Bronx, N.Y. - Ebone Henry recorded a game-high 19 points and six steals to lead UAlbany to a 59-42 win over Fordham in the women's basketball season opener for both teams at Rose Hill Gym on Friday evening. It is the Great Danes' second consecutive season opening win.

            Fordham jumped out to an early lead in the contest, getting a 3-pointer from Arielle Collins at 16:49 to give the Rames a 9-2 advantage. A second Collins trey put Fordham ahead, 12-5, before UAlbany embarked on an 18-2 run, pulling ahead, 23-14 on a jumper by Cassandra Callaway. In the run, Henry recorded back-to-back steals and fastbreak layups before nailing consecutive 3-pointers to pace the Great Danes.

Fordham got three's from Abigal Corning and Rainat Griff to pull back within three, but UAlbany continued to roll, getting ahead by nine on a layup by Henry with just over three minutes to play, putting the Great Danes up, 29-20. The Rams attempted to rally before the half, as Corning added two of her nine first-half points from the free throw line with just over a minute to go, but Julie Forster hit a jumper with 55 seconds left on the clock to set the 33-24 halftime score.

            UAlbany finally pushed the lead to double digits in the early goings of the second half, as a free throw by Henry made the score 36-26. Fordham cut the Great Danes' advantage back to four, 42-38, with just under eight minutes to go, getting another jumper by Corning, but UAlbany posted a 10-1 run that put them on top, 52-39 with 4:59 left to play. After Forster's layup set that score, the teams ran three and a half minutes off the clock before a free throw by Fordham's Becky Peters ended the drought. UAlbany scored seven of the game's final nine points to set the final score.

            Forster and Callaway also reached double-digit scoring totals for the Great Danes, chipping in 16 and 10, respectively. Forster led the team on the boards, pulling down a team-high eight rebounds, while also recording five steals and one block. Adrienne Jones chipped in 10 points off the bench for UAlbany and also grabbed six rebounds.

            Corning finished with a team-high 14 points for Fordham (0-1), while Peter's grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and chipped in with seven points.

            UAlbany (1-0) will return to action on Sunday, hosting La Salle in the 2011-12 home opener at 2 p.m.

UAlbany 59, Fordham 42 (11/11/11 at Bronx, NY (Rose Hill Gym))