THE BASICS:
RESULT: Fordham 69, Hartford 44
RECORDS: Hartford (7-5); Fordham (8-4)
LOCATION: Rose Hill Gym (Bronx, N.Y.)
 
THE LEAD:
Junior Lindsey Abed and senior Darby Lee each finished with a team-high nine points, but Fordham's hot hand led the Rams past the Hawks, 69-44, on Thursday afternoon in the opening ga,e of the Fordham Holiday Classic in the Bronx, N.Y.     

Fordham's G'Mrice Davis recorded a double-double (21 points and 13 rebounds), joining two other Rams in double-figures. Lee added a team-best five boards and three assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Rams opened the game scoring the first nine points before senior Janelle Harrison put the Hawks on the board with 6:22 left in the quarter. Fordham ended the stanza on a 13-2 run, giving it a 22-6 lead.
• Fordham continued its first-half dominance, outscoring the Hawks 14-7 in the second quarter and taking a 36-13 lead into the break. Davis, who had nine rebounds in the first half, also led teh Rams in scoring with 12 points at the break.
• The Hawks came out of the break hot and closed in on their deficit by scoring the first eight points of the half. Abed and junior Kelly Douglass each contributed three-pointers to that run.
• But Fordham quickly responded with an 8-0 run of its own. Both teams exchanged blows for the remainder of the game, with Fordham finishing with a slim two-point advantage in the second half to come out on top in the 69-44 decision.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS & NOTES:

• Fordham outshot the Hawks from the field, finishing the game at 43.4 percent (23-of-53) to Hartford's 31.5 percent (17-of-54).  The Rams also outscored the Hawks from behind the arc (24-18) and from the free-throw line (17-6).
• The Hawks forced more turnovers (14-9) and had more points off turnovers (13-11).
• Harrison recorded a game-best three steals, adding six points. Junior Alexia Douglas also scored six points for the Hawks.
• Rebounding proved to be a strong point for the Rams, as they finished with 49-21 advantage on teh boards. Fordham scored 21 of its points off of second-chance opportunities.

UP NEXT:
The Hawks continue the Fordham Holiday Classic on Friday, taking on in-state foe Yale at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs opened the Classic with a 71-61 loss to UC Davis.