UDC Firebirds Fall to Millersville Marauders 68-59

Millersville, PA: January 26, 2008—Seventy-three percent free-throw shooting (22 for 30) made the difference, today, for the Millersville University Marauders as they used it to their advantage to defeat the visiting University of the District of Columbia Firebirds, 68-59, at the Pucillo Gymnasium. Reggie Bates paced the Marauders to the win with 24 points.

The Firebirds took an early lead in the first half and maintained it until the 8:58 mark when the Marauders knotted the score at 15 on a UDC bench technical foul shot. The lead then alternated between the teams with UDC taking a 33-26 point lead into the break.

UDC maintained the lead until the 11:38 mark of the second half when Charlie Parker dunked the ball to tie the score at 41, then Brannon Burnette hit a jump shot to give Millersville a 43-41 lead, which they extended to the 68-59 win.

Three Marauders were in double figures, including Bates, RayQuan Miles with 14 points, and Burnette with 11. Four UDC players were in double figures, led by senior forward Willie Shaw (Alexandria, VA) with 17 points, followed by senior guards Frank Petersen (Silver Spring, MD), Charlie Smallwood (Palmer Park, MD), and Justin Walker (Teaneck, NJ) with 10 points apiece.

UDC fell to 9-7 with this loss, while Millersville improved to 13-5, avenging an earlier season overtime defeat by the Firebirds. UDC returns to action at home on January 30, against Kutztown University.