December 5th, 2019: Fordham at Manhattan

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Fordham held Manhattan to 27.4% shooting from the field in a hard-fought 51-45 win. Bre Cavanaugh had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Rams, with Kaitlyn Downey also notching a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Emily LaPointe had 13 points and Courtney Warley had 11 rebounds for the Jaspers in the loss.

For rivalry renewed, terrible shooting, precise announcements, strangers on a train, donuts, shiny things, and being en garde, join your intrepid and well-traveled blogger after the jump.


Basketball never stops, and neither do rivalries. Your intrepid blogger comes to you live, or at least on indeterminate tape delay, from the boogie down Bronx, where the Fordham Rams are paying a visit to the Manhattan Jaspers in the Battle of the Bronx.

Manhattan's band is getting into the spirit of both the holiday season and the basketball season, wearing festive hats (or antlers) and their “The 6th Borough” shirts.

Look, Mr. DJ, I get that no one cares about the lyrics, but maybe the refrain of “everything's better when I'm drinking” is not an appropriate choice on a college campus?

The Usual Suspects have arrived for Fordham. I'm flying solo today, though; the husband is off at Seton Hall for the UConn game. I expect this one to be more competitive.

15-4 Fordham end Q1. Manhattan is not shooting well and one of their players spiked the ball out of bounds off her teammate. The band is already razzing them. This is so far less competitive than the UConn game.

That is some glitter on the Manhattan cheerleaders' sweatshirts there. Wow.

24-18 Fordham at half. This has been all kinds of ugly. Bre Cavanaugh is already one rebound away from a double-double. No one with more than four points for Manhattan, but shoutout to Courtney Warley's eight rebounds. (Even if I would like her to maybe not roll-block people.)

On the other hand, Lynette Taitt probably wishes people would stop confusing this with dodgeball. She's already had two people spike the ball off her. And one was her own teammate. That is not how that play works, people.

I forgot how much I like Manhattan's band. The sound system s a little overcranked, because it has to be prepared for when Draddy is in use as a track facility, which is a much larger venue. But the band has a nice jazzy rhythm to them. I think one of those dudes is playing an electric clarinet, and I have no idea how that would even work, but it's fun.

The 6th Borough is arguably putting in a better night's work than the team they're rooting for.

There appear to be two different nets on the baskets. The one closer to Manhattan's bench has a traditional long one, while the one by the visiting bench appears shorter and thicker, making the rim look a little like one of those kiddy baskets.

Manhattan's intro video is interesting. I don't think I've ever seen one completely devoid of highlights.

38-36 Fordham end Q3. The refs are starting to call some of the physical play, but not all of it.

I don't know how accurate this claim is, but Manhattan claims to be the place where the seventh inning stretch was created, so we had a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” between the third and fourth quarters.

It's final at Draddy, 51-45 Fordham. Game MVP coming up, and if it's not Bre Cavanaugh I will find a hat and eat it. No, I will willingly be seen in the vicinity of the “Make Christmas Great Again” sweatshirt. Fortunately, Bre is our winner.

I like everything about the experience of a game at Manhattan except the home team's playing style. The people are all really nice, the PA guy is on point (every sub properly announced with name and number), the concessions are reasonably priced even if they're minimal, the student section shows up, the band is really good... but watching that team is painful. I thought Vulin was developing something, but her players have regressed since her first couple of years.

Nyala Pendergrass made a cameo in the second half to shoot a little bit, but the bulk of the bench play went to the trio of Lizahya Morgan, Gabby Cajou, and Pamela Miceus. They entered in the first and third quarters as a unit, but were situationally subbed as necessary throughout the game. Cajou is still lightning fast on the break- she had a beauty of a steal that led to a lay-up for the Jaspers. She also had an amazing o-board where she soared over a forward who had a good eight inches on her. But when she was out of the fast break, her decision-making deteriorated. Morgan provided some outside shooting, though she suffered from the same lack of accuracy most of her teammates did. Miceus brought a midrange game, with mixed results. Her form is terrible, and she's a senior, so it's not likely to get better.

If you leave Julie Høier open for five-six seconds, yes, she's going to hit the shot. That's if you give her enough time to get the ball, consider the shot, double pump herself out of it, and then set back up. I try not to make blonde jokes in the blog, but she was doing her best to live up to them. I mean, I guess she sets okay screens? But I'm about 50% certain she's the one who spiked her own teammate. It was either her or the freshman Emily LaPointe, who does have a respectable shot. She needs a lot of work, being a freshman and all, and in a lot of places I'd say she has time to develop. But I haven't seen a lot of development at Manhattan, so I don't know why she would buck the trend. Courtney Warley has a somewhat more respectable midrange game than her bench counterpart, though today it did not extend out to the three-point line as it has done in the past. She was ferocious on the glass and was able to outrun our guards to pinballing rebounds.

Lynette Taitt will drag this team to at least one victory that they in no other way deserve simply because she's that stubborn, that tough, and that physical. She did her damnedest on Bre Cavanaugh, and the fact that I'm complimenting a defensive performance that allowed 21 points should say something about the night Bre was having. They went at each other all night. Game recognize game. I have no idea why Sydney Watkins is starting. I don't know, maybe Manhattan just had a historically bad shooting night and this isn't really them, but about all she was doing out there was shooting threes on offense and attempting to jiggle distractingly on defense.

Manhattan is unafraid to play physical basketball. They drive headfirst, or at least shoulder-first. There were an awful lot of plays where they went low and suddenly there was a Fordham player lying on the floor wondering where the foul was and maybe what the number of that truck was. I applaud their fight, but at some point, they need to learn a little bit of control. And again, I don't see that happening under Vulin.

Zara Jillings's incredible disappearing act continues. I don't know what's going on with her, but I don't think I like it. Katie McLoughlin was first off the bench to shore up the defense slightly and promptly committed a reach-in foul. She did have a nifty putback lay-up off an offensive rebound. Megan Jonassen looks like she's lost a step- she was having trouble keeping up with Manhattan's movement.

One of these days. I know I've said this before, and since this is the first half of only her junior season I'm sure I'll say it again, but one of these days Kendell Heremaia is going to cause me to facepalm myself right into the concussion protocol. I love her hustle, and I love her rebounding, and I love the heart she has to play above her height. But if she takes one more stupid dipsy-do lay-up when going straight up would be enough, or if she keeps missing easy shots right at the basket, I will not be responsible for my actions. I don't like being this harsh or this frustrated with her, but she just goes from extreme to extreme. Kaitlyn Downey did a nice job on the boards, picking up plays that ricocheted out to the elbows. She looked like the physicality of the game was taking a toll on her by the end- that was one of the highest levels I've ever seen her register on the Kraayeveld-Adubato Scale. We really need another post to help take the load off and maybe allow Kene to actually be a guard one of these days. I thought that player was going to be Vilisi Tavui, but she's had a rough start to the season.

In some ways, it's a bad sign that the freshmen guards looked out of sorts against a team as bad as Manhattan. Anna DeWolfe looked hesitant, and that cost us with turnovers on sloppy or telegraphed passes. Her ability to snipe threes from the corner countered LaPointe's shooting and kept Manhattan's runs from being anything more than brief jogs. Sarah Karpell brought the defense, or at least tried to; there was a sequence where she was on Julie Høier, who was doing everything but waving signal flags to tell her teammates she had a height advantage on the play. She was in over her head, but she did her best. Bre Cavanaugh got off to a little bit of a slow start, but once she got the first make, it was like a match to a pile of dry leaves- she lit up Manhattan beyond the arc, in the paint, and on the offensive glass. She pretty much had her way with Manhattan. I'm a little worried about the amount of contact she was taking (Manhattan's approach to defense can sometimes be categorized as "body slam") but she has parents for that and I need to stop fussing.

Officials let most of the contact go in the first half and tightened up on the hand-checking in the second (but still let the heavy contact keep going) If this rivalry weren't on the right side of the line between heated and competitive, we might have had more issues. But the closest thing we had to a problem was very late in the game, when Kaitlyn Downey accidentally nailed Julie Høier in the face with an elbow on a loose ball scrum. That was reviewed for a hostile act, but the review was very short and nothing came of it.

Manhattan hosted an autograph session after the game, and disorganized doesn't even begin to describe it. The poster is fantastic- a great design printed on thick glossy stock- and the squad even had the metallic Sharpies to sign it. But they needed at least one more table to fit everyone, and there was no sense of order. Imagine me hovering nervously and shyly around the fringes, trying to figure out where to start and where the line is, only to realize there is no line. (And of course, with my Fordham scarf shoved in my coat and my coat zipped all the way up.) It was awkward.

Fordham brought a small student section! Or possibly some of the guys from the band, I don't know. But they were seated in the other endcourt section, across from the 6th Borough, and two of them would fence with drumsticks while Manhattan was shooting free throws. I cannot personally condone disconcerting the home team on the line, but I can appreciate their efforts. Apparently security almost freaked out when one of them successfully got through the other one's guard and poked him in the chest. Lot of mutual respect between them and the Manhattan band after the game.

The trip was chaos and the execution was terrible, but I'm still glad I went. It's good to see Bre looking like Bre again.

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November 17th, 2019: Villanova at Fordham

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Post play fueled Villanova in their 73-66 win over Fordham. Madison Siegrist led the Wildcats with 29 points, with Mary Gedaka hot on her heels at 27 points. Bre Cavanaugh had 23 points to lead Fordham in the loss.

For unstoppable forces, a local inversion of reality, back pain, betting the dogs, a light roast, and dazed confusion, join your intrepid blogger after the jump.
One quick change and a scoot down the aisle later, your intrepid blogger is back in her accustomed perch behind the Fordham bench, as the Rams prepare to defend the A-10's honor against the Big East's Villanova Wildcats.

I don't know who this dude in the Penn State sweatshirt is, but I'm pretty sure that by wearing that he has declared himself the sworn enemy of everyone in the building, so well done there.

SHU friends and family have gathered in the corridor to greet their team. We are not over there, obviously, because right now we are Fordham fans.

I'm not sure if the stippling on Fordham's warm-up shirts is intentional or born from laundry, but it looks cool.

A dude in a Phillies cap just plopped himself down behind the Fordham bench, so this is probably going to be fun.

(Sidebar: Ms. Carangi and Ms. Siegrist were announced as “Sam” and “Maddie” respectively, but they're on Villanova's roster as Samantha and Madison, so I'll be referring to them by their full first names.)

20-14 Villanova end Q1. Madison Segrist has A) a lot of friends and family in attendance, B) 15 points. Neither of these sparks joy.

31-21 Villanova at half. Segrist has sat down, but Mary Gedaka picked up the baton with 9 of her 11 points in the second quarter. You know, I could have just had my wisdom teeth extracted.

Shout out to the dude in the student section in the A'ja Wilson jersey.

Two pregame ceremonies today, one honoring Coach Peretta on his upcoming retirement and one for Coach Gaitley's 1000th game.

48-42 Villanova end Q3. We tied it and then Nova remembered what threes are.

I'm not saying that we have issues with consistency, but if we could get maybe three players to play at or above average, we could actually win some of these games that we keep falling apart in. It's frustrating. We don't seem to have finishing ability. And when we pressed, Villanova was able to pass out to the wide open player under the basket. I'm not used to Villanova using the post so effectively and so heavily. Is this Peretta's version of a midlife crisis?

I'm also not used to Villanova not going that deep. Mackenzie Gardler came in briefly in the first half to give the guards a break, but I don't think she played in the second half. She's small but not all that quick, which is not a good combination. Brooke Mullin's first shot was a disaster, but once she got off one with her feet squared and time to set, it was worthy of her last name. She found her stroke in the second half to help Villanova pull away. Samantha Carangi came in to run point for long stretches- she was first off the bench in both halves. She was pretty solid on the intangibles.

I would not have expected an experienced senior like Bridget Herlihy to commit a stupid touch foul while leading in a two-three possession game with somethine like two minutes left to put the opponent in the penalty. She did lay some monster blocks on our guards, though. Made it hard to drive. I don't even remember Madison Segrist picking up the first two fouls, though that would be a reasonable explanation for why she was MIA in the second quarter. That kid is fast, and she's the usual Villanova match-up issue for a big- she can take you outside or inside. So she pretty much got what she wanted, whenever she wanted it, and when she didn't, she got the rebound. We did a not-terrible job of keeping Mary Gedaka off the offensive glass, but she more than made up for it with hard drives and an ability to create space for herself with excellent body control.

Cameron Onken had a really fantastic hustle play in the first quarter to break up a Fordham break. She was pretty good on defense. Raven james drove and dished effectively to set up the bigs (who also did a pretty good job of setting themselves up with dribble drives, to be fair).

I look at this and it looks like I'm short-changing the guards, but honestly, the starting guards for Villanova did not distinguish themselves well. The three-point offense mostly came from the bench or from the posts, which is either a credit to our defense or a credit to Madison Segrist, and I think I know who I'm crediting here.

Officiating made themselves heard in the second half, but we got ourselves into as much un-called trouble as we did called un-trouble. I have no right to be upset.

Clever things veteran coaches do: Bre Cavanaugh hits a deep jumper that's called a three on the floor but looks like a long two, putting Fordham within one and extending a Rams run. Peretta calls timeout. It's not just a smart move to curtail the run- I'd bet dollars to donuts he knew that call would be reversed, and made sure to call timeout so that the refs would review right then and there, taking the point off the board and messing up Fordham's momentum just that much more.

I don't know what to do with this Fordham team. It seems like if everyone could maybe get on the same page in the same game, we could make some noise. But right now we're playing like a box of puzzle pieces that's been dropped on the floor and played around with by a hyperactive six-year-old. Sometimes things fit together, but mostly they don't, no matter how hard we hammer at them.

Katie McLoughlin came on for hustle, but the biggest problem with her is that she doesn't bring anything else to the table. She fights for boards, and sometimes she even gets them, but she doesn’t score and her defense has yet to develop. I continue to wonder what's going on with Zara Jillings. Something's not right with her, and it's throwing off all our rotations, because we have very little height and if she's not contributing then we end up with Kendell Heremaia, Power Forward Extrordinaire, and I don't like that plan. Megan Jonassen was physical, but not much else.

Sarah Karpell looked really good- she's developing good defensive instincts quickly and demonstrating good court awareness. She started off the season with a bad game, but she's shaken it off in a hurry. Anna DeWolfe scored most of her points late, and I thought she looked like she was in over her head a little bit. Bre Cavanaugh looked like her old self in the second half, scoring with confidence and getting to the line. It took her a while to get going, and I worry about that still.

Have I mentioned how unenthused I am about the concept of Kendell Heremaia, Power Forward Extrordinaire? Because I love Kene, and all gods know that she tries to match up with the bigs, but she doesn't have the height and she doesn't have the quickness to get into the positions she needs to be in if she's going to make up for that. I do also need Kene to remember who her teammates are, because this is the second time in three games I've seen her take out a teammate in pursuit of a rebound. This time it was Anna. The people in the white jerseys are your friends, Kene. (Unless you're on the road.) Kaitlyn Downey was ineffective and often in foul trouble. We need her to be more consistent. I don't know what else to say.

Time and score awareness: on one possession, Sarah gets the offensive rebounds and keeps feeding Kaitlyn for three-point attempts; on the next possession, Anna gets the offensive rebound and immediately puts it back. IMO, we needed threes more than twos in that stretch, but looking back, I understand Anna's logic too.

I don't know what else to say about Fordham. There were moments when it worked, but then we couldn't execute. It feels like it was forever ago. I can't get a sense of this team and who they are yet.

Someone in the student section brought a drum. I question his reading of the rules on artificial noisemakers, but as long as he doesn't get in trouble, I'm down with it. I hope these heartbreakers don't dissuade the student section from showing up and getting loud- this team needs and deserves that kind of support at every game.

We can beat Northeastern, right? Right?

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November 10th, 2019: Fordham at Columbia

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Columbia took second-quarter momentum with them to the second half and dominated Fordham 70-51. Abbey Hsu had 15 points to lead the Lions, with Kaitlyn Davis adding 14 off the bench. Kaitlyn Downey had 19 points to lead Fordham before fouling out.

For bewilderment, confusion, a lack of effort on so many people's parts, exhaustion, and an inability to can even, join your intrepid and repetitive blogger after the jump.


They say there's no rest for the weary, and there's also no rest for the nerdy, as your intrepid blogger heads uptown to watch Fordham take on Columbia at Levien Gymnasium.

Whoever put the "Espresso Patronum!" sign up on the coffee stand, I appreciate your geekiness and your flair for puns, but your grasp of Latin needs some work.

I don't see Isis Young on the Fordham bench, so I don't think she's playing. I'm not even sure if she traveled.

Well, this is not what I was expecting after the fight we gave Notre Dame. Columbia is up one at the half, 32-31. Madison Hardy made a splash with five points in the last couple of minutes, while program-featured player Kaitlyn Davis is carrying the load with 10 points. Kaitlyn Downey has 14 to power Fordham, but no one else seems to be able to hit shots.

I would have expected more originality from an Ivy League school than the Imperial March for opposing introductions.

The PA guy is terrible. So terrible. He doesn't seem to have read the Fordham pronunciation guide, he seems to think the women's game is played in halves, he's inconsistent about announcing subs, he takes forever to announce fouls, and forget knowing the opposing roster- he doesn't even seem sure who Columbia's players are. This is a problem when you're the Columbia announcer, I'm just saying.

For the love of all that is sweet and holy, please turn down the sound system slightly. The music is ridiculously loud.

Allow me to sum up my feelings about this game in one quote from in-game commentary: Sarah Karpell, for reasons beyond human imagining, decided to go one-on-three and ballhog in a way that would have made Cappie Pondexter say, "Nah, you should have passed that ball." My reaction, literally: "I- I- I- I- that was so bad my inability to can can't even." I'm very glad Kaitlyn Downey decided to show up for this game. I just wish the rest of her teammates had bothered to join her. This wasn't even a hangover game, this was a "woke up in a tub of ice with a kidney missing" game.

I will give all the credit in the world to Columbia's ball movement on offense and the way they extended their defense. They forced us into very uncomfortable positions, and we weren't ready for it. I can understand the freshmen not being prepared. The returning players have far less of an excuse.

I would desperately like to know what is up with Zara Jillings. She's gone from one of our top reserves last year to not even getting off the bench in the first half and ending up a billionaire in the second half. I realize Sarah Karpell is doing a lot of the same things on defense, but Zara has the advantages of height and a year of experience. Something seems extremely off here. Katie McLoughlin saw some time in the second half to try and start something with hustle, but it didn't work. Nothing worked and I am so very tired. Catherine Polisano saw some garbage time at the end of the game, when Coach Gaitley finally threw in the towel (more or less). Megan Jonassen got maybe two stretches of play, if that, and was ineffective.

I'm going to break my usual rhythm here, because the minute splits were just that pronounced. Sarah Karpell brought the defense, but her offense is definitely a work in progress, and that one-on-three possession broke my brain. I have never so thoroughly lost my ability to can even before. She played heavy minutes, for reasons I don't completely understand. Vilisi Tavui got the start, but she didn't play a lot, between foul trouble and what appeared to be straight-up fear. She's a weapon, but she's a weapon we can't use until she figures out how to be used, and that's a problem.

Something is deeply wrong with Bre Cavanaugh's shot, at least through these first couple of games. Her floaters/lay-ups don't look good coming off her hand, and her jumper hasn't been consistent enough to make up for that. She was at least able to force a little action from the Columbia defense, but she's not playing like someone who can command the opposing defense's respect. Anna DeWolfe did not know how to deal with the defense Columbia was throwing at her. They extended the defense almost all the way to the halfcourt line and put a lot of pressure on the ballhandler. Some handled it better than others. Anna did not handle it well.

Oh, Kene. I love Kendell Heremaia dearly, but one of these days she's going to be the death of me. Squashing Bre on a loose ball like she had momentarily forgotten she was not playing rugby is pretty close. She and most of the rest of the guards had this bizarre fixation on trying to force the ball inside. I have no idea why. I just don't. I don't know what the thought process was there. I don't know if there even was a thought process there. Kaitlyn Downey was the only bright spot in this game, hitting her corner threes, nailing her midrange jumpers, and getting open on backdoor cuts. I know I've come down hard on Kaitlyn to start the season, but she made up for being overwhelmed against Notre Dame. I just wish the rest of the team had come along for the ride.

Madison Hardy certainly knows how to make a splash. Her two buckets at the end of the second quarter gave Columbia huge momentum going into the half with the lead, and she added one during the fourth quarter to help put the game away. Most of the rest of the bench didn't play much: Carly Rivera saw a little time in the first half, Madison Pack hit a three as part of our continuing fourth-quarter humiliation, and Stephanie Flynn saw spot minutes in both halves. The only other bench player to see heavy time was Kaitlyn Davis, who demonstrated a marvelous ability to draw fouls and get to the line. She shot as many free throws by herself as Fordham did as a team.

What first drew my attention about Mikayla Markham was her vocal communication on the court- she was calling signals quickly. She picked up her offense in the second half. Janiya Clemmons drove hard and didn't make a lot of her shots, but her penetration helped set up her teammates. Abbey Hsu's three-point ability is extremely useful for Columbia, and every one of her shots seemed to bury us a little deeper emotionally, like we had failed in our plan on top of failing everything else.

I don't know what else to say about this game. It's been a few days, frankly because I don't want to write about it. We gave up. We gave up threes and we gave up drives and we gave up on offense. I don't understand how a team that took Notre Dame to the final minute could fall apart so badly against Columbia. I respect what the Lions did, and how they executed their game plan, but we went toe-to-toe with a bigger and more talented team than them. I don't understand any of this.

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November 5th, 2019: Notre Dame at Fordham

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Notre Dame used size, speed, and a 33-2 free throw differential to pull out a 60-55 win over Fordham. Sam Brunelle and Katlyn Gilbert each had 14 points to pace the Irish, with Destinee Walker adding 10 points and 10 boards. Bre Cavanaugh and Kendell Heremaia each had 14 points to lead Fordham in the loss.

For loud noises, belated election advice, mixed messages, and starting off the season with a bang, join your intrepid and enthusiastic blogger after the jump.

Good evening, fellow basketball travelers! You know what today is, right? It's Election Day! So if you didn't already get out to the polls... well, it'll probably be too late by the time I get these notes posted. But just assume I'm very disappointed in you if you didn't exercise your right and privilege as an American citizen. (If you aren't an American citizen, or are under the age of 18, or can't vote for some other reason, ignore this part.)

But more relevant to the interests of this blog, it's opening day for college basketball! Your intrepid blogger is typing blindly away on a D train headed to the Bronx, as the Fordham Rams open their season with a bang against the ACC powerhouse Notre Dame. I get the feeling my smooth transfers from train to train are about to be the highlight of the night, but who knows? Stranger things have happened, and CPTV has proof.

Our ace reporter on the scene tells me that the legendary Drums of Thunder are in the building. Given how small Rose Hill Gym is, that might be quite a sound. I'm expecting a packed house. Notre Dame alumni are everywhere, they travel well, and I believe there's a NY-area kid on the Irish roster as well. I'm not looking forward to this part. Notre Dame fans can make UConn fans look like choir members with their attitude.

End of the first quarter, and Notre Dame is up 16-14. We're playing reasonably smart basketball, but can't finish a lot of the plays. Two fouls on Anaya Peoples is a problem for Notre Dame early, but two fouls on Anna DeWolff might be a bigger one for Fordham. Even if we get cheesed later, I like what I'm seeing out of our freshmen guards.

At halftime, Notr Dame is up 36-24. All things considered, this isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be when we were scoreless for the first five or so minutes of the quarter. Sam Brunelle is putting on a show with 12 points. The freshmen guards are stealing the show for Fordham; Anna DeWolff is getting looks even if she isn't, and Sarah Karpell is making some astonishingly heady defensive plays for her first real game.

Drums of Thunder is about to get underway. Bring the noise, y'all.

There are a surprising number of split fans- Fordham jackets with Notre Dame hats, that kind of thing. I'm pleasantly surprised by how not-green it is in here, especially since the doubleheader is separate admission- in other words, it's not like people are here for the men's game and sitting on their hands.

Notre Dame's heralded freshmen are very good offensively, but they don't have the defense yet. I mean, it's their first game. I'm realistic here.

In tonight's edition of “counting is hard”: Vilisi Tavui is our starting center and wears 14. Ralene Kwiatkowski is a little-used reserve guard who wears 15. Guess what number the ref flashed when Vilisi committed her third foul (which was, IMO, a borderline call)?

47-35 Notre Dame at the end of the third. The foul differential has been instructive, to say the least. It's not a pretty game, but it was never going to be a pretty game if Fordham was going to have any chance. There have been a lot of “counting is hard”moments in this quarter, with some unusual foul calls and disagreements on who the foul should be called on. Mikayla Vaughn went down hard and stayed down for a while early in the quarter, giving us all a scare, but she was able to put weight on the ankle and came back into the game briefly. She got pulled again, though I think that might have been for blood, or possibly an illegal substitution. Come to think of it, I'm not sure she returned after that.

60-55 Notre Dame final, but honestly, I think there are a lot of positives to take away from this game for Fordham. We came back and stuck with a team that's bigger, faster, and more skilled than we are, and we took them to the last possession. A little more depth, a few less bad calls to have personnel available, and we might just have done it.

Kaitlin Cole played briefly for the Fighting Irish in the second quarter. I don't see a statistical impact for her. Danielle Cosgrove brought good height off the bench when Brunelle was in foul trouble and Vaughn was out of the game, but she's got to hit her shots close to the rim. At her height, with our relative lack of height, she should have been a more dominant force. Katlyn Gilbert impressed me more with her defense than her offense, but then I looked at the box score, and she tied for the lead in scoring. I was impressed with how closely she marked her assignment. And yes, that's it for the Notre Dame bench. McGraw didn't have the chance to go as deep into her bench as she might have liked early in the season.

I like Marta Sniezek's quick hands and her communication on the court. She was quick to call the plays and call out her assignment. I think I expected her to be more of a factor in the scorebook than she was, but maybe that's by design. When this lineup has its act together, it's going to be very offensively potent, and maybe they need her to be a facilitator rather than a scorer. Destinee Walker kept Notre Dame in the game with drives and a midrange game, and kept Fordham in the game with appalling free throw shooting. And it's not like she didn't have a chance to practice, but we'll get to that later, once I figure out how not to swear about it. Anaya Peoples has some sweet moves, but her defense needs a lot of work. She's a freshman, though. That happens with freshmen.

Sam Brunelle has a sweet stroke, especially for a big. She needs to work on her footwork, though. She got dinged for at least two travels in the second half. I can see why she's on the national watch lists, even this early. She's got an amazing amount of potential. I can see her fitting anywhere in a frontcourt and giving McGraw a lot of flexibility with her lineups. Mikayla Vaughn used her length well in the post to get rebounds and putbacks. I'm glad she was able to put weight on the ankle. When she went down I was worried it was an Achilles.

Notre Dame had more size and speed than we did, and there were a lot of plays that we might have been able to make against a typical A-10 team that got shut down against Notre Dame's size. Idon't think McGraw haqs her defense installed yet (note that the best defensive plays were mostly coming from the returning sophomore Gilbert; Sniezek made good individual plays, but not systemic plays).

I was surprised that we didn't give Zara Jillings a lot of run. I guess she falls into the undersized tweener trap against a team like Notre Dame, but she's a heady player and there were times when we could have used her communication skills on the floor, when passes went awry or players were out of position. Megan Jonassen was physical in the post, both on the glass and on putbacks. I like how she's shaping up. Sarah Karpell put in big minutes and made a lot of hustle defensive plays, getting back to stop breaks and getting in for loose balls. Her nose for the ball was fantastic. Katie McLoughlin saw time in the fourth quarter as foul trouble and long minutes took their toll on the starters, and she put up a couple of threes (I think one of them was one of the many Fordham shots that the rim rejected).

(Seriously, at one point my husband said of our shooting, "God hates us." My response, given who we were playing, was "No, God's mom hates us.")

I'm not sure how I feel about Kaitlyn Downey's love of the lookaway pass. On one hand, it's really cool when it works. On the other hand, when it doesn't work, we look stupid. There were stretches when it seemed like she had forgotten how tall she is and was leaving the heavy carrying down low to her teammates (which was not necessarily a great plan given Vilisi's foul trouble). But she had a couple of good blocks. I'd just like to see a lot less of her on the perimeter. (Somehow she snuck up on all the categories in the scoresheet. I don't know how either. I do remember the steals, though- she got into the passing lane and stepped in front of passes. She got by with a little help from her friends- those steals were usually off double or triple teams.) Vilisi Tavui shows some promise, and if nothing else, it's nice to have an actual tall post player to go up against everyone else's tall post player. She's a little more tentative than I'd like her to be, but I get it; this is really her first big action since the injury, and she's suddenly gone from the end of the bench to the starting lineup. That's a big adjustment for a kid who flat out admitted Fordham was her only recruiting opportunity.

Kendell Heremaia is rapidly taking that spot in my heart where I'm willing to fight anyone who makes a bad call against her. She's such a sweetheart. We've already had two games where the Law of Verticality was not only violated but subverted in her case (the Law of Verticality being that if a player falls down, a foul is called on the player who did not fall down, and poor Kene keeps getting the call against her, and it just doesn't seem fair). She's stepping up big for us, and I'm so proud of her. I love watching her on defense, even if it doesn't seem fair that she has to defend other teams' power forwards. I love seeing her run the offense and step into that role so easily. I love her hustle. I keep thinking she should not be taking threes that far back, and then they go in and I shut up for a while. Bre Cavanaugh was missing shots in the first half that it seemed like she should be making- and that she did, in fact, make in the second half. I'm now not sure whether she's actually more potent when she's not the first option or not; on one hand, she can explode in a good way, but on the other hand, it seems like she has her best performances when she doesn't have to be the superstar. It takes the pressure off and lets her play a more complete game. I'm sure Anna DeWolff is going to hit the freshman wall at some point, and I admit I'm worried about the length of time it takes for her to get off good shots sometimes. But until such time as she hits that wall and the shots really stop going down, I'll join the folks in the band who had the DeWolff Pack sign up. She hits shots and she plays without fear. She and Bre have a lot of the same instincts for the ball. Right now, that's a problem because they both try to be in the same place at the same time, and they end up getting in each other's way, which means we lose the possession as often as we gain it. But once they get a better sense of where each of them is on the floor, and they learn to trust each other to get the ball, our rebounding from the backcourt is going to be ridiculous.

I can't overstate the heart of this team. They gave it everything they thought they had, and then they dug deeper and gave some more. Kene was pulling the jersey with three minutes to go, and that was about a minute and a half of game time before she hit the big three. Kaitlyn was starting to register on the Kraayeveld scale. Anna's mask was slipping because of the sweat. But the team just kept coming. If we can take an ACC team to the wire like this, with one of the most lopsided free throw differentials I've ever seen working against them, I look forward to seeing what they can do against teams in their own weight class.

So, about that free throw differential, because we were going to get there eventually. I didn't really think anything of it when Sarah went to the line in the first quarter and split a pair of free throws. It's a thing that happens. We were annoyed that she didn't hit the first, but that's how life is. And then we started racking up fouls, and Notre Dame... did not. I thought there was an imbalance in how the physicality of the game was called, and I certainly objected to the allocation of some of the fouls that did seem legitimate. It just didn't hit me until I was on the train looking at the box score, and the differentials were there in black and white- 27-9 Fordham on fouls, 33-2 Notre Dame on free throws. (And really, if I'm Notre Dame, I'm not happy with my FT%, given that many cracks at it.) It gets frustrating when touch fouls are called at one end and hands to the face aren't called on the other.

I loved how raucous thecrowd was. To my surprise, the Notre Dame fans were fairly quiet during the game. They cheered during intros, but that was about it. Maybe it's different when it's non-conference? Because the ones who showed up to games at Carnesecca before the Big East imploded were real jerks, and that did a lot to color my impression of the fan base. (The Internet has done the rest.) I would like for the Fordham fans to bring this energy for the rest of the season, because these kids deserve it. I know it's not going to happen, but your intrepid blogger would like to dream.

On to the next one. Basketball never stops, and I'm going to have to type faster if I want to stay caught up.

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October 26th, 2019: Rutgers at Fordham

Basketball sort of happens, '80s music is referenced, fans travel, and your intrepid blogger beats the buzzer, more or less.

Good afternoon, ladies, gentlemen, boys, girls, genderqueer peeps, non-binary folk, and everyone else I might have forgotten! It's a beautiful fall day in New York City, the kind that you take pictures of the campus for admission packets on. So of course, we're in Rose Hill, preparing for Fordham and Rutgers in a previously closed scrimmage. We gave our ten bucks for admission. Clearly the Rutgers folks were used to a more technological setup, because they had to have a sign out indicating that they didn't take credit cards and providing the location of the nearest ATM. Conversely, the young ladies manning the register seemed pleasantly surprised that we not only had cash, we had exact change.

A contingent of Cagers, about 20 strong, has made the trip to the Bronx. They, uh. They might outnumber the Fordham fans, but on the flip side, it's half an hour before tip. We're still ready to get as loud as we need to get.

Vilisi Tavui is in sweats next to Isis Young. We know from the open practice that Ice is hurt, so I'm assuming Vilisi is being held out for the same reason. I hope it's only precautionary. I would like to see her stop being hurt at some point.

Rutgers's practice jerseys are hideous. The font is terrible and the two-tone numbers are worse. I also feel like there should be more red, but this is an ongoing argument i have with teams that have colors in their names.

Really, Cagers? Before a scrimmage on the road, you're singing the fight song? Before a scrimmage? On the road?

18-10 Rutgers end Q1, although it looks like the scores are being reset at the end of each quarter. If the purpose has been to put a winning team on the floor, this ain't it. If the purpose is to figure out our strengths and weaknesses, and to accustom the team to obnoxious traveling fans in advance of the Notre Dame game, then this sort of makes sense.

15-13 Rutgers end Q2. The physicality has picked up. I don't like it. Also, we need to hit free throws. This is a thing that is independent of the quality of our opponent, and we're something like 2-6 for the day. My eye was on the ball, so I idn't see how Maori Davenport got hit in the stomach, but it was bad. I thought she was going to throw up on the court.

Oh, now the PA guy wants to get going.

16-12 Fordham end Q3. Although now the scoreboard reads 51-all, and that's not accurate. If they're picking up the running score, it's 46-39 Rutgers. Tekia Mack's protestations of innocence and horror that she hasn't gotten the call amuse me.

Rutgers won the fourth quarter 27-18. So the final score was either 78-69 or 73-57 in favor of Rutgers. Your mileage may vary.

I was not happy with Rutgers's physicality in the second and third quarters. I understand that part of the goal of a scrimmage like this is to prepare you for the regular season, and we're going to be facing some very tough competition very quickly. But some of it felt unnecessary, and some of it felt retaliatory for plays that were not intentional.

Danielle Migliore brought a little bit of attempted shooting touch, but it often did not go well. She still looks like she's trying to fit into the Rutgers system as a transfer. I don't know if she's anything but a zone-buster off the bench, but maybe that's all they need her to be. Maori Davenport looks... for some reason unfinished is the word that comes to mind. Maybe I'm just getting older, but I swear they look younger every year. Between the nonsense she had to go through with the high school federation and the two bad tumbles she took in this game, I have to wonder what she did or who she angered in her past life. I hope she's okay. They were the only two players who were consistent in coming off the bench in both "halves".

Tekia Mack is probably going to earn herself a lot of fans at Rutgers, not just because of her way to slither into small spaces and hit shots at impossible angles or draw contact, but because she has a very expressive on-court personality- her body language and demeanor remind me a little of Courtney Williams. She's probably also going to make herself fairly unpopular among Big Ten fans and possibly officials, because at least in this scrimmage she was demanding every call in her favor and complaining about every call that went against her (and at least one against Mael Gilles). She's an interesting player, and she's fun to watch. She gave us fits with her height. I just get the feeling that if I were still a Rutgers fan, I'd spend Mack's entire career yelling "TEKIA, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT CALL!" She and Khadaizha Sanders got the start in the first half, but not the second half. Sanders got off a couple of nice shots, but I don't think Stringer was happy with her fouls in the third quarter- they were mostly cheap reach-in fouls, and a grad transfer should know better than that. Conversely, Noga Pelag Pelc and Joiya Maddox got the second half start but not the first half start. Neither was particularly impressive, although Maddox might be good for them in a couple of years when she really internalizes the system.

Most times I look at college players' listed heights and think, There's no way she's that tall. I looked at Arella Guirantes and thought, There's no way she's only 5-11. Maybe her hair is throwing me off, or maybe it's her build- I could think of no other description for her but "she thick", possibly even "thicc". She plays like a guard but can bang like a forward. She's not as well conditioned as I'd expect a Stringer player to be, though. There was one sequence where she was pulling on her jersey. I'd need a box score to look at minute counts, but she did seem to spend a lot of time on the court. Jordan Wallace got into foul trouble early, but Stringer chose to let her play through the three first-quarter fouls. She seemed more effective in the early going, although I'm not sure if that was because of the fouls or because Guirantes and Mack were carrying the load for the Scarlet Knights. She did do a good job of setting screens for her teammates. Mael Gilles has very quick hands. She deflected a lot of balls, and she's absolutely lethal as part of the infamous press. Her deflection skills did not serve her as well on offense.

Rutgers has a lot more size in the backcourt than I was expecting. Their reserves are kind of small, but I don't know how much they're going to get used. The press is as terrifying as it ever was- they forced at least two 10-second violations out of us, and while I know Coach Gaitley likes to run the shot clock deep even on a good day, I think they had us struggling at the end of the clock more than I'd like.

I like Sarah Karpell's heart. She's very clearly a freshman, though. She needs to work on her defense, but I recognize that attempting to criticize a college freshman on her defense before her first real game of the season is just mean. I'm not a complete jerk, and I think she has the potential to develop the way we need her to develop. Catherine Polisano doesn't seem to have changed much from the spot player she was last year. I'll need to see her in actual game action to have a better idea of who she might be for us this year. I like the height that Eden Johnson brings off the bench, and I think with time she'll know where her teammates are going to be on the glass enough that they all don't get tangled up with each other.

I was, however, disappointed in our returning reserves, and that's a wee tiny bit of a problem when we're relying on them to play the bulk of the minutes off the bench. Zara Jillings, heady as she was calling plays and relaying signals, couldn't keep her hands on the ball. She got deflections on defense that should have been steals and deflections on offense that should have been clean catches. I know Rutgers's defense is a lot tougher than anything we would normally face on this level, but she's got to be better than that. Megan Jonassen really needed to step her game up. She was okay, but not great- there seemed to be stretches where she was missing rebounds and defensive stops she has made in the past. She needs to be more than she was, and she was less.

Speaking of which, oh, dear, Kaitlyn Downey. Of all the returning players we have, she's the one who arguably has the biggest leap to take in her role, and in that scrimmage, she not only did not step up, she took a step back. Her shot's always been a little streaky, but it was especially bad in this scrimmage. She was slow on defense and she was not in position to make the hustle plays she was doing so well last year. She basically has to be Mary Goulding now that Mary's graduated, and this scrimmage made me less certain that she's up to the task. Admittedly, her role in the starting lineup will probably change when we have Vilisi back at center. 6-4 in the middle helps with a lot of things. We ended up more or less running a four-guard set, and while Kendell Heremaia is adorable, I'm not sure the "point guard defending power forwards" thing is a good plan going forward. She's feisty, and of all our top guards she has the most size, but still. I know switching match-ups between offense and defense is a thing, but not quite to this extent. I was pleasantly surprised by how well she's adapted to running the offense; so much of it went through Lauren Holden last year that I wasn't expecting Kene to step into the signal-calling role so smoothly.

I like Katie McLoughlin's hustle on the offensive glass. I don't know what else she has to offer, but I do like that about her. We'll have to see if she develops, or if she stagnates (it's not like we haven't had players stagnate on this team). Bre Cavanaugh finds ways to make offense happen, and she had one or two really nifty drives in the lane, but she was the focus of Rutgers's defense, and I don't think I need to tell anyone what kind of not-fun that is. Against bigger teams, I think she has to rely more on her jumper than on her driving ability, and I don't know if she can make that flip back and forth on a regular basis. Anna DeWolfe had herself a heck of a game, with solid three-point shooting and good court vision. She's certainly picked the right number if she's that kind of player. Also, it looks like I'm going to have Duran Duran stuck in my head for the next four years, and that means you're going to have Duran Duran stuck in your head for the next four years. You're welcome, fam.

Fordham lost a lot with graduation. We've still got Bre Cavanaugh, and that's a very good weapon to have in your arsenal. But our depth took a hit, and I don't know how well it's going to recover. And something tells me that getting cheesed by Notre Dame is not going to answer this question.

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October 19th, 2019: Fordham open practice

Basketball never stops. For some really big rings, testing out mobile tech, and dubious eggs, join your intrepid blogger after the jump.



Good morning! Or something like that. It's too early for this. It's always too early for this, but we were out the door at quarter to seven in order to make it to Fordham for open practice at 9. There are other associated events like a brunch and a football tailgate, but I don't need breakfast or a football tailgate. I just want basketball and a ring ceremony for your 2019 Atlantic 10 champions.

We're not going all the way out, but fans need practice too, so we're working on names, free throw timing, shot clock cadence, defense rhythm, and all that jazz. It's who we are. It's what we do. So I'm writing GNoD and he's doing names. I'm also getting used to my keyboard and trying to figure out why the shift key seems to occasionally be stuck. It's not just me running on permanent CAPS LOCK.

I think I saw one of the scout team players trying to work the officials. It seems to be working. We're having trouble not fouling the scout team. I'm not okay with this.

I like what I'm seeing out of Vilisi Tavui in this practice. She hasn't really had a chance to show what she can do, and she looks ready to prove herself. If we have a real center in this conference, with the guards that we have, we're in very good shape, even with the experience that we lost in Lauren Holden and Mary Goulding. Heh. Good eye by the ref noticing the shot clock hadn't started. Very professional, even in an open practice.

Now we're getting more whistles on both sides. (Kene was working the officials during the quarter break too, although it seemed to be more of a “this is what a travel is” tutorial.) And we've got our first egregious bad call of the season, with a collision between Kaitlyn Downing and Zara Jillings (both on the white team) somehow resulting in a foul on the scout team. It's not even November yet!

Next up: intros! Hi, everyone. The coaches introduced themselves, and then Coach Gaitley proceeded to sing their praises for them. Ice Young describing herself as “super old” was worth a giggle. Then there were trivia questions.

And now we have rings! Rings are the best thing. I'm pretty sure at least two players squeed. Alexa Giuliano and Lauren Holden returned for their rings. And hugs. There were lots of hugs. Everyone was hugging.

The floor was opened to questions, but people were pretty reticent. I know I couldn't think of anything to ask. Someone eventually asked the squad why they chose Fordham, and a frankly distressing number of the answers were “because it's close to home”, which made it funny when the mic got to Zara, who started her response along the lines of “unlike everyone else I'm not 20 minutes from home”. Vilisi openly said Fordham was the only door open to her and she took it with both hands.

I kind of get the sense that Coach Gaitley is way more gregarious than most of her players (except maybe Bre, who couldn't stop dancing even during the Q and A, and Ice). She was out there greeting everyone by name. So yeah, that was a fun event, short as it was, because it was actually basketball-related.

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February 24th, 2019: UMass at Fordham

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Fordham started off strong and held on tight in a 76-64 win over UMass. Bre Cavanaugh led all scorers with 27 points, with Kaitlyn Downey and Mary Goulding each adding 15. UMass got 44 of their 64 points off the bench, with Destiney Philoxy exploding for 26 and Hailey Leidel lighting it up beyond the arc with 18 (including five threes).

For little sisters, smol seniors, a punch right in the feels, jukebox heroines with stars in their eyes, Murphys' Law, and unexpected connections, join your intrepid and ever-so-briefly caught-up blogger after the jump.

Good afternoon! Your intrepid blogger is steadily working through her backlog (backblog?) of games, and taking the opportunity to catch up a little bit here at Fordham, as the Rams take on the Minutewomen of UMass on Senior Day.

I have to say, I like this new thing of Senior Day being the last weekend home game of the season, not the last game period. It allows more people to see and honor these young ladies for everything they've given to their programs. I do wonder if it feels a little weird when you know for certain that it's not your last home game, but on the other hand, if you're used to making the WNIT, you're already pretty sure you have more home games to come.

I'm looking for familiar faces in the stands, because one of my favorite Pirates, Selena Philoxy, has a little sister, and said sister plays for UMass.

Not gonna lie, as a Red Storm fan first and foremost, I'm always a little confused when other teams are playing "Thunderstruck". I understand that it's a very traditional sports jam, but at the same time, are any of y'all a Storm? I did not think so.

There were many Rebeccas on the pass list today, but either someone mistook me for an Australian or autocarrot struck again. No harm, no foul, and the folks working the table today did everything right.

Bre is no longer blonde, and this is just a tiny bit confusing. Her floof is just a little bit harder to see now.

I'm trying to get a closer look at the Senior Day t-shirts (a Fordham tradition unlike many others) and will report back on the design once I can see it.

Oh my God I love Coach Gaitley's suit.

Oh noes it is time for the Feels. I love that they're starting out with the scout squad. That is so cool. And the team is really, really enthusiastic about the MPPs and the managers. Say, why did it get so dusty in here all of a sudden? Why are these ninja cutting so many onions?! Who keeps punching me in the heart?

Fordham's band is playing "Car Wash" and I am extremely pleasantly confused. Maybe Bec did wander into the building today and this is their way of greeting her.

Really cool timeout ceremony honoring the '78-'79 squad, who basically wrote the Fordham record books (and a good number of these ladies are still quite spry). I love when schools connect with their history.

At halftime, it is 46-28 Fordham on all the three-pointers. No, seriously, I think we have eight. Ralene Kwiatkowski is getting her runs in and we might run out of t-shirts. UMass gets physical when they get frustrated, and they are extremely frustrated right now. Bre Cavanaugh has 14 points and four boards to lead Fordham, while Destiney Philoxy has 11 points off the bench to lead UMass.

I'm starting to wonder if UMass's coach just doesn't believe in starting freshmen, or if Philoxy and Nelson are just having uncharacteristically good games. They've been the only consistent positives for the Minutewomen today.

Postgaming now, with what appears to be an ungodly number of Murphys. There's a pub hidden in the basement of Fordham, and we are taking it over. There appears to be finger food, including the smallest sliders I've ever seen in my life. The projector is set up for the Senior Day presentation- the real one, not the time-shortened one. The team is arriving. Hi, Coach!

That got rather closer than I wanted it to be, to be honest. I would have liked for Alexa Giuliano to have more of an opportunity to play and make a positive impact on the box score, but it is what it is. UMass is a wild team, and when they're on, they're extremely pesky. But their offense was streaky, and when it wasn't working, they were frustrated, leading to physical play and fouls. They've got potential with their freshmen, but I don't know if these hot-headed players and this hot-headed coach are a good combination for each other. They seem like the kind of volatile mix that will either lead to all the conference titles or someone getting punched in the locker room and half the team transferring.

Kendell, why are you wearing a USAB t-shirt? You're a Kiwi! You're from New Zealand! You literally don't even go there!

I do like that Coach Gaitley's letting the seniors each have their say in this and they're all getting to say a few words themselves. Trying to hide behind Lauren Holden is not an effective plan if you're Mary Goulding, though. There's about seven inches of why that doesn't work.

OH MY GOD BABY MARY I AM DED FROM SQUEE no seriously the video tributes from the players' families are fantastic and also I get to hear lots and lots of Kiwi accents, so that's awesome. There are lots of high-pitched squeeing noises coming from the direction of the team at the baby pictures.

*snorfle* Kaitlyn comparing the three seniors to being like her moms, and I'm pretty sure her mother just did a spectacular double-take at that. I don't think everyone's realized that Coach Gaitley is going to make everyone talk.

So that Philoxy kid is pretty good. I'm not just saying that because I like her sister, either. Destiney Philoxy did her best to make sure she didn't lose this game, and she didn't care if her teammates came with her or not. She drives the lane like the A train- fast, no stops. And if she could bring that quick release free throw home for the summer and share it with Selena, that would be great. She's loud and she's communicative on the floor and she has no patience for anyone's nonsense. I can see that chafing with the upperclassmen. Jessica Nelson is extremely physical, and if she becomes more assertive offensively she could be very good for them. Until then she's mostly a goon who needs a better sports bra.

I started to take a profound dislike to Hailey Leidel in the second half when she kept hitting threes on us. It's a polite sort of dislike, leavened with respect and more than a little frustration. She picked up loose change off the glass in some of the scrums. She stepped up in the second half. Paige McCormick saw some time in the first half and put up a jumper. She was not particularly successful, so I'm not surprised she didn't play in the second half.

Anil Soysal is tall, but she's not ready. She's extremely not ready. She was on a short leash whenever she got a foul, and with the physicality that Nelson brought to the floor, her services were far less required. She started the game, but she didn't start the second half, and I'm not sure she even played in the second half. She also doesn't look 6-5 to me, but I recognize that my perceptions of height might be skewed from watching so much basketball. Yes, I'm saying objects in mirror may be taller than they appear. Genesis Rivera got off to a good early start, but picked up three fouls in the first half and was thence consigned to the bench to start the second half. She did not have much of a game.

Near the end of the first half, there was a scrum for a loose ball, one that turned rather into a football play. I'm pretty sure that you're not supposed to tackle people in basketball, though I could be wrong. It's been known to happen on occasion. In any case, Bre Hampton-Bey got herself an unsportsmanlike conduct foul, Lauren Holden got herself two free throws, and UMass put themselves in more of a hole than they needed to be in right near the end of the half. Between that and her not-good shooting, I'm not surprised her minutes got cut in the second half. If she played, she didn't play much (our PA guy sort of took the second half off in terms of announcing substitutions, and only the helpful fact that UMass has names on their jerseys reminded me that people were coming in and out of the game). Vashnie Perry started to find her distance stroke in the second half, but it was too late by then. Jessica George had a pretty decent defensive game, all things considered; she was part of the hard-charging double that the Minutewomen so often threw at Bre Cavanaugh. She spent a lot of energy on that end of the floor, and it showed- not necessarily in a good way. UMass threw up more than their fair share of airballs, and I think she had at least one of them, if not more.

UMass has potential. If they don't strangle each other first, and if Soysal can learn how to use her height instead of just trying to reach over people's heads and thus fouling them, they could be something in a couple of years. They could be a homewrecker in the A-10 tourney if their shooters get hot at the same time that their defense turns up. I know you can say that about a lot of teams, and that that is in fact the recipe to be a homewrecker, but they seem to have the pieces to have that potential.

So we got to see all the guards at the end of the game. All of them, pretty much, except for Chloe Chaffin and Edona Thaqi, who I'm pretty sure aren't even supposed to be playing this season (though they have). It was nice. Cat Polisano got some free throw opportunities, which is nice for her. I think that was Lauren Murphy's family starting the chant for her to come into the game, which might have been nice if they hadn't been starting it up before our last senior came into the game. Guys. On Senior Day, maybe wait for all the seniors to come in or go out as appropriate to their role before you start hooting and hollering for your sophomore to come into the game. I don't think a foul was the only way Alexa Giuliano wanted to be in the box score on her Senior Day, but at least she didn't end up a billionaire. Look, collectively, we had five players total five minutes, two free throws, one shot (missed), and one rebound. Even I can't come up with enough words to make that sound good.

Megan Jonassen looked a little more passive than usual in this one, which probably explains why she didn't play that much. It also didn't help her case that UMass didn't have a lot of size and didn't look to go inside that much- most of their run in the second half was fueled by threes. Even Zara Jillings didn't get a lot of time on the floor. This game was, more than even Fordham's ridiculous usual and maybe even more than necessary, decided by the starters. In some ways, that's appropriate, but in other ways, it would have been nice to let Lauren and Mary enjoy their victory from the bench for a little more than eighty seconds, and nice to see Alexa get some real run.

Bre Cavanaugh played like her hair was on fire. I mean, it obviously wasn't, because Bre's hair is very tall and everyone would have immediately noticed if it were on fire. But there was a sense of urgency, a popping energy, an extra spring in her step, that made her even more of a force of nature than usual. Whenever UMass started making it close, she was like "nope" and hit another three or hit another shot in the lane. You really do expect to see the cape streaming behind her when she comes off the court. I kind of got the sense we were getting a little bit of a preview of next year, with Kendell Heremaia running point duties for a good chunk of the game. I'm not sure how I feel about this, although I recognize it's inevitable because Lauren Holden does have to graduate at some point. Kenny runs a little bit of a slower, more methodical game, with less of a tendency to go it alone, but also with less assurance, than Lauren does. I think her offseason development will be very interesting. It took a while for Lauren to get on the board, but we all went nuts when she did. I think she hit the shot in the lane first before hitting the three, but I don't have my notes with me to double-check the order of events. She was mostly in control of herself during the game, though the Senior Day stuff before and after the game really got her.

Mary Goulding was in her glory in this game. There were a lot of loose balls and a lot of scrums, and she was in the thick of most of them. She had a huge second quarter where she was hitting big shots, pulling down boards, and making defensive stops- she had a really nifty steal. She stepped up for us. Kaitlyn Downey got off to a hot start with a soft touch (look, you have gotten through this entire season without that pun, were you expecting that to last?) and never really stopped. We have long since established that I am not a fan of her being so enamored of the three-point shot, but I guess I can be okay with it when it's going down and she's getting good looks when the guards penetrate. That drive and dish game with ball movement was really working for Fordham. I think we might be in good hands next year, as long as we have someone coming in to develop on the bench while Megan and Kaitlyn step up in the rotation.

When we were moving the ball and getting open looks, we did well. We had a little more trouble when the double came flying at Bre like a bat out of hell. If you have Meat Loaf stuck in your head, you're welcome.

I think the refs let the physicality get a little out of control, even after Hampton-Bey got called for the unsportsmanlike conduct foul. But, hey, it worked out okay for us. I could have done without UMass's coach whinging for a travel call down 15 or thereabouts in the final minute. You gotta know when to fold 'em, man.

Whoever released the onion-chopping ninja this month needs to cut it out. I can't deal with this.

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January 9th, 2019: Richmond at Fordham

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Fordham came on strong in the third quarter to win going away against Richmond, 60-48. Bre Cavanaugh led the way for the Rams with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Alex Parson had a team-high 12 points for Richmond.

For unaccompanied majors, the burning need for caffeine, and ennui, join your intrepid and blasé blogger after the jump.

Good morning, everyone! Your intrepid blogger is enjoying her last few days of freedom before starting a new job, which means going to all the morning games. I missed any pregame at Fordham, thanks to getting a late start.

So it's halftime here at Rose Hill Gymnasium, and Fordham is up 34-25 on Richmond. Five threes in the first quarter helps with that. Unfortunately for my sanity, the stupid Simon Says guy is our halftime "entertainment". I don't want to know how cheap he works if he does so many of these events, and if he's working the St. John's game on Friday I may scream, and not in the way the PA guy wants us to.

So far we've been getting the benefit of most of the calls (yeah, that was a big screen by Hinds-Clarke, but I thought it was legal). I don't know how long that's going to last.

I'm just saying, if you're here to support a member of the opposing team, you could consider not sitting across from the home bench, or spending most of the game staring at your phone, including the time that the girl you so enthusiastically applauded for got her bucket. Ugh, I'm too tired for this and my lower left wisdom tooth is coming in. Is there a nap corner I can use?

Still very tired. We'll see just how coherent these notes are, but at least I've now had lunch and some caffeine. Caffeine is love. Caffeine is life. The caffeine must flow.

Richmond doesn't seem to be particularly anything. They're not terrible at defense but they're not great at it; they don't have any extreme tendencies towards three-point shooting or interior play; no one really has an on-court demeanor that stands out, one way or another. Even the coach is unremarkable. I suppose there has to be a team like that somewhere, but boy does it make the GNoD even harder to write than usual.

Imani Mustaf has the physical and stylistic profile of someone who hit a very late, very spectacular growth spurt and was told that she would now be playing basketball. She moves like she's afraid her body will break if she goes too hard or takes too much contact. She definitely needs to bulk up a little, gain some stamina, and get more confident in herself and her ability. Jayana Ervin and Ragan Wiseman only got into the game at the very end; Autumn Truesdale didn't beat them in by much, but had just enough time to make a post move. Kailyn Fee's three came near the very end of the game.

Aniyah Carpenter got off to a fast start for the Spiders, scoring on pull-ups in the lane. She got a lot of minutes, especially in the second half, both because she was scoring and because there was foul trouble for Richmond's starting backcourt. Daijia Ruffin, on the other hand, got off to a rough start, with a couple of shots missed short and a terrible passing turnover. But she settled down in the second half. She's a big, stocky guard, but her speed and smoothness belie her build. Madelyn Neff provided the bulk of the reserve minutes in the frontcourt, but I'd have to review the tape to see what impact, if any, she made on this game.

I'm glad Amy Duggan is all right after coming up limping in the first half. That being said, perhaps that will teach her to watch her feet a little more carefully on both ends of the court- she got called for tripping at least once because of how wide her stance was, and how she had them turned out. She fought well in the paint for rebounds. Jaide Hinds-Clarke came alive briefly in the fourth quarter, with back-to-back steals (including a very impressive pickpocketing of Bre Cavanaugh- that's not easy to do) and tough and-1s in the paint. She spent much of the game in foul trouble, which made her far less effective.

Alex Parson wasn't afraid to shoot, and got on a three-point streak in the third quarter. Her release is pretty quick, and she's got some range. I just don't see that much more to her game, though I'm ready to be proven wrong if this game was an outlier. Claire Holt was slim, and shockingly pale, and did all right for herself going to the hoop. Molly Mraz picked up two fouls early, and with Carpenter producing on offense, I can understand why Richmond's coach went with the lineups he did.

I'm trying to come up with more details, but Richmond was so ridiculously pedestrian, so unrelentingly average, that you'd think they were representing Lake Wobegon or something. If you're going to have no distinguishing features as a team, at least put names on your jerseys. Sheesh.

So Coach Gaitley completely emptied the bench at the end of this one, to the point where players I thought weren't even available were suiting up. Welcome back, Ralene Kwiatkowski! I like how willing she was to take a charge, even right back from an injury. And I thought Edona Thaqi was sitting out a transfer year (she's from UConn... okay, UConn-Avery Point, but the point still remains) but she got into the game at the very, very end. I don't think she's ready yet, and I might not have played her at all this year. The entire bench was ready to get up and get hyped for Katie McLoughlin and Catherine Polisano if they scored, and Bre looked so heartbroken when Katie's shot went in and out. Vilisi Tavui continues to be tall and unsure of what to do with this information. I would really like to see more of Alexa Giuliano. Someone needs to give Lauren Holden a break at some point.

Coach Gaitley put a lot more focus on the inside game in this one- I think this is the most I've seen Megan Jonassen play in one game. She gave us some good tough boxouts. Quiet game for Zara Jillings, and one where she seemed to be getting more Teaching Moments than usual. Maybe she's just not a morning person. I know that feeling. I'm definitely more of a night owl.

Quiet game for Kaitlyn Downey. I'm disturbed by the number of three-point attempts, but I think a lot of them were in the first quarter, or at least the first half, when the team was collectively feeling it, so I can understand her thinking. If that was the shot Richmond was allowing, then it wasn't the worst idea in the world. Mary Goulding cleaned up on the inside- her teammates did a really good job of finding her, both the guards and the posts (I think Megan had an especially nice feed to her on the inside.

I don't understand how Kendell Heremaia and Bre Cavanaugh can do such a good job of connecting on the backdoor cut, and do such a terrible job of communicating on the glass. One day, they're going to go after the same board at the wrong angle, and someone's going to get hurt (especially when you throw Mary's hustle into the mix). That all being said, I don't want anything to change about their shared desire for the ball- just maybe their ability to entrust the other person with it. I love Bre's rebounding, though I'm perturbed that one of our guards is consistently leading the team in rebounding- yes, she's playing a lot of minutes and I haven't crunched the advanced stats, but it feels like the advanced stats are heavily in Bre's favor as well. I love how Kenny's developing. She seems poised to take over as point guard when Lauren Holden graduates, and I can already tell that she'll be a different kind of point from Lauren. I'm okay with that. For some reason, the word "collaborative" comes to mind. Lauren had the three-point shot going from deep early. I'm not always happy about that, because she'll usually start leaning on it even when she goes cold, but she was driving the lane more in this game (even if her floater still needs a lot of work).

Our passing game was pretty sharp in this one. With the guards we have, I shouldn't be surprised by that, but it's always a pleasant surprise when it stands out.

I do apologize for the delay on this, but it's been a bit of a crazy week, and I cannot emphasize enough how relentlessly uninspiring Richmond was. It was close for a while, and then we went on a run in the third quarter, and I'm still not entirely certain how it happened.

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December 29th, 2018: Maine at Fordham

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Bre Cavanaugh had 27 points to power Fordham to a 72-64 overtime win over Maine in the first day of the Fordham Holiday Classic. Blanca Millan had 16 points in regulation to lead the Black Bears.

For beating the same drum, pretzels, very loud drums, and scrappy bears, join your intrepid and chronologically displaced blogger after the jump.

Good afternoon, ladies, gentlemen, and other folks for whom I may lack the proper vocabulary! We're coming to you live and in surround sound from historic Rose Hill Gymnasium on the campus of Fordham University, where the Rams are finishing out their season as hosts of a doubleheader. Home team will be going first, hosting the Black Bears of Maine (who seem to be awfully blue, but who am I to judge?)

Ralene's out of the boot, but still not dressed; at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up taking a redshirt. Halei Gillis is also not dressed, and her hair is ridiculously shiny. Yes, these are the petty things I notice. There's also a guard I don't recognize on crutches, wearing a knee brace.

In other hair-related news, Bre has abandoned the coronet and gone back to the crash padding. Probably for the best. There's a very good brain in there that needs as much protection as possible, and she certainly doesn't shy away from contact. pls no break Bre kthxbai

Anthem singer seems to be laboring under the impression that she is Mariah Carey. Reader, our anthem singer was not, in fact, Mariah Carey.

At halftime, it's 28-25 Fordham, the margin mostly coming from Kendell Heremaia going coast to coast for a lay-up with 0.9 seconds left. To say that it wasn't a good first quarter for us would be an understatement; there were stretches when we looked like we'd never seen a defense before. Not any particular defense, mind you, just the concept of defense seemed to be confuddling the squad.

One of the Chattanooga players is really digging the drum corps that's subbing for the Fordham band. I dig how much she is digging their groove.

Bre Cavanaugh is doing Bre things with seven points and four rebounds, while Kendell Heremaia has eight to lead the Rams. Blanca Millan got off to a hot start for Maine; her team-high eight points all came in the first quarter.

This is the least inspired halftime game I've ever seen. I think the kids are too distracted by the drums to actually play.

I don't know why Tanesha Sutton wants to test Lauren Holden. If you put an elbow in her neck, she's taking out your knees.

I don't know what's up with the family of fans in Notre Dame gear who wandered in near the end of the second quarter, but somehow nothing about it really surprises me.

Well, that was closer than it had to be, and if that extremely late review reversing the block/charge call had in fact decided the game, I would probably have broken my moratorium on swearing in the Game Notes. But boy howdy did Megan Jonassen come through in the overtime! And Maine's worst tendencies came back to bite them at the worst times, which cost them both Blanca Millan and Tanesha Sutton for the overtime.

I like Coach Gaitley's family very much, don't get me wrong. I am less enthused about their tendency to treat gameday like another family gathering. Y'all did notice the game going on in front of y'all, right? They did settle down, or get riled up, as appropriate as the game went on.

Maine is a very intense team. For much of the game, that played to their advantage, as they were able to rattle us with their swarming defense and draw blocks on us while they were on offense. But they weren't able to mediate it properly, and that got them into trouble at the end of the game, especially without their two top-notch upperclassmen.

Doga Alper was an emergency sub for when Sutton fouled out at the end of regulation, and if she played more than three literal seconds, I'll be very surprised. Alex Bolozova made up for her one regulation play being a bad out-of-bounds deflection with a bucket in overtime, but I could have maybe lived without the late hip check.

Kelly Fogerty and Maddy McVicar were both called upon for minutes than I think they were used to, due to the injury to Parise Rossignol (which originally looked like a tailbone bruise to my extremely amateur eye, but from the way she was still holding her back when she finally got up, there might have been a pulled muscle somewhere up in there). They are both very small and very blonde, and if you want me to remember you as more than that, you need to either wear names on your jerseys or do something worth remembering. Kira Barra brought size off the bench, but oddly passive size. I think that might be why she wasn't playing as much as I would have expected.

I do hope Rossignol is all right. She gave Maine a good driving game. Dor Saar is so tiny! It's not just that she's short- I'm used to short point guards. But she's also very slightly built. Her shot is so quick. She just flicks it up. I guess you have to when you're that small; it's the only way to keep from getting blocked. Blanca Millan drove really well and got some ridiculous shots to fall in that had no business falling in, but she played out of control at times, and she really needs to work on her free throw shooting (unless this game was an aberration, but I doubt it from the mechanics I saw). There were stretches when she was playing out of control, which cost Maine ultimately.

There's an odd hitch in Tanesha Sutton's shot. There are elements of her shot that remind me of Stacy Frese, which I guess isn't necessarily a bad thing. On the other hand, her free throws were very technically sound. I'm thinking she might need to apply some elements of that to her jumper. That all being said, her rebounding was fantastic- I kept being amazed at how she was getting boards close to the basket. Her arms just appeared in places it didn't seem they should be. Maeve Carroll was there, for lack of a better word. She made some plays late, when someone had to.

Well, at least the Fordham part of the notes will be easy, since Coach Gaitley did not dip deep into her bench. Zara Jillings started her game leaving a couple of shots short right at the rim, which really grinds my gears, let me tell you. But after being pulled out the first time, she got herself right, more or less. Coach Gaitley called her over to talk to her more than anyone else, so I think she might have been out of position on defense. Her tenacity on the glass seemed to get better and better as the game went on. Megan Jonassen had herself one heck of an overtime with the two putbacks. She fought so hard in the paint. I'm so proud of her.

I don't like the play where Kaitlyn Downey is the outside shooter with very little time left on the shot clock. That's putting all your eggs in one basket, and Kaitlyn is not yet a sturdy enough basket to put that many eggs into. If she misses, no one's in position for the offensive rebound, and it's off to the races for the other team. I like that the three is a weapon in her arsenal; I just don't think we should be reaching into that quiver as often as we have been. Mary Goulding will be the death of me, because as many hustle plays as she makes for good, she'll make for ill. She was solid inside defensively, but then she'd commit a stupid foul, or deflect a ball away from a teammate. She'd hit a difficult shot, then miss an easy one.

Lauren Holden had a big third quarter to pull Fordham back into the game. It's nice to see her driving the lane instead of just jacking threes from the vicinity of the Jersey Shore; though her floater is inconsistent. I'm going to need Kendell Heremaia to stop staring at her three-pointer and follow it instead, because wile her shot is okay, it's not stand-back-and-admire good. But she killed it on the glass. She picked up her boards on excellent positioning. I love how she's developing, and I think she's going to be special by senior year. Bre Cavanaugh got off to a tough start, and then you could almost see the moment when she decided to go put on her cape; she gets this look on her face where the corner of her mouth pulls up and her nose kind of wrinkles, and that's when Super Bre comes out. She was bombing threes in the second half and the overtime, to the point where I was starting to feel bad for Ralene (whose solemn responsibility on the bench is to run down the line and give everyone high-fives whenever Fordham hits a three, and who is also coming off a foot injury). She can take a game over, but I think I've beaten into the ground how much I don’t want it to happen as much as it has to. (Also, she should not have to be the player pulling down contested rebounds in the paint. I love that she can, and I love that she does, but this is a thing our forwards should be doing so Bre can get out and score, and maybe not be battered around as much.)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Maine's coach was upset with the officiating. Commit stupid reaches, get stupid fouls. But Maine was almost gifted the game in regulation when a charge call on the Black Bears was reviewed very late- almost to the point where Fordham had inbounded the ball- and reversed to a block on Fordham. That swung two key points Maine's way, and the fact that we forced regulation after that was a miracle. I don't know how well things would have gone for the officials if Maine had won in regulation based on that call. (I thought it was a weak call initially, but not worth reviewing and not with enough evidence on the floor to overturn.)

We have got to get our collective act together. We can't keep relying on Bre, and to a lesser extent Lauren, to pull our fat out of the fire. Someone's got to be willing to shoot. Someone's got to be willing to step up and be the sidekick. I am not okay with the idea of Bre and Lauren averaging 38 minutes by the end of the season.

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December 21st, 2018: Fordham at Iona

Just the Facts, Ma'am: A slow first quarter for both teams led into a second-quarter run for Fordham, and the Rams didn't look back in their 57-40 win over Iona. Bre Cavanaugh had 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead Fordham. Shyan Mwai and Morgan Rachu each had eight points to pace the Gaels.

For road tripping, avoided puns, procedural turnovers, discount Diet Coke, and being distracted by shiny objects, join your intrepid blogger after the jump.

I'd say good morning to y'all, but it's extremely not a good morning out there. There are no frozen cats, and nothing's been snapped off, but there are flash flood warnings all through southern New York, so I'd say it's still a wonderful day to play inside. It's up to Iona in enemy colors again, as the Gaels host a ridiculously early tip against Fordham. As you might expect, there are about two dozen people in the stands, and that's if I count gameday staff.

Ashley Martin, I admire and respect you, but what in the world have you done to your hair, and why are you trying to look like a cross between Sailor Moon and Betty Boop? (On the other hand, Halei Gillis's partial braids look really good on her. The 'do softens her face a bit.)

Ralene's out of the boot, at least, though she does not appear to be dressing out today.

The one thing I miss most about being on good terms with Iona is the wi-fi password, not gonna lie. At least I can tap into the Spectrum network from here.

This is your perennial reminder that #14 should be retired on the women's side at Iona, and Billi Chambers can go straight to sod off until such time as it happens.

I don't applaud recorded anthems, please don't side-eye me.

I should probably learn the name of the DOBO/PR lady for Fordham. She's lovely and she brought chocolate and pom-poms. What's not to like?

This is your perennial reminder that Monica Barefield, Ashley Martin, and any other player who chooses to kneel for the anthem has my unconditional support of their right to freedom of speech and expression.

At halftime, it's 29-18 Fordham, after a rough start for the Rams and a strong start for Iona. Bre Cavanaugh has put on her metaphorical cape, with nine points and six boards in the first half, most of that coming in the second quarter. Juana Camilión is the real deal for Iona, with seven points to lead the Gaels. She had a scary moment early in the first, when she slid hard on a wet patch on the floor and limped off. She came back in, but Iona's offense lost a lot of explosiveness when she was out, and didn't get it back when she returned. They're falling back on their volume shooters, Rachu and Mwai, and it's not going well. On the other hand, they're getting good penetration against our defense.

Quite a few folks have made their way here to support the Rams, but it seems to be a social occasion more than a sporting occasion. There's a dude a couple of rows behind me who's giving good commentary on the game, though; I think he's a youth coach. Katie McLoughlin has an especially big contingent on hand, one that got very excited when she got some first half run.

And now the wi-fi is acting up. Stop that, Iona.

So that turned out rather more satisfying than I expected, which is good, since it is raining and I am not the world's biggest fan of slogging around in the rain. Live by the three, die by the three, and some of our dubious three-point shots could have killed us against better teams. But we survived to tell the tale.

With about two minutes left in the game, Coach Chambers blinked first and sent in her deep reserves, at which point Coach Gaitley arranged a line change. I am not happy with how long it took her to sub out Bre and Lauren Holden. She's going to run those two into the ground if she's not careful. Waiting for the other coach to capitulate may be emotionally satisfying, but if you're up 15 with three or four minutes to go, it's probably okay to take out your workhorses, especially against bad teams or teams that tend to lash out in losses. I realize this is never going to change, but I'm going to rail against it anyway on the off chance that it does.

Anyway. I can't remember the last time I saw a bench this hyped for free throws, but the squad was loving Vilisi Tavui getting to the line (shame the shot didn't go in- that was a really nice pass from Halei). Some good hustle plays from Halei and from Catherine Polisano, even if Catherine got called for a foul on it. Lauren Murphy's free throw motion is not good, and she probably needs to work on that if she's going to move up in the rotation at any point.

Katie McLoughlin needs to extend her range just a hair- that long two could have been a three with another step or two back. I like her hustle, and she's got potential, but there are a lot of things she needs to work on. I'm glad Coach Gaitley is showing a little confidence in her, though. We could use a little more depth on the bench. Zara Jillings continues to bring the hustle- there was one play where Iona was loosey-goosey with the ball, and she was on it like a hawk. I wish she could have hit the looks she got, because they were good looks, if a little too quick. Megan Jonassen continues to develop. I really like how she's coming along. She's physical inside, and she had one little baby hook in the second half that got a few whoops from the crowd.

I also like how Kaitlyn Downey is coming along. She's finishing better on the inside, while still retaining the ability to step outside and hit the three. I think she was missing that balance early in the season. She's boxing out well, too. Mary Goulding is unreal sometimes. How she went from hands and knees crying with pain to back in the game and hitting in the paint, I don't know. She's ridiculously tough. She wasn't afraid to get into the scrum for rebounds, and there were times, especially in the second half, that scrum was the only applicable word.

I love how Kendell Heremaia's passing game has developed. I'm sorry it's coming at the expense of her once-sharp defensive game, but all things in life require sacrifices. She spent a lot of the game in foul trouble (the possession after she picked up her fourth, I was on pins and needles because we hadn't gotten the sub up in time, but then we forced the turnover and Lesko fouled to stop play) that hampered her effectiveness. Lauren Holden spent a good chunk of the game looking frustrated at foul calls both made and not made, or possibly at threes that weren't going down. I can understand some of her frustration, though; there should never be a sequence where Lauren is attempting to box out a player close to a foot taller than she is, and she got stuck with Gabrielle Joseph on a couple of sequences. This is not a good plan. Bre Cavanaugh continues to do Bre things. Her timing on the glass was exceptional, though, really, those are boards her posts should be getting instead of getting out of the way for her. (I don't necessarily mind Bre the double-double machine, but I am equally okay with Bre getting seven or eight boards if the balance of them go to Mary or Kaitlyn.) She killed Iona with her hesitation moves and quick hands. I just wish she didn't have to carry so much of the load.

I'm bummed for Amelia Motz. I don't think she's been recruited over, though I admit my bias here, but she seems to have been relegated to the end of the bench, only coming in at the end of each half for mop-up duty. She seems like a nice kid. She deserves better. I don’t know if Ashley Martin deserves better in basketball terms, but IMO she does in personal terms. Run! You can almost certainly do better!

I don't know if Monica Barefield has more than one speed or not, but the one speed she does have is fast. Very fast. She's got good, if inconsistent, shooting range. But her size is a liability, and it gets her in trouble as much as it keeps her out of trouble. She's the closest thing to a point guard that Iona has right now, and that's part of their problem. Shayla Middlebrooks drove hard into the lane. She got a little too fancy with her finishes and probably could have added another bucket to her tally if not for the flourish. She's physical, and I don't know if she's always on the right side of that line, but she does better than some of her teammates at trying to be. Jodi-Marie Ramil, on the other hand, is not so good at staying on the right side of the line, and admittedly, some of my thoughts about her play are ill-suited to a G-rated (or possibly PG?) blog such as this. Granted, Bre's teammates should have called out the screen, but it was an awfully hard screen. I don't know if Iona just wasn't going to her, or if we were able to shut her down when we weren't shutting down their guard penetration, but she could have been much more of a factor for them than she was, and I'm happy about that, believe me.

There are two different ways that Morgan Rachu's last name is pronounced in an alternate universe, both leading to the Pokémon Go joke that electric types are boosted in rainy weather. Unfortunately, in this universe, it's pronounced like a threat you make to a pile of leaves (rake-you) and I look like even more of a giant dork than I already am. She's got size, but her shot is just a mess. She's way too streaky, and when she's not on from beyond the arc, she doesn't seem to be able to contribute in other ways. Shyan Mwai penetrated well but couldn't always finish at the rim. Juana Camilión shows a lot of potential that I don't think she'll be able to fulfill at Iona. She's got a really nice crossover that she used to make space for herself, but she didn't always take advantage of that space. She'll have to be more aggressive in that regard going forward.

Gabrielle Joseph is another player with potential, but she's too tentative at times. Granted, she was being sealed off pretty well for stretches, but on the other hand, any post player worth her salt should be able to take advantage of a mismatch against Lauren Holden. She's also got to do a better job of getting out of the paint- she was getting for three-second calls, though she certainly wasn't the only Gael who lost track of time in the lane. There's potential there, but I don't know if she's ready for the starting position she so far has. Tori Lesko spent a lot of time playing out of position as the closest thing to a point guard in the Gaels' starting lineup. No one really seemed comfortable with the responsibility of bringing the ball up the floor, so it fell to her, and she took the bullet, for lack of a better word. She took charges, or at least attempted to, although sometimes I thought she crossed the line into flopping. She does that; she's done that for as long as I can remember. She took a couple of hard tumbles, including one near the end of the game that Coach Gaitley had to help her up from.

(As an aside: dear fellow Fordham backers, if you're talking about stepping on someone's fingers, you better either be talking about something I didn't see. That's not something you joke about a coach doing to a player. Seriously. Dudes. No. Miss me with that nonsense.)

Iona needs to shore up a lot of their fundamentals. They committed a lot of unforced turnovers like travels and three-second violations. Either they've got to react faster or they need drills on clock and spatial awareness.

Refs were letting a lot of physical contact go, but I can't fault their attention to detail on procedural calls. (Losing track of the foul count, on the other hand...)

Everyone's flaws were on display in this game, and something's going to have to give for Fordham, or it's going to be a very long A-10 season, at the end of which Bre will fall over.

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