Firebirds Outlasted in Overtime by Spartans in Hotly-Contested ECC Battle

WASHINGTON, DC – The University of the District of Columbia men's basketball team was narrowly defeated in overtime, 78-75 by visiting St. Thomas Aquinas College in East Coast Conference action Saturday afternoon at the UDC Sports Complex.

The Firebirds (1-14, 0-7 ECC) , eager to win their first conference game of the season, went on a 23-5 tear over a nearly eight-minute span late in the 2^nd half to transform their largest deficit (11) into their largest lead (7) of the day, 63-56, with 3:31 remaining in regulation. Still, even with twice-reigning ECC Player of the Year and D2CCA Second Team All-American Justin Reyes out of the lineup, the Spartans were able to regroup and end regulation on a 12-4 run to force overtime with a 68-all tie.

UDC never led in overtime, though it did force two ties at 70 and 72 before surrendering the lead for good, 74-72, on a layup by Shaquille McFarlan. Still trailing by only two, 74-72 approaching the one-minute mark in the extra session, UDC allowed back-to-back offensive rebounds by STAC's Chris Atkinson and Jamar Sudan following two missed three-point attempts by the Spartans, and Kameron Murrell capitalized with a free-throw line jump shot with just 14 seconds left to make it a two-possession game, 76-72.

UDC freshman guard Paul Eromosele would hit a three-pointer on the ensuing possession to make it a one-point game with only five seconds remaining, but McFarlan put STAC back up by three via a pair of free-throws with three seconds left. The Firebirds were unable to make it up the length of the floor to even attempt a shot at the buzzer for the tie, as they suffered their 2^nd overtime loss this season and 6^th loss by less than 10.

Junior transfer guard Danny Shand tied his season-high with a game-high tying 17 points as he made 6-of-9 from the field (4-of-9 FT) and collected four rebounds, four assists and one steal before fouling out of the game with three minutes left in regulation. (He had four points and three assists during that transformative 23-5 Firebird surge in the second half)

Junior transfer guard Kevin Cox also had a big day with 12 points on 5-of-9 FG shooting (2-for-4 from long range), along with team-bests of seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Junior transfer point guard Quadire Truesdale also had 12 points to go with a game-high five assists, and freshman forward Maurice Waters pitched in 12 points and three rebounds.

STAC got a giant lift off the bench from forward Jamar Sudan and guard Chris Atkinson. Sudan registered 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds – nine of which came on the offensive glass. Atkinson pitched in 14 points, four rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot. Starting guards Murrell and McFarlan combined for 27 points and 10 rebounds as well.

UDC out-shot their guests 53-percent to 39-percent from the field; however, STAC converted 8-of-18 (44-percent) shots from long range compared to UDC's 6-of-6 (38-percent), and made five more free-throws (20-15) on 10 more attempts (34-24). The Spartans also won the rebounding battle, 44-32, turned 21 offensive boards into 17 2^nd chance points to UDC's 10, and had the deeper bench with 34 bench points to UDC's 23.

Next up, the Firebirds will travel to Brookville, NY to take on ECC foe LIU Post on Wednesday, January 17^th at 7 p.m.