South Orange, NJ– This one was tough. It stung. No way to mince words. It was so close that the bench started celebrating with seconds to go. On Thursday night, Fordham had a two-point lead and went to the line for two free throws. Seton Hall had no timeouts. For the Rams, it was a tie and the hard-fought victory in the home of one of the Big East’s strongest programs would be sealed. Both shots missed. To make matters worse, a Seton Hall player was fouled while collecting rebounds. She made both with about two seconds left. Fordham, also out of timeouts, came in from his own baseline and threw a desperation pass that was broken up. Overtime.
In the extra session, the Rams built a four-point lead before Seton Hall came back. In the second overtime, Seton Hall rode the momentum, playing with new-found energy and earning a 90-83 double overtime win. It left the Rams leaving Walsh Gymnasium at 3-3 thinking ‘what could have been’.
About 20 minutes after the game, Fordham coach Bridgette Mitchell spoke with well-wishers and friends. The Aries mentor then gave her thoughts. Naturally disappointed, Mitchell still maintained an optimistic attitude.
“I thought our team executed the game plan very well,” she said. “It’s unfortunate with the outcome, but I think our team stayed together. We’re really resilient and that’s what Fordham basketball is all about.”
Specifically, the game plan focused on pace. Not allowing Seton Hall to outpace Fordham. “We wanted to control the pace,” Mitchell said. “Take the time to exploit them in ball screen coverage. We wanted to play inside and we dominated in points in the paint (42-24 in favor of Fordham).
“That’s a really good program,” praised Seton Hall coach Tony Bozzella. “They won 15 games last year and 19 three years ago. They are who they are. They’re in a good Atlantic Ten conference and there was someone tonight who had a great performance.”
The amazing performance came from Alexis Black. The junior guard put together one of the most remarkable individual performances at Walsh Gymnasium. The 5’8″ Black scored 42 points and hit 13 of 22 from the field, including 7 of 12 from three. She was also a perfect nine of nine from the charity stripe. Black, who came to Fordham via Appalachian State, recorded 47 of the 50-minute game and nearly willed her team to victory.
“Alexis is a baller,” Mitchell said. “We say it all the time. God gave you the opportunity and she takes pride in playing with her teammates. She does a great job creating her own opportunities and is really hard to guard.”
Ugne Sirtuataite, a good inside player who Bozzella remembered from her performance at Providence last season, posted a solid 15 points with a game-high 11 boards.
The foul situation was one that didn’t sit well with Mitchell. Seton Hall was 32 of 45 from the line, contrasting with 13 of 20 for Fordham. “It is unheard of that they (Seton Hall) have to go to the line 45 times and we only have to go 20 times,” she exclaimed. “I know we’re making a mistake, but it can’t be that many mistakes, can it?” To her credit, the coach used the bad situation as a learning tool. “At the end of the game we talked about things we have no control over,” she said. “Worry about what we can control, officiating is something we have no control over.”
The non-conference schedule continues. Playing in the A10 is not far away, as the season starts on December 3 with a visit to defending champion George Mason. Competitive matches are already in the collective consciousness. And the Rams are building towards them.
“The A10 is a top conference in the country,” Mitchell said. “We are a ‘basketball-centric’ conference. The conference is celebrating its 50th year and every night out is a challenge. We prepare for conference play by playing competitive games like this.”
Despite falling short, Mitchell, in her third season at Rose Hill, maintained an optimistic attitude. Rest assured, her team followed suit. “We’re ready to go,” she said, excited for the 20-mile trip back to the Bronx. “Take care of your non-conference games. And when the opportunity arises, I think our team will stick together and be ready.”
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