Struggles Continue for Depleted Firebirds in Loss to Daemen

WASHINGTON, DC – Five of the mere seven available Firebird players scored in double figures, but the University of the District of Columbia men's basketball team was simply out-manned in a 92-71 loss to East Coast Conference newcomer Daemen on Friday night at UDC Gym.

Reigning ECC rookie of the week, freshman guard Reggie Sidbury (Social Work – Landover, MD/Charles Herbert Flowers HS) and sophomore guard Omar Abbas (Electrical Engineering – Alexandria, Egypt/Egyptian American HS) scored 16 points apiece to lead the Firebirds offensively. Junior transfer forward Lenjo Kilo (Biology – Silver Spring, MD/Seton Hill) registered 11 points and nine rebounds, and sophomore forward Clenso Brannon III (Graphic Design – Washington, DC/College of Southern Maryland) posted his first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

However, the Firebirds had no answer for Daemen's 6-foot-7, 225 lb. junior forward, Gerald Beverly, who dominated in the paint on both ends of the floor with game-highs of 34 points and five blocked shots as well as seven rebounds. Fellow frontcourt mate Kadeem Johnson was also very effective with 20 points and a game-high 13 rebounds (seven offensive). These two were key to the Wildcats earning their ECC-best 11^th straight victory and improving to 15-3 in league play (18-6 overall).

UDC led only once in the game, 3-2 after a three-pointer by Kilo at the 19-minute mark. The lead was short-lived as Daemen out-scored UDC 13-5 over the next six minutes t go up 15-8 on a pair of free-throws by Beverly. The Firebirds slowly but surely whittled away at the Wildcat lead and ultimately tied the score at 26 on a layup by junior forward Tim Frazier (Elementary Education – Washington, DC/Friendship Collegiate Academy) just past the seven minute mark. Daemen responded with an emphatic alley-oop dunk by Beverly, and the Wildcats went on a 17-6 run over the next four minutes to take a 43-32 advantage. Daemen would take their largest lead of the half, 49-37 into the break.

The Firebirds got as close as nine courtesy of a 6-0 run midway through the second half, but never got any closer than that the rest of the way. The Wildcats outscored UDC 15-7 over the final 4:45 to win by their largest margin of the night, 92-71.

UDC (3-18, 1-14 ECC) will host ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan on Sunday, February 16^th at 1 p.m.