Late push helps UMass women’s basketball hold off Fordham in battle of Atlantic-10 heavyweights
Published: 01-18-2023 9:10 PM |
Fordham’s late-game push never thwarted the UMass women’s basketball team.
The Minutewomen led for almost the entire second half before the host Rams tied the game with 7 minutes, 18 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Undaunted, the defending Atlantic 10 Conference champions responded with a 12-4 run, ultimately holding on for a key 66-57 win between conference heavyweights at Rose Hill Gymnasium in the Bronx, N.Y.
UMass improved to 14-4 overall, 4-1 in the league while Fordham dropped to 12-7, 4-2.
Fordham’s Anna DeWolfe poured in 33 points, connecting on seven 3-pointers, and her 3 with 25 seconds left made it a 60-57 game. Sydney Taylor (10 points) and Sam Breen (10 points, 15 rebounds) combined to go 6-for-6 from the free throw line the rest of the way, sealing the deal.
The Minutewomen led for most of the first half, as Taylor drilled a 3-pointer and added two more free throws to stake the visitors to an 11-9 lead late in the first quarter. It was 13-9 after the opening frame.
Stefanie Kulesza and Ber'Nyah Mayo (18 points) each hit 3’s in the second quarter, helping UMass open up its largest lead of the half, 20-14, with 3:50 remaining. But Fordham closed on a 6-2 run, getting back within 22-20 at intermission.
Fordham’s Asiah Dingle opened the second half with a 3 to give the hosts a 23-22 lead, but UMass answered quickly. A 9-0 run, spearheaded by a Taylor 3-ball, reestablished the lead – the Minutewomen’s largest of the outing at 31-23, forcing a Fordham timeout with 6:42 left in the third.
It was 39-32 UMass entering the fourth quarter, and Fordham tied the game at 43 with a Dingle layup. That’s when UMass answered with its run, and the visitors never relinquished their lead.
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