Momentum can move mountains, but even the fiercest runs can come to an end in the blink of an eye.

After winning their last two regular season games against the University of Rhode Island and Davidson College, the former of which included a senior Anna DeWolfe game-winning buzzer-beater, Fordham fell to the Richmond Spiders in the Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals last Friday by a final of 70-65. The loss essentially marks the end of the Rams’ season, barring a WNIT invitation.

Women’s hoops entered the A-10 tournament with a double-bye as the #4 seed. Prior to their matchup against Fordham, 5th seeded Richmond bested the 12th seeded University of Dayton Flyers in the second round of the tournament.

The Spiders held the A-10’s best field goal percentage this season and also boasted the third best team mark from distance.
Fordham got off to a fantastic start thanks in large part to graduate student Kaitlyn Downey.

An 8-0 Ram run gave them an early lead, and two Downey three’s made it a 19-5 game deep in the opening frame.

In fact, the fifth-year played an important role on both ends of the court in the first complete half of action and tallied 13 points. The New York native would finish her day with 15 points, three rebounds and four assists.

The second and third quarters were controlled by Richmond. They outscored Fordham 45-32 over those periods and received exceptional outings from Maggie Doogan and Addie Budnik.

Doogan put up a team-high 20 points and also tacked on three boards, one assist and one steal. Budnik may have had the most holistic game for the Spiders though. The junior forward poured in 18 points and provided eight rebounds.

Graduate student Asiah Dingle did all she could and posted a team-high 25 points as well as nine rebounds, two assists and four steals. The guard also made six trips to the free throw line and made four attempts, cementing what was an aggressive offensive effort. Defensively, Graduate student Jada Dapaa collected a team-high 11 rebounds and served as a stabilizing force.

Meanwhile, DeWolfe struggled to find her groove and only collected 10 points on a 5-18 shooting performance from the field. The Maine senior has enjoyed a plethora of hardwood highlights over the course of her Fordham career, but could not add one more to her resumé.

The score was tied entering the fourth quarter, but the Spiders ultimately played a more efficient final frame. They outshot the Rams by more than 20% in the fourth quarter, and while it was a one possession game at multiple moments, Fordham was not able to swing momentum or the scoreboard back in their favor.

The early exit could signal the conclusion of Fordham’s season, and an era that included talented mainstays such as DeWolfe, Dingle and Downey.

Women’s hoops will hope for a WNIT berth, and a chance to end their campaign on a more jovial note.