Depleted Firebirds Defeated by Molloy in ECC Home Contest

WASHINGTON, DC – Sophomore guard Omar Abbas led three Firebirds in double-figures with 26 points, but the University of the District of Columbia men's basketball team was defeated by Molloy, 101-73 in East Coast Conference play at UDC Gym Wednesday night.

Abbas (Electrical Engineering – Alexandria, Egypt/Egyptian American HS) shot 8-of-16 from the field, 5-of-10 from long range and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line in nearly tying his career-high of 29. Meanwhile, junior transfer point guard Prince Ritson (Psychology – Greenbelt, MD/Bowie St.) registered a season-high 21 points on 7-of-10 FG shooting. Also, junior transfer forward Lenjo Kilo (Biology – Silver Spring, MD/Seton Hill) added 14 points and eight rebounds and sophomore forward Clenso Brannon III pitched in eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Molloy was led by the ECC Preseason Player of the Year, forward John Petrucelli, who packed the stat sheet with a game-high 36 points, six steals, five rebounds and three assists. Forward Charles Marquardt also added 18 points for the Lions, who improved to 7-7 overall and 5-2 in league play. Molloy remains tied with LIU Post for 2^nd in the league standings behind only Dowling (7-0).

UDC enjoyed two early leads, including a 7-6 edge following a jumper by Ritson at the 16:27 mark, but a layup by Molloy's Chucks Obunse at the 14:16 mark put the Lions ahead to stay. Obunse's layup kick-started a 14-3 Lions run which gave them a 20-10 lead a little more than 10 minutes into the game. Abbas began and ended a 10-2 Firebirds rally with a three-pointer, the second of which helped UDC close within two, 22-20 at the 6:44 mark. Still just a four-point game (27-23) with 3:24 to go, Molloy distanced itself with an 11-4 run, highlighted by back-to-back Petrucelli jumpers. But Ritson, with a defender draped all over him, somehow managed to make a desperation heave from just past half-court to make it 38-30 at the intermission.

Jaylen Morris (13 pts) and Petrucelli teamed up to lead Molloy on a 9-0 run to start the 2^nd half, widening the Lions' lead to 47-30 nearing the 17-minute mark. Still trailing by 17, Abbas knocked down a three-pointer to kick-off a 7-0 Firebirds run which cut the deficit to 49-39 t the 15:47 mark. But that was as close as UDC would get the rest of the way, as Molloy used a 23-3 march to go up 62-42 near the 13-minute mark and coasted the rest of the way for a lopsided victory.

The Firebirds will host Queens on Saturday, January 18^th at 1 p.m.