Dec. 29, 2011
Final Stats
BRONX, N.Y. - A late rally by the Navy women's basketball team fell just short as the Midshipmen dropped a 47-43 decision to Fordham Thursday afternoon at Rose Hill Gymnasium in the Bronx, N.Y.
The Mids (6-6) trailed the Rams (8-4) by nine points -- 45-36 -- with just under five minutes left to play in the game. Jade Geif (So., Lakeville, Minn.) scored on a layup and then hit a pair of free throws on Navy's next trip down the floor to slice the score down to 45-40 with 3:13 showing on the clock.
The two teams traded missed shots, then another Fordham missed attempt was gathered in by Geif. That carom led to Audrey Bauer (So., Lake Zurich, Ill.) drilling her third three-point field goal of the game to make the score 45-43 with 1:38 left to play.
Chey Arvin (Jr., Noblesville, Ind.) promptly recorded a steal for the Mids to end the ensuing Fordham possession. Erin Edwards (Sr., Hockessin, Del.) proceeded to be fouled while driving the lane on Navy's next trip down the court. She would miss the front end of a bonus free throw situation, with Fordham's Becky Peters grabbing the errant shot.
Peters would miss a shot from inside of the paint on Fordham's next offensive possession, with Edwards hauling in the rebound with 41 seconds left. Navy's resulting trip down the floor saw Kara Pollinger (So., Fort Gay, W.Va.) miss a short, off-balance jumper with 17 seconds remaining. Fordham's Christina Gaskins snared the rebound and she was fouled with 13 seconds left.
The Mids quickly committed three more fouls over the next three seconds to put Navy over the seven-foul limit and send Arielle Collins to the foul line for Fordham's first bonus free throw attempt of the game. She would sink both shots to increase the margin to four points. The Mids were unable to attempt a shot on what would prove to be the final possession of the afternoon until a Pollinger three-point attempt just before the final horn sounded.
The first half saw the lead change hands five times and the score tied twice. Fordham would go into halftime holding a 27-23 advantage, thanks to the Rams sinking six three-point field goals to just three for the Mids.
Navy quickly scored the first four points of the second half before Fordham went on an 11-3 run to build a 38-30 lead with 12:38 showing on the clock. The margin between the teams would hover between five and nine points prior to Navy's late rally.
"I think you have to give Fordham's defense a lot of credit," said Pemper. "They overplayed the passing lanes. Our turnovers were largely a result of their intensity. Statistically, they are a really good defensive team (eighth nationally in scoring defense) and they took our guards out of the game."
The Mids held a 37-25 advantage over the Rams on the glass, but that was negated by Navy committing 18 turnovers -- 10 of which were attributed to steals by the Rams -- and forcing Fordham into nine turnovers.
Navy made two more field goals than Fordham did in the game -- 18-16 -- and outshot the Rams from the field 37.5%-32.7%. However, Fordham made eight three-point field goals to Navy's four and were 7-of-8 from the foul line while the Mids were 3-of-5.
Bauer and Geif both tallied 17 points in the game for the Mids, with Geif adding eight rebounds and Bauer contributing five boards and three steals. Only two other members of the Navy team scored on the afternoon, with Pollinger scoring seven points and Chantel Lavender (Jr., Trenton, N.J.) two.
"It was the type of game where Fordham knew they could go to multiple players on offense, put the ball in their hands and they could create something," said Pemper. "No one was having a good enough game for us that we could do that."
Fordham was led in scoring by Arielle Collins with 14 points and by Peters with 13.
Navy will be back on the Rose Hill Gymnasium court Friday at 1 p.m. in the consolation game of the Fordham Holiday Classic. The Mids will play the loser of Thurday's second game between Coppin State and Boston University.
