There is certainly truth to the adage, “it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish.” However, Fordham Women’s Basketball will most assuredly embrace the strong start to the season they’ve enjoyed. The team defeated Kutztown University by a mark of 79-48 in an exhibition affair and also handled Yale University in their regular season opener by a score of 80-67. Both contests took place at the historic Rose Hill Gymnasium and served as an on-court preview of what this year could have in store.

Every active Ram saw the court against the Kutztown Golden Bears. Fordham led for roughly 34 minutes and only trailed in the initial 70 seconds of the game. It was a complete team assault led by graduate student guard Asiah Dingle. The Boston product dropped a game high 22 points on a 7-11 shooting performance from the field and three made shots from behind the arc. Dingle was a part of a massive second quarter. The Rams outscored Kutztown by a tally of 32-8 in the period. It was the turning point of the affair as by the time the quarter ended, Fordham had a 46-20 lead. 

Senior Anna DeWolfe and graduate students Megan Jonassen and Kaitlyn Downey were each exceptional in their own way. DeWolfe poured in 17 points, Jonassen grabbed a game high 11 rebounds, and Downey was not far behind with 10 boards of her own. Freshman Ashley O’Connor also contributed 5 points in some meaningful minutes off the bench. All told, Fordham outshot Kutztown by more than 10% from the field and grabbed 18 more total rebounds. 

Monday night’s true season opener against the Yale Bulldogs saw a closer contest. Elles van der Maas and Mackenzie Egger combined for 30 Bulldog points as well as 14 rebounds. Fordham’s defense did not display the same dominance as they did against Kutztown, but their scoring remained constant. DeWolfe led all scorers against Yale University with 22 points and four made threes. Dingle was not far behind. She collected 17 points. However, the surprise of the night was most definitely Sarah Karpell. The New Jersey senior stepped up in a big way. Along with solid defense, she provided 15 key points and three assists. Entering this year, many felt Karpell was a player that needed to take a leap forward in terms of productivity if the Rams were going to compete. She answered the bell against Yale, and Fordham will need this to be a habit as the year progresses. Overall, the Rams finished shooting 45.5% from the field and got the job done. 

It is never wise to overreact from initial results, but if these first two games have shown anything, it is that the Fordham Women’s hoops has a high floor and an even higher ceiling. The Rams are back in action this Thursday with another home tilt, this time against St. Peter’s University.