BRONX, N.Y. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle decided at the free-throw line, the Fordham Rams outlasted the Stony Brook Seawolves 58-52 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at a sparsely attended Rose Hill Gym.

A crowd of 392 watched as Fordham, led by a game-high 20 points from Alexis Black, used a dominant second quarter and clutch late free throws to secure the victory and improve to 3-1 on the young season. Stony Brook, which led by as many as nine points in the first half, fell to an even 2-2.

The game was a tale of contrasting halves and offensive inconsistency. Stony Brook controlled the opening period, racing out to a 15-8 lead behind an aggressive start. The Seawolves’ defense stifled the Rams early, forcing difficult shots and capitalizing on the other end with drives to the basket. Chloe Oliver and Sandra Frau-Garcia provided the early offensive spark for the visitors.

The momentum shifted decisively in the second quarter. Fordham’s offense, stagnant in the first, found its rhythm, outscoring Stony Brook 17-13 in the period to take a 25-28 halftime lead. The Rams’ surge was keyed by Black, who began to find seams in the Stony Brook defense, and a strong interior presence from Ornella Niankan.

The third quarter saw both teams trade blows, with Fordham maintaining a slim advantage. The Rams extended their lead to as many as seven points, but Stony Brook refused to fade, with Diaka Berete providing a scoring punch off the bench to keep the Seawolves within striking distance. Fordham took a 40-38 lead into the final frame.

The fourth quarter evolved into a tense, back-and-forth affair. Stony Brook repeatedly cut the deficit to a single possession, but could never reclaim the lead. With the game on the line in the final minute and Fordham clinging to a narrow lead, the Rams sealed the win at the charity stripe. Black and Niankan were instrumental in the closing moments, combining for several critical free throws in the final 30 seconds to fend off the Seawolves’ comeback attempt.

Black’s 20 points for Fordham were complemented by six rebounds and four assists. Niankan was a force inside, registering a double-double with 16 points and eight rebounds. Emma Wilson-Saltos, a hometown player from the Bronx, controlled the glass with 10 rebounds to go with six points.

For Stony Brook, Berete led the scoring with 13 points. Frau-Garcia, the playmaking guard from Pego, Spain, directed the offense with seven assists, five rebounds and eight points in a team-high 39 minutes of action. Janay Brantley, from nearby Catskill, New York, added eight points and six rebounds.

Both teams struggled to find consistent offensive flow, with the game characterized more by defensive stops and turnovers than explosive scoring runs. The teams finished with identical totals in points in the paint, 24, and points off turnovers, 9, underscoring the tightly matched nature of the contest.

The loss snaps a brief winning streak for Stony Brook, which was coming off a 71-54 victory at Rutgers. Fordham, meanwhile, bounced back from a narrow 82-78 loss to NJIT in its previous outing to defend its home court.

Stony Brook will look to return to the win column when it travels to face Marist on Nov. 19. Fordham’s next contest is on the road at Buffalo on Nov. 16.