Firebirds cruise past Shock 97-39

Washington, DC: February 8, 2011 – The UDC women's basketball team (14-7) erupted for its largest scoring output of the season in a 97-39 victory over the Washington Adventist University Shock (0-18) tonight at the UDC sports complex.Led by a balanced scoring attack that included six players scoring in double-figures, the Firebirds raced to a 31-point halftime lead. Their first half lead became insurmountable when, after trailing 1-0 to start the period, UDC scored 26 unanswered points to essentially put the game away.

While it was the Firebirds offensive attack that lit up the scoreboard, the key to building their lead in the first half was their stellar defense. UDC forced 18 Washington Adventist turnovers in the first 20 minutes, including 13 that came from steals. The Shock were held without an assist during that time span, and had three shots blocked.

 Of the six players who scored in double-figures for UDC, graduate student Niqky Hughes (Public Administration – Fort Worth, TX) compiled the most points with 16. She was 6 of 8 from the field and 2 of 4 from long distance. Junior forward Stacy Griffith (Architecture – Fredericksburg, VA), who was also one of the six to score in double-figures, with 12 points, had a team-high 10 rebounds.

 The only player to score in double-figures for Washington Adventist was point guard Vanessa Rice, who had 15 points on 5 of 12 shooting from the field. However, she led her team with 11 turnovers as well.

 Next up for the Firebirds is another winless opponent in the Salem International University Fighting Tigers (0-19). The two teams will meet Saturday, February 12, at 2:00pm in Salem, WV.