RHODE ISLAND vs. FORDHAM
URI is 18-11 in the all-time series vs. the Rams, having won five of the last seven contests between the teams. Rhody's last win over Fordham was a 49-46 victory in Kingston on Jan. 20, 2009. The last time the Rams faced one another (Feb. 16, 2011), URI suffered a 64-43 setback at the Ryan Center. In that game, Lara Gaspar had a team-high 10 points and 10 rebounds while Megan Shoniker and Sherrie Session chipped in with nine points apiece.
CATHY INGLESE vs. FORDHAM
Over her 24+ years as a head coach, Cathy Inglese has compiled a 1-3 record against Fordham, going 1-1 at Boston College and 0-2 at Rhode Island.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Fordham - which is 9-8 overall and 0-2 in the Atlantic 10 - enters the game looking for its first conference win after dropping a pair of games at George Washington (54-43) and La Salle (68-62). The Rams are 4-3 this season when playing at Rose Hill Gym. Fordham is led offensively by a trio of players averaging double figures: Becky Peters (11.3ppg), Arielle Collins (11.2ppg) and Abagail Corning (10.7ppg). Collins also leads the team in assists (59) while Charlotte Stoddart is averaging a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game. Collectively, Fordham is shooting 36.8% (323-878) from the field while averaging 35.9 rebounds per game.
LAST TIME OUT: RHODE ISLAND FALLS TO UMASS, 46-39
- With the loss, Rhode Island drops to 1-16 (0-2 Atlantic 10) while UMass improves to 6-11 (1-1 Atlantic 10).
- URI's 1-16 start ties the record for the slowest start in program history, matching the same mark set by the 1999-2000 team.
- URI shot 32.7% on the night, hitting 17-of-52 attempts from the field. UMass, meanwhile, connected at a 27.5% (14-51) clip but hit seven three-pointers and was 11-of-16 from the foul line.
- Rhody blocked a season-high eight shots – Corinne Coia had three and Sherrie Session finished with two.
- Teneka Whittaker – who returned to the lineup after missing the last three games – recorded four rebounds, four assists, three steals and one blocked shot in 39 minutes on the floor.
- After trading baskets in the early going, Rhode Island took over the lead midway through the first half and held onto the advantage for the next 22:18, until a three-pointer by Zullo put UMass in front 37-36 with 5:12 remaining in the game. Rhode Island briefly reclaimed the lead, but Zullo hit another three before UMass went on to close out the game on a 6-1 run.
- URI's largest lead of the game came in the opening frame, after a jumper by Session put the Rams ahead by nine (22-13).
- Rivera led URI with nine points while Session grabbed a team-best nine boards.
- Head coach Cathy Inglese shook up the starting lineup once again, using the Cloutier-Lehnertz-Rivera-Whittaker-Session combo for the first time this season. The Rams have now used nine different starting lineups in 16 games.
- UMass' Zullo was the only player to reach double figures is scoring as she finished with 20.
