Almost 20 years ago to the day that Fordham University’s Jeanine Radice netted a school-record 40 points in a win against Drexel University on Dec. 5, 1987, Fordham’s Lisa Carrol almost outdid that effort, scoring a career-high 39 points as the Rams (2-6) defeated the Yale University Bulldogs (2-6), 72-63, on Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Rose Hill Gymnasium.
Carrol’s 39 points tied for the second most points scored by a Ram in a single game, joining Cecilia Wanker, who netted 39 points against the New York Institute of Technology on Feb. 10, 1982. The game had very little flow to it as the teams combined for 53 personal fouls and 84 free throw attempts. Fordham had the distinct advantage in that category, connecting on 37-of-45 free throws.
Fordham started fast, getting out to a 14-2 lead six minutes into the contest, with Carrol scoring five of those early points. The Fordham lead stayed in double digits, until Yale went on a 15-4 run to cut the lead to three points, 25-22. Fordham closed out the half with a 22-2 run over the final six-and-a-half minutes to give the Rams a 46-24 lead at halftime. Yale came out with some aggression in the second half, cutting the Rams’ lead to 12, 48-36. Fordham, though, quickly re-established a 17-point edge, 57-40, following three free throws by Beth Troutt and a lay-up by Carrol. Yale would cut the lead down to single digits at nine, 57-48, but would not get any closer, as the Rams cruised to the 72-63 win.
Before the game, first-year coach Cathy Andruzzi hosted a reception for faculty and staff and discussed her vision of the Fordham women’s basketball program. The team will next play Providence College on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m.
