The Rose Hill gymnasium has seen its fair share of dramatic endings, but Anna DeWolfe’s, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23, buzzer-beating shot from beyond the arc to get just ahead of the University of Rhode Island (URI) on the night of Feb. 22 will go down as one of the most memorable.

Fordham held a double-digit lead in the third quarter, but URI managed to get back within striking distance in the last period. They nearly won, but Fordham sent the game to overtime. As the clock hit zero in the extra period, DeWolfe heaved from well behind the 3-point line, sinking the miracle shot to win the game for the Rams, 74-73.

In the bigger picture, the Fordham women’s basketball team did a lot more than just win a game. The contest against Rhode Island was the second to last for the Rams. Entering the game fifth in the Atlantic 10 (A10) conference and on a three-game losing streak, Fordham was at risk of falling even further. 

To an extent, the standings were out of the Rams’ control; third-place George Washington University (GW) played 10th-place Davidson College and the chart-topping University of Massachusetts (UMass) played St. Louis University on the same night. Even if the Rams won against URI, it wouldn’t guarantee an improved position.

Emotions ran wild — screams of happiness from the Rams and heartbroken tears from the Rhode Island players.

And yet, the stars seemed to align for the Rams: George Washington lost to Davidson, 66-59, and UMass was edged by St. Louis 77-75, despite a 7-2 run by UMass that was cut short by the clock, ending with just four-tenths of a second remaining. 

With those two outcomes, and Fordham’s miraculous victory over Rhode Island, the Rams were elevated from fifth place to third. GW fell to fourth, and St. Louis replaced Fordham on the totem pole at fifth. It’s an enormous shake-up in the conference with just one game to go in the regular season. And, importantly, it injected confidence in the Rams just as they were starting to taste the sting of defeat.

The A10 is unpredictable by nature. A single, hopeful heave to win a game and reshuffle the standings doesn’t come as much of a shock. For it to come at the hands of DeWolfe is hardly surprising either.

“That kid deserves her Cinderella moment,” Head Coach Candice Green said after the game. “She’s put in a lot of work, a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this program. She brings spirit; she brings leadership; she brings everything.”

DeWolfe, outside of her heroics, didn’t have the most efficient of games. She shot two-of-eight from beyond the arc and five-of-22 from the field. However, it wasn’t for lack of effort, as she tallied five assists and as many steals. 

Her hustle on the floor reflected the team’s overall effort. Fordham recorded 14 steals and forced 25 URI turnovers. The Rams also held their opponent to 31% shooting accuracy in the fourth quarter.

Fordham’s defense may have been locked in, but so was URI’s offense. In the first half, Rhode Island jumped out to an 8-point lead. The Rams were shooting 11% from the 3-point line. Moreover, Rhode Island had a size advantage that allowed them to get easy interior baskets and hold off Fordham post players like Kaitlyn Downey, Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) ’23, and Jada Dapaa, Gabelli Graduate School of Business ’23.

“Just being aggressive, trying to force turnovers,” Green said of the strategy against Rhode Island. “We got gritty kids that can make up for that size.”

Against the odds, Downey, Dapaa and Asiah Dingle, GSAS ’23, went on an 8-0 run to eradicate the 30-22 lead URI held. The score was tied as the teams retired to the halftime locker room.

The Rams showed no signs of slowing down in the second half. Pushing the pedal to the metal, it was key that the first points of the period came from a DeWolfe 3-pointer. After this, DeWolfe cooled off for the remainder of the third quarter. 

Rhode Island tried to take the opportunity to claw their way back into the game. However, a combination of free throw line efficiency and lock down defense saw the Rams maintain a 10-point lead going into the fourth. 

The fourth quarter was a cagey affair. The Rams struggled from the field, converting only four-of-15. The window was starting to creep open for Rhode Island. The Rams’ defense failed to refrain from fouling the opposing side. 

The charity stripe was fundamental to Rhode Island’s overtime bid. Tied at 63 with only 31 seconds remaining, Anaelle Dutat, URI ’26, hit two free throws to take a two point lead. The clutch factor is strong within this Fordham team; Dapaa scored a layup to force overtime with three seconds to spare.

The last period of the game came down to pace. The number of possessions increased as the game sped up, which gave the Rams more scoring opportunities. However, the road to victory was far from easy. Once again it seemed Rhode Island was going to end the period with free-throw line success. 

Ines Debroise, URI ’26, stepped up but went 1-for-2. With four seconds left and no timeouts, DeWolfe ran the floor. She got to her spot, pump faked and stepped through on an awkward 3-point lob toward the rim. 

The Rams won by a single point. Emotions ran wild — screams of happiness from the Rams and heartbroken tears from the Rhode Island players. Back in the win column, Fordham moves on to their final game of the regular season on Feb. 25 at Davidson.