BRONX, N.Y. – The St. Bonaventure University women's basketball team could not overcome an early deficit, falling to Fordham, 65-57, Wednesday morning at Rose Hill Gym.
Nadechka Laccen led the Bonnies with 13 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists. Taylor Napper also finished in double figures with 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting and pulled down four rebounds while Payton Fields tallied nine points in 21 minutes off the bench.
The Rams (6-8, 1-2 A-10) were able to take an early double-digit lead in the first quarter, shooting 56.3 percent from the floor for a 21-8 advantage.
The Bonnies, however, opened the second quarter with a 6-0 spurt to pull back within seven.
Emy Hayford pushed Fordham's lead to 12 with 4:16 remaining in the half.
Bona's (4-9, 1-1 A-10) battled back, finishing the half on 10-4 run capped off by a Fields three from the corner with 21 seconds showing on the clock which trimmed the deficit to six, 32-26, at the break.
Fordham used a 10-2 run to begin the second half to push its lead back to 14, 42-28.
Laccen, Napper and reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Week Dani Haskell combined for nine points over the final five minutes of the third to pull within nine, 48-39, heading into the final period.
Middleton and Laccen scored back-to-back baskets to open the fourth, making it a two-possession game, 48-43.
The Rams responded with eight straight points to take a 13-point lead with 6:48 left in the game.
In the closing minutes, the Bonnies and Rams traded baskets, leaving the Bonnies down seven after a Napper score in the post.
Following a pair of free throws from Fordham's Taylor Donaldson, Tianna Johnson made her second three of the quarter to make it a two-possession game once again, 63-57.
That is all the closer the Bonnies would get as the visitors were forced to foul, sending the Rams to the line to ice the game.
Donaldson finished with a game-high 24 points to lead Fordham.
GAME NOTES
- The Bonnies finished the contest shooting 40.3 percent (25-for-62) from the field while Fordham shot 46.4 percent (26-for-56) from the floor.
- Kirah Dandridge grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, marking her seventh game with five or more rebounds this season.
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