove from the right wing and attempted to score inside but was stifled by the 6-foot-4 Ly. Smith grabbed the offensive board but traveled as she attempted to kick the ball back out.
Davis and Hayford would sink clutch free throws in the final five seconds to seal Fordham’s improbable 62-57 upset victory. The Hawks had lost just three times prior, those coming against the #11 ranked University of Utah and the other top two teams in the A-10. Fordham handed them just their third home loss of the season, much to the dismay of a raucous Hagan Arena crowd.
As much of a confidence boost as the win seemed to be, the mood would quickly change on Saturday when the Rams returned to Rose Hill for Senior Day. Just mere days after their defeat of the 55 NET-ranked Hawks, Fordham would fall victim to a shock of their own, dropping the regular season finale to the 303 NET-ranked La Salle University Explorers.
In the midst of their second eight-game losing streak, the 7-21 Explorers had not won a game since Jan. 31 and were dead last in the A-10 per the NET by a good margin. La Salle wasn’t just losing — they were losing big. Getting outscored by 161 points over the course of the losing streak, the Explorers had lost each of their last five games by 20+ points.
The game started according to plan with the Rams taking an early 7-0 lead in the first four minutes. It wouldn’t last long. The Explorers went off on a 16-2 run in the subsequent five minutes. La Salle took a lead with 2:58 left in the first quarter and would not relinquish it for the remainder of the game.
The Explorers were known for taking 3-pointers, but not necessarily for making them. Averaging the 10th most 3-pointers attempted in D1 basketball, La Salle was only hitting at a 27.1% rate entering Saturday’s action, easily the worst in the A-10.
Apparently, the Explorers ate their Wheaties on Saturday morning, using the three-ball to their advantage to orchestrate an absolute offensive onslaught. La Salle set a new program record, burying 20 3-pointers and converting from deep at a ridiculous 55.6% rate en route to a 93-83 victory. Star freshman Nicole Melious went 8-10 from beyond the arc and scored a career-high 28 points, while Tiara Bolden also set a career high with 27 of her own.
Donaldson helped keep the Rams in the ballgame, notching 26 points and six 3-pointers made as she consistently offered a scoring response to keep Fordham within range. In fact, the Rams cut the La Salle lead to five with five minutes to go. However, just as the tide seemed to be turning back in their favor, Melious sank two back-breaking threes to put the game out of reach.
Fordham’s defense had been a major reason for their extended winning streak, making their collapse on Saturday all the more surprising. After an 0-5 start from deep, La Salle went 65% the rest of the way. Despite this, the Rams never tightened out on the perimeter until it was far too late. Consistently protecting against the drive and double-teaming inside, Fordham consistently allowed open threes well into the fourth quarter.
It was an absolute gut punch for a Fordham roster that honored seven players on Senior Day. Despite the loss, it was a nice sendoff for senior Matilda Flood who put up 13 points and a pair of rebounds in her final game at Rose Hill. Flood and senior Maranda Nyborg act as the two longest-tenured Rams, having both joined the program back in 2020 and staying for all four seasons.
While the Senior Day loss should not take away from everything Fordham achieved over the course of their win streak, it certainly raises some questions for the A-10 tournament. It’s remarkable to think that the Rams were just 2-9 in conference play prior to their six-game win streak, and the upset win at St. Joe’s gives the team a higher ceiling than was ever thought possible.
However, it’s hard to ignore the complete and total gut punch that occurred on Saturday. Fordham had a chance to get back to .500 in conference play and leap up to the #7 seed. Loyola Chicago University also lost over the weekend, so the Rams would have finished seventh with a win. One also has to wonder if the loss against La Salle, by many metrics the worst team in the A-10, has a stronger impact on the team’s psyche than the win over St. Joe’s.
Fordham will travel to Richmond, Va., this week for the A-10 Tournament. Thanks to their win streak, they’ve earned the first-round bye and the #9 seed. They begin play on Thursday at 11 a.m. against the #8 ranked Loyola Chicago. If they manage to win, they will face the #1 Richmond University, who earned the regular season title with a 16-2 conference record, on Friday.
