Gators Outlast Patriots 61-51, Fitchett goes for Double-Double in Return
BALTIMORE, MD – The Notre Dame of Maryland basketball team received double-figures from four starters in Saturday afternoon's 61-51 victory over Valley Forge (2-8, 2-5 CSAC).
Alexis Durham (16 points),
Daija Fitchett (15 points),
Amya Durham (14 points), and
Ayana Brim (11 points) all cracked double-digits scoring in the win. Gators will move to 4-4 in the CSAC and fifth in the conference standings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- In her first game back, Fitchett started the game with the first bucket to jump-start a 6-0 Gators run. Amya Durham had a strong evening scoring and distributing the ball to her teammates. Durham had four points in the first quarter.
- Adrianna Fletcher scored her 113th career three-pointer on a pass from Fitchett with 4:41 remaining to extend Notre Dame's lead to nine points, 15-6.
- Notre Dame went 8-13 from the floor, shooting 61 percent. Brim had four points and two assists after one. She went on to finish with 11 points and six boards.
- Valley Forge took a 21-18 lead midway through the second quarter while slowing down the Gators offense.
- Notre Dame (Md.) quickly turned to its front-court to end the half. Fitchett and Brim had 15 points between them as the Gators led 27-23.
- Alexis Durham had 12 points in the second half to continue her promising play for the Gators. After the Patriots regained the lead with 6:06 left to play, Durham buried a three from the top of the key to give Notre Dame a 46-45 lead.
- Amya Durham went for five points in crunch time including a late jumper to pill onto the lead.
- Fitchett scored two huge buckets with just under three minutes to give the Gators a six-point lead. Notre Dame went 7-7 on its last seven free-throw attempts to secure the win.
OF NOTE
- Alexis Durham is averaging 20.3 points per game since the winter intermission break.
- Fletcher is just two made three-pointers away from surpassing Monica Cherry (2002-06) 114 for the 4th most threes in program history. With a spot in the top-three in her sights, She's nine away from tying Amanda Poppleton's (1999-03) record of 122 career three-pointers.
- Fitchett moved to sixth all-time, passing Poppleton on the team rebounds list with 648 (190 offensive, 458 defensive). She collected her seventh double-double of the season (15 points, 12 rebounds) and has now rebounded in double-figures in her last nine appearances.
- Notre Dame moves to 8-3 all-time against Valley Forge.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame (Md.) will play Saint Elizabeth for the second time this season on Tuesday evening, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. In the last meeting against the Eagles, Fitchett led the way with 25 points and 12 rebounds in an 82-59 Gator win.
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