Defense the Catalyst in University of the District of Columbia Women’s Basketball Lopsided Win Over Queens

WASHINGTON, DC –  The University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team raced out to a 19-0 lead over the first five-and-a-half minutes of play and cruised to an 84-41 victory over East Coast Conference foe Queens College on Wednesday night at UDC Gym.

"I was happy we could get our first win in the conference tonight," head coach Lester Butler, Jr. said. "It was a great team effort, and I was glad we had a chance to play a lot of people tonight. I hope we can continue to play well on Saturday against Dowling."

The Firebirds improved to 10-2 overall while evening their conference record at 1-1. Queens lost its sixth straight to fall to 1-11 overall and 0-3 in league play.

Senior guard Jamilia Bonner (Mobile, AL – Williamson HS) led all first half scorers with 12 points and District of Columbia turned 20 Knights' turnovers into 25 points to take a commanding 42-17 advantage into the intermission.

Butler emptied his bench in the second half as 12 different Firebirds entered the scoring column by the end of the game. Senior reserve guard Lauren Brittingham (Washington, DC – Potomac HS) led UDC in scoring for the third straight game as she finished with a game-high 15 points - 10 of which came in the second half. Senior forward Stacy Griffith (Fredericksburg, VA – Riverbend HS) and freshman forward Denikka Brent (Chesapeake, VA – Booker T. Washington HS) pitched in 10 points apiece.

District of Columbia's defense stayed superb in the second half as the Firebirds held the Knights to 30-percent shooting from the field and forced 15 more turnovers. For the game, UDC held Queens to 13-of-46 from the field (3-of-12 from long-range) and 35 turnovers, of which, the Firebirds turned into 42 points.

The Firebirds also held a 46-39 rebounding advantage, outscored the Knights 42-14 in the paint, and turned in 18 second-chance points while allowing just four. Eleven different UDC players pulled down at least one board, with Brittingham and Brent hauling in six apiece.

UDC also combined for 17 assists as a team with senior point guard Jasmine Rich (Willingboro, N.J. – Willingboro HS) dishing out a game-high four.

The Firebirds go on the road next to take on one of the top teams in the ECC standings and No. 25 nationally-ranked Dowling on Saturday, January 7 at 1:00 p.m.