The Fordham women’s basketball team defeated Dayton University on Jan. 18 with a final score of 58-55. The Rams’ win came on the program’s celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the Rose Hill Gymnasium.
Ahead of the game, Head Coach Bridgett Mitchell emphasized the team’s need to rebound to stop the Flyers, along with the trend of multiple Rams ending games with scoring in the double digits.
“If we come out and we rebound, it will be a very important key to our success in the game,” Mitchell said, “Then having multiple people to score in double figures has been a trend in the wins that we’ve had.”
The team returned strong from half-time, scoring 24 points in the third quarter alone.
The Rams delivered on Mitchell’s game plan, with 40 rebounds by the final whistle. The charge was led by Emma Wilson-Saltos, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’26, who had seven critical rebounds throughout the game, making it a team best. Three other Rams also finished the game in double figures: Taylor Donaldson, Graduate ’25, had a phenomenal game with a high of 19 points; Irene Murua, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ’25, with 13 points; and Taya Davis, FCRH ’25, with 11.
The Rams started the game off strong but lost some ground during the second quarter with a strong comeback from the Flyers. This forced the Rams into halftime with a score of 30-28, which was down by two.
The team returned strong from half-time, scoring 24 points in the third quarter alone. Donaldson scored nine of the first 11 points scored by Fordham at the start of the second half of Saturday’s game.
The drive Donaldson displayed in the game’s second half reflects the mentality of the Fordham Squad as a whole. Coach Mitchell attributed the team’s success to their mentality on the court.
“The competitive nature of the individuals that we’ve targeted in recruiting wear the Fordham jersey with pride for the name across the front, not just the name on the back,” Mitchell said.
In the game’s final moments, the defensive play of the Rams allowed them to hold off the Flyers. Along with Davis’ efficiency at the line, her free throws brought the final score to 58-55.
The win over Dayton kicked off the Rams’ first game of their three-game stay at the Rose Hill Gymnasium. Coach Mitchell urges the Fordham community to come out and support the team while they play at home in their next two games on Jan. 25 against St. Bonaventure University and Jan. 29 against University of Rhode Island.
“We’re an institution where we’ve demonstrated that you can do both (academic and athletics excellence), and so everybody should come out and support these young women that are pursuing their dreams,” Mitchell said.
