University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
12-18
Fordham
14-16
Fordham Outlasts Women's Hoops 73-62 in Overtime
March 03, 2016 | Women's Basketball
Game 6 Press Conference: Massachusetts
Posted by Atlantic 10 Conference on Thursday, March 3, 2016
March 3, 2016
Cierra Dillard hit a jumper with 12 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime, but Fordham proved too much in the extra frame as the Rams defeated the UMass women's basketball team 73-62 on Thursday night at the Richmond Coliseum. The loss in the Atlantic 10 Championship second round ended the Minutewomen's season at 12-18 overall.
Dillard led UMass with 19 points, while Bria Stallworth added 17 points. Alyssa Lawrence and Kymber Hill each had eight points, while Maggie Mulligan was strong on the glass leading the Minutewomen with nine rebounds.
Danielle Burns had the high mark for Fordham with 28 points, while Asnate Fomina and Samantha Clark each had 10 points. Danielle Padovano had nine points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
The Minutewomen trailed by as many as eight points in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter. UMass strung together a 9-to-1 run down the stretch capped six straight points including the game-tying bucket from Dillard to force overtime.
In the extra period, the teams traded the opening points of the first minute of play with the score tied 56-56 at the 3:54 mark. From there, the Rams went on a 12-to-2 run which put the game out of reach 67-58 with 49 seconds remaining.
Stallworth drilled a three-pointer coming out of a UMass timeout, but Fordham hit six straight free throws and the Minutewomen were unable to convert another field goal in the final seconds in the comeback bid.
The first quarter saw the Rams take an 18-17 lead after an end-to-end opening stanza. Both teams shot well with the Minutewomen going 8-of-16 from the floor and looking to run early. The Rams, however, were able to counter with the deep ball connecting on 4-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc.
Fordham looked as if it would continue its hot shooting to start the second quarter with a three-pointer from Asnate Fomina, but UMass locked down on the defensive end limiting the Rams to just 2-of-14 shooting for the remainder of the period.
The Minutewomen were unable to get much more going offensively hitting 4-of-14 from the floor in the second, but did manage enough to tie the game 25-25 going into halftime. Dillard hit a lay-up with 53 seconds left to tie the game and the Minutewomen had a chance to go ahead after forcing a Fordham turnover on the next possession. Stallworth missed a go-ahead floater with 17 seconds to go, but the defense stood tall forcing a Rams missed lay-up with Dillard securing the rebound at the intermission buzzer.
Coming out of the intermission, the Rams again opened a quarter with a three-pointer and were able to keep UMass at bay for the bulk of the frame. Fordham expanded its lead to six points with 2:41 to go, but UMass answered a minute later with a jumper from Hill to go into the fourth quarter trailing 37-33.
