Fleming’s Three-Pointer at the Buzzer Sends UDC to Thrilling, 86-84 Double-Overtime Victory; Firebirds Claim No. 3 Seed in ECC Tourney

BROOKVILLE, NY – Junior guard Virgil Fleming's three-pointer at the buzzer lifted the University of the District of Columbia men's basketball team to a thrilling, 86-84 double-overtime victory over LIU Post in both East Coast Conference teams' regular season finale Saturday afternoon.

Fleming, who was 0-for-3 on the day from behind-the-arc before that game-winning shot, put up his attempt with just two seconds remaining, and it went in as the horn sounded to give the Firebirds their first ever victory over the Pioneers at the Pratt Center in five tries since joining the ECC in 2011-12. This win also completes UDC's first ever season sweep of LIU Post since joining the conference.

Today's game decided the No. 3 and 4 seeds of the ECC Tournament, as UDC improved to 13-7 in league play (15-13 overall) and claimed the 3^rd spot, and LIU Post fell into the 4^th seed at 12-8 (17-11 overall).

The Firebirds had four of their five starters score in double-figures, including junior transfer forward Joseph Nickerson's team-high 24 points. Nickerson has scored over 20 points in three of his last five games, and today he also registered eight rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal.

UDC's starting backcourt of senior Erin Senegal and Reggie Sidbury scored 16 and 13 points, respectively, while reserve guards Fleming and junior Martin Campbell added nine points apiece. Starting forward Jayone Troutman pitched in 10 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, and senior forward Geran Pope tied for a game-high with nine rebounds.

LIU Post also had four scorers in double-figures, including Greg Dotson's game-highs of 30 points and 19 rebounds. Starting guard Akosa Maduegbunam added 20 points and seven rebounds, and reserve guards Jared Hall and Devon McMillan pitched in 16 and 11 points, respectively. McMillan also contributed nine rebounds, a game-high five steals and three assists. The Pioneers' point guard Dillon Burns shot 0-for-12 from the field but handed out a game-high nine assists.

The Firebirds out-shot LIU Post 36-percent to 31-percent from the field, 40-percent to 28-percent from long range, and 72-percent (26-of-36) to 71-percent (22-of-31) from the free-throw line. Poor shooting at the foul line in the 2^nd half hurt the Pioneers, as they missed six free throws, including their final four in the final 50 seconds – any of which, would have broken the eventual 68-all tie at the end of regulation.

LIU Post won the rebounding battle, 60-50 and out-scored the Firebirds, 34-20 in the paint. The hosts also had five more assists (15-10) and four fewer turnovers (14-10).

Maduegbunam made two early three-pointers to help the Pioneers to a 7-4 lead five minutes into the action. Five straight points by Senegal led to a 14-2 surge by the Firebirds that was aided by two Campbell three-pointers and another by Nickerson, and UDC had its largest lead of the day, 21-9 at the 10:30 mark of the first half. But the Pioneers answered right back with a 14-0 run, with Hall scoring the first eight points and Dotson adding the final six. Dotson's run-capping three-pointer near the six-minute mark put LIU Post back in front, 23-21.The Firebirds forced two more ties at 23 and 25, but it was the Pioneers who pulled away for a 36-31 lead at halftime.

A few minutes into the 2^nd half, Nickerson scored six straight points for the Firebirds while UDC out-scored the Pioneers 6-2 and closed within three, 43-40. But at the 16:12 mark, Geran Pope was called for a personal and technical foul, resulting in four straight made free-throws by Hall to push the Pioneers' lead to seven.

LIU Post took its largest lead of the day, 51-42 after a layup by Maduegbunam at the 15-minute mark, and the Pioneers maintained an eight-point advantage as the clock ticked under seven minutes remaining.

The Firebirds fought their way back with a 15-5 burst that ended with 10 straight points on five free-throws, a layup and a three-pointer by Sidbury. The three-pointer to cap the run put UDC in front, 68-66 with 2:41 to play.

LIU Post's McMillan tied the score at 68 with a layup at 1:23, but that would be the last of the scoring in regulation for both teams. The Firebirds missed a three-pointer and then a layup in their two offensive tries, and the Pioneers missed four straight free-throws in two separate trips to the line at 50 seconds and two seconds.

In the first overtime session, UDC took the first lead, 71-68 on a three-pointer by Sidbury, but five straight points by Dotson gave LIU Post a 73-71 lead at the 3:27 mark. Senegal forced a 73-all tie with a pair of free-throws at 2:38. Then, McMillan made a pair at the line at 1:49, but Nickerson responded for UDC with a layup and forced a 75-all tie with 54 seconds left.

Following a 30-second timeout by LIU Post, the Pioneers' Michael Phillip missed a layup, but secured his own rebound with 39 seconds left. Another timeout was called with 29 ticks left, and 15 seconds later, it was McMillan missing a layup, Dotson grabbing the offensive rebound, and Dotson missing the put-back. UDC's Thomas Robinson hauled in the rebound with 13 seconds left, giving the Firebirds the last possession of the game. Senegal's shot at the buzzer was no good though, and the game went to a second overtime.

The Pioneers out-scored UDC 7-3 to start the second extra session, and they led 82-78 as the clock approached two minutes. A three-pointer by Nickerson at 2:04 made it 82-81, but Dotson's dunk with 55 seconds remaining pushed the Pioneers' lead to three, 84-81.

On the ensuing UDC possession, Nickerson corralled an offensive rebound off a Jayone Troutman miss, and drew a foul by McMillan. He made a pair at the foul line to bring the Firebirds within one, 84-83 with 41 seconds left.

The Pioneers' next possession resulted in a missed three-pointer by Maduegbunam with 18 seconds left, and Senegal grabbed the defensive rebound. UDC head coach Mike Riley called a timeout with 11 seconds left.

Out of the timeout, Thomas Robinson found an open Fleming for the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.

UDC will compete in the ECC Championship Tournament next week for the first time since 2011-12.