The Fordham women’s basketball team played an exhausting game against the Loyola University (LU) Ramblers on Feb. 4. Despite almost tiring out in the second half, the Rams advanced to third place in the Atlantic 10 (A10) with their 80-64 victory over the Ramblers. 

It was a historic night for the Rams as they marked their ninth 80-point game of the year, tying the single season record previously set by the 1978-79 team. The game was also special for other reasons, as Feb. 4 was the first home game since National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Feb. 1. 

To recognize the day, as well as bring awareness to the Kay Yow Breast Cancer Fund, the Rams wore pink uniforms and sneakers. The coaching staff also took part, donning pink outfits on the sideline.

When the game tipped off, the Ramblers went straight to work. The first possessions resulted in a flurry of misses, but Loyola jumped out to a 7-2 lead within the first three minutes. Fordham Head Coach Candice Green called a timeout, and the momentum swung in the Rams’ favor shortly after.

Fordham’s dominant first-half display can be credited to the team’s interior scoring. The Rams dropped 24 points in the paint in the first half — twice as many as their opponent — and did not deviate from this successful strategy.

The Rams dominated the court offensively, leaving the Ramblers struggling to keep up for the remainder of the first quarter. Within four minutes, the Rams had taken a 7-point lead. By the end of the quarter, Fordham held a 20-11 advantage. 

The defense shut down Loyola’s two most dangerous scorers: Sam Galanopoulos, LU ’23, and Maya Chandler, LU ’24. Galanopoulos was 1-for-5 from the field in the first quarter; her willingness to score then slowed down considerably, and she took only three more shots for the entire half — missing them all. 

Chandler, who averages 10 points per game, rattled home just a single free throw in the second quarter. She missed all eight field goal attempts for the entire game. The Ramblers’ offensive nightmare was short lived, as others quickly rose to the occasion to buoy Loyola’s scoring plight.

Sitori Tanin, LU ’24, came off the bench firing, scoring 10 in the second quarter to keep Loyola’s hopes alive. The Ramblers shot 50% from the field for 22 points. With shots beginning to fall, the urgency picked up. Down 31-20 with five minutes to go in the half, Loyola unsuccessfully tried to maneuver itself back into contention.

The Rams responded viciously to the tune of five 3-pointers, including back-to-back bombs by Anna DeWolfe, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23, in the sixth minute of the quarter. The Rams put up 30 points in the period, successfully shooting 75% from the field and 83% from long range. By the halftime buzzer, the Ramblers were trudging back dejectedly, down 50-33.

Alongside DeWolfe, Asiah Dingle and Kaitlyn Downey, both Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ’23, chipped in enormously. By the end of the first half, Dingle and Downey combined for 22 points. With DeWolfe’s 15, the three starters had scored more than 60% of the Rams’ first-half production. 

Fordham’s dominant first-half display can be credited to the team’s interior scoring. The Rams dropped 24 points in the paint in the first half — twice as many as their opponent — and did not deviate from this successful strategy.

In the final two quarters, the Rams’ pace slowed down tremendously. Despite this, the Ramblers weren’t able to muster enough momentum to close the lead. The Rams never dropped below a 17-point lead, going as high as 21 multiple times throughout the period. 

The third quarter saw Sarah Karpell, Gabelli School of Business ’23, rise to the occasion. The offense ran through her. She created opportunities for others, tacking on four points of her own.

The Rams were beginning to run away with the score. In the first minute of the second half, DeWolfe hit her fourth 3-pointer of the night to give the Rams their largest lead of the game, 67-41. She jogged back down as the Rams bench rose to their feet. It was a cap to the Rams’ complete dismantling of the Ramblers.

The game ended 80-64 off a layup from Rose Nelson, FCRH ’26. Nelson has taken up the primary responsibilities of Megan Jonassen, Gabelli Graduate School of Business ’23, following her season-ending ACL tear on Jan. 18.

For the Ramblers, it was an unremarkable night. They are now on a nine-game losing streak, placed second to last in the A10. The Rams, on the other hand, still have a lot to play for. They are third in the A10 with five games left in their conference schedule. They will play against the University of Massachusetts for a second time on Wednesday, Feb. 8. In their last game against them, Fordham lost 66-57.