The target’s on their back. Don’t think Fordham’s Rams don’t know that. Coach Stephanie Gaitley doesn’t worry about her team wilting under pressure, though. Fordham plays its best ball when something’s on the line, evidenced last year by the Fordham’s upset of top-seeded VCU to take home the Atlantic 10 championship.
Under Gaitley, Fordham has produced six 20-win seasons in the last seven years and twice they’ve finished the season holding the biggest trophy. The Rams weren’t picked to win the A-10 last year, but it’s no surprise that they overachieved. After a 5-5 start Fordham rode a stingy defense to finish on a 20-3 run and took a 12-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament, where they finally succumbed in a first-round clash at Syracuse.
Fordham ended the season ranked ninth in all of Division I in scoring defense (54.4 ppg); the 62-47 decision over VCU in the A-10 title game concluded a stretch in which the Rams held six of their final eight conference opponents to 48 points or less. The Rams also didn’t beat themselves: they committed just 11.5 turnovers per game (eighth in D-I) and also landed in the top 10 for fewest fouls per contest (13.3).
Gaitley picked up Coach of the Year honors from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association and the Basketball Coaches Association of New York, her third time earning the former during her eight-year tenure in the Bronx.
Atlantic 10 First Team selection Bre Cavanaugh and Fordham’s scoring leader the last two years will make a case for conference Player-of-the-Year honors. The redshirt junior guard is one of three returning starters along with Kendell Heremaia and Kaitlyn Downey.
The 5-8 guard is perhaps the most versatile player in the A-10.
Gaitley notes that Cavanaugh’s best ball a year ago was in the conference tournament, where she averaged 20.7 points and 6.7 rebounds during the Rams’ three-game run.
“She slowed her game down and was able to read things better,” Gaitley said. “I’ve seen her commitment to becoming even better.”
Look for freshmen to compete for starting spots. Gaitley is high on point guard Anna DeWolfe, a 5-8 guard from Maine who led her high school team to an undefeated season and a Class A state title.
Gaitley, at 633 career wins and counting, likes the pressure that comes with being the defending champions.
“It’s hard to stay on top,” she said. “That’s where we’re going to look for our two leaders, Bre and Kendell, to set the tone.”
A look at the Rams:
Coach: Stephanie Gaitley, 9th year at Fordham where she is 169-95, 36th season, 633-365 overall
Last year: 25-9, 13-3 Atlantic 10 (Atlantic 10 champions, lost to Syracuse 70-49 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament)
They’ll miss: Last year’s co-captains graduated. Nobody played more minutes in maroon and white than Lauren Holden, who racked up 1,141 points, including 213 triples and led the nation in minutes played. Mary Goulding, team MVP and A-10 Championship Most Outstanding Player, led Fordham in multiple categories, including rebounds, assists, steals, blocked shots and 3-point percentage.
Impact returners: Bre’s back. After an outstanding sophomore season when she averaged 17.1 points per game, Cavanaugh should make an even bigger impact. This much we know: She rarely leaves the floor. Cavanaugh averaged 38.1 minutes per game last season, second in the conference. Heremaia started 33 games last year, a breakout season when she averaged 8.1 ppg and shot 35 percent from three. Sophomore forward Downey started 29 games as a freshman and averaged 6.3 points per game.
Newbies of note: Isis Young is attending graduate school at Fordham after transferring from Syracuse, although a knee injury could hamper the 5-7 guard from competing for early minutes. DeWolfe, a 5-8 point guard and Miss Maine basketball, ended her high school career by leading Greely High to back-to-back state titles. In her final high school game, she scored 28 points with seven steals and five assists. Guard Sarah Karpell from Holmdel, New Jersey, brings what Gaitley calls “a killer instinct. It’s something you can’t coach.”
Reasons to be optimistic: Cavanaugh will rival last year’s winner George Mason’s Nicole Cardaño-Hillary for conference Player of the Year honors. She amassed 502 points on the season, reaching double figures in her last seven games. Of course, with Gaitley at the helm, who wouldn’t be optimistic? Fordham overachieves on a regular basis under her.
Circle the date: Notre Dame will open the season in the Bronx with a Nov. 5 date at Fordham. Irish coach Muffet McGraw and Gaitley are old pals and decided the teams were overdue for a meeting in New York.
Bottom line: On paper, there might be more talented teams. But it would surprise no one if Fordham returns to the conference championship.