Women's Basketball Falls Late to Drake, 62-56

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The Fordham women's basketball team saw its four-game win streak come to an abrupt end, as the Rams lost to Drake, 62-56, in the de facto championship game of the UTSA Thanksgiving Classic inside the Convocation Center. With the loss, the Rams fall to 4-3 on the season, while the Bulldogs improve to 3-3 overall.

Fordham, who led 29-28 at the break, found itself down by seven when Drake went on a 7-0 spurt to take a 45-38 lead. However, a three pointer from sophomore Hannah Missry started a stretch of eight unanswered for the Rams, which eventually was a 12-2 run with senior Emily Tapio's layup giving Fordham a 50-47 lead with 5:37 to go.

But the Rams would go cold from the field, and the Bulldogs took advantage by scoring the next 12 points to take a nine-point lead at 59-50 with 1:08 remaining.
 

Missry ended the drought for Fordham with a three pointer with 55 ticks left to slice the deficit to 59-53. The Rams could not take advantage of Drake's misses from the free throw line over the final minute and managed to only cut the lead to five with 13 seconds left, before the Bulldogs hung on for the victory.

Two days after producing their best shooting day of the year, Fordham managed to shoot only 32.4 percent (32.4) from the field and connected on only 6-of-28 from long distance. The Rams defense did hold Drake to 36.8 percent (21-of-57) from the field and 6-of-23 from three-point range. Fordham also tied a season-high in rebounds with 44, as it won the battle on the glass, 44-43, including 14 offensive rebounds.

One of the biggest differences in the contest was points off turnovers, with the Bulldogs holding a 17-10 advantage after forcing 15 turnovers while turning it over 13 times.

The Rams founds themselves in three four-point holes early on, before a 7-0 spurt would put Fordham in front, 13-10, with 13:13 to go before halftime. But Drake responded by netting 12 of the next 17 points to take its largest lead of the half at 24-18 with 6:05 remaining before intermission.

A pair of layups from junior Samantha Clark along with a Tapio jumper in between knotted the game once again at 24-24 at the 3:45 mark. Missry's trey ball then gave the Rams a one-point lead at the break.

Missry led the way by tying her season high with 17 points while establishing season bests in made three's (5) and rebounds (5). Graduate student Tiffany Ruffin and Clark each netted 10 points and grabbed eight boards, with Clark dishing out a career-high six assists. Tapio added seven boards and four assists for the Rams. Both Missry and Clark were named to the five-person All-Tournament Team.

Fordham returns to action Friday, Dec. 5 when it comes home to Rose Hill Gymnasium to host Seton Hall for a 7 p.m. contest. The Rams then head back on the road for a pair of contests at Temple (Dec. 7) and Central Connecticut (Dec. 9).