Men’s Basketball Falls 93-86 in Season-Opener vs. Chestnut Hill

PHILADELPHIA, PA – The University of the District of Columbia men's basketball team suffered a 93-86 season-opening loss Saturday night vs. Chestnut Hill at the Conference Challenge Tournament hosted by Philadelphia University.

The Firebirds (0-1) were led offensively by three newcomers: Kasim Chandler, Joseph Nickerson and Jayone Troutman. Chandler led UDC in scoring with 25 points on 6-of-12 FG shooting (3-of-6 from long range) and a perfect, 10-for-10 FT shooting night. He also added three steals and three assists, though he turned the ball over four times. Nickerson shot 7-of-15 from the field (2-of-4 from 3-pt. range) for 19 points to go with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Troutman was a spark-plug off the bench, shooting 7-for-9 from the field for 14 points to go with six rebounds, one assist and one block.

UDC shot 47-percent from the field (31-of-66), 41-percent from three-point range (9-of-22), and a perfect 100-percent (15-of-15) at the free-throw line, but had no answer defensively for the Chestnut Hill offensive attack which featured five Griffins in double-figures and a blistering 57-percent shooting performance as a team.

The Griffins (1-0), picked to finish 6^th of seven teams in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division, was powered by a relentless backcourt comprised of Luke Dickson and Demetrius Isaac. Dickson finished with 21 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals while Isaac packed the stat sheet with a game-high 26 points, 10 assists and two steals.

A late first-half run by UDC made for a narrow, 38-37 Chestnut Hill halftime lead, but the Griffin offense took on a feverish pace in the second half, extending their lead by as many as 16 points, 68-52, just past the midway point (9:46). Isaac and Dickson took turns scoring and distributing, propelling the Griffins on an early second-half run that expanded the one-point halftime advantage to a cool dozen, 54-42, on a Dickson three-pointer less than five minutes (15:15) into the concluding frame. Five and a half minutes later, a put-back from Noel Hightower pushed the CHC lead to its largest margin, 68-52 at the 9:46 mark, and left UDC playing catch-up for the remainder of the affair.

It was speed and a team effort that built the Griffins' first-half advantage to as many as 12 points, 28-16, with 5:51 left to play in the frame. Following a fast-break dunk by UDC junior guard Reggie Sidbury to make it 20-16 at the 8:48 mark, the Griffins went to work on their surplus with back-to-back baskets from Gerald Evariste, a fast-break steal and dunk from Hightower to Antonio Toplyn Jr., and a pair of Hightower free throws leaving the Firebirds looking for a spark. Chandler tried to be that spark, but his team-high 25 points were not enough to catch the Griffins before the final buzzer.

The Firebirds are back in action tomorrow vs. tournament host, Philadelphia University at 3 p.m.