UDC Downed by Defending ECC Champion Bridgeport

BRIDGEPORT, CT – The University of the District of Columbia men's basketball team was defeated by East Coast Conference foe Bridgeport, 98-74 on Wednesday night at Hubbel Gym.

The Firebirds dropped their fifth straight game to fall to 2-13 overall and 2-5 in ECC play. Bridgeport, the defending ECC champs and pre-season favorite to repeat, bounced back from a three-point loss at league-leading Daemen on Saturday to improve to 10-4 overall and 2^nd place in the league standings at 6-1.

Without senior guard and team leader Michael Terry (Criminal Justice – Philadelphia, PA/Boston U), senior point guard Quasim Jones (Media Arts – Philadelphia, PA/Johnson CC) stepped up with a game-high 21 points and reigning ECC Rookie of the Week Kory Cooley (Art – Silver Spring, MD/Calvin Coolidge HS) registered 17 points, six rebounds and two assists. Also, junior forward Clenso Brannon III (Graphic Design – Washington, DC/College of Southern Maryland) hauled in a team-high nine rebounds to go with seven points scored.

Four of the five Purple Knights starters scored in double-figures plus one bench player. Forward Willie Williams III led the way with 20 points and game-highs of 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Also, guard Ernest Rouse registered 18 points and six rebounds. The five Bridgeport starters shot a combined 69-percent (31-of-45) from the field and 57-percent (4-of-7) from three-point range.

Bridgeport also dominated the rebounding battle, 41-32 which led to a 52-18 disparity in points in the paint. The Purple Knights were the more efficient offense as well, with 23 assists to just 11 turnovers compared to UDC's 12 assists and 16 turnovers.

Junior transfer forward Geran Pope (Political Science – Washington, DC/Virginia Union) scored six early points to help UDC grab an early 13-10 lead at the 13:40 mark in the first half. At that point, however, Bridgeport would take over the game with an 18-2 run, culminating in a Williams III tip-in at the 8:10 mark to put the Purple Knights up 28-15.

Cooley helped UDC pull back within seven when he at one point scored eight consecutive points for the Firebirds, including two three-pointers, the second of which made it 34-27 with 5:32 left in the opening period. Bridgeport answered with a 15-3 run to take a commanding, 49-30 lead. The Purple Knights led 49-33 at halftime.

The Purple Knights wasted no time in putting the game away, out-scoring UDC 23-13 in the first 10 minutes of second-half play to take their largest lead of the night, 72-43. UDC never got any closer than 18 the rest of the way as Bridgeport cruised to a 24-point margin of victory.

Next up, UDC returns to the nation's capital to host Dowling on Saturday at 3 p.m.