University of the District of Columbia Men’s Basketball Team Pulls Off a Thriller Over Elizabeth City State University 65-63
Washington, DC – The University of the District of Columbia Men's Basketball Team held on to win at home against Elizabeth City State University on a breakaway bucket by senior captain Nigel Munson (Washington, DC – DeMatha HS) with 9 seconds remaining. The Firebirds were paced by three seniors scoring in double digits and stellar defense down the stretch. The game was tight from start to finish with multiple lead changes and no lead by either team more than 5 points at any one time. With the win the Firebirds advance to 2-0 while the Vikings sit at 1-1.
The first and second halves looked much the same. From start to finish, both teams were evenly matched and showed great effort and determination. The score was tied 32-32 at halftime. The game continued to be evenly matched until the final moments. At the end of the game the score was tied at 63-63 with 32 seconds remaining and 28 seconds on the shot clock. ECSU had the ball with a chance to take the lead for good, but UDC's persistent defense forced a less than ideal shot by the Vikings. Senior guard Brandon Herbert (Baltimore, MD – McDonogh HS) corralled the rebound and pushed it up the floor finding fellow senior Nigel Munson for the layup. Munson was fouled on the layup but could not connect on the old fashioned three point play. The Vikings got the rebound and charged down the court for one last attempt, but the three pointer did not connect, giving the Firebirds the victory 65-63.
Three seniors stepped up big for the Firebirds on the night. Senior guard Nigel Munson scored 19 points to go along with 10 assists and 4 rebounds. Senior guard Brandon Herbert tallied 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists. Senior guard Dishawn Bradshaw (Baltimore, MD – St. Frances Academy) contributed with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
UDC Head Coach Jeff Ruland had this to say about the exciting victory, "I thought we played great defense tonight, especially down the stretch in the second half. Our seniors stepped up – Brandon, Nigel, Dishawn. To get production like that out of three seniors, that's going to be key for us as we get further into the season. That is a talented team we beat tonight, so it a good win."
The Firebirds return to action November 18th at 5:00 pm against Duquesne at the 2k Sports Classic at Valparaiso.