Firebirds Women’s Basketball Pulls Away Late for First Victory of the Season at Washington Adventist

TAKOMA PARK, MD – In a game marred by a combined 56 turnovers, the University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team pulled away from host Washington Adventist in the waning minutes of regulation for its first victory of the season by its largest margin of the night, 69-52.

The Firebirds (1-2) were led by a few major contributors including senior guard Janelle Junior's (Administration of Justice – Riverside, CA/La Sierra HS) team-high 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from long-range. This marked her third double-figure scoring game in as many games this season.

Sophomore Denikka Brent (Mechanical Engineering – Chesapeake, VA/Booker T. Washington HS) perhaps had her breakthrough performance tonight after a quiet first three games of the season. The East Coast Conference All-Rookie Team selection from last season busted on the scene to score all 12 of her points in the second half while also adding six rebounds, two steals and a block.

District of Columbia also benefitted from very strong outings by junior guard Teara Shaw (Health Education – Bronx, NY/John F. Kennedy HS) and junior forward Robin Keke (Biology – Bowie, MD/Bowie HS). Shaw registered 10 points to go with a game-high three assists while Keke nearly put up a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.

The Shock (0-2) were led by Jerria Brown-McDaniel who had a double-double that included game-highs of 17 points and 14 rebounds. They also got solid play from their two senior guards Vanessa Rice (14 points, five rebounds) and Quianna Tiggle (nine points, eight rebounds).

Both teams struggled to find their offensive rhythm as the Firebirds committed a season-high 29 turnovers and the Shock had 27. District of Columbia did, however, do a little better turning their opponent's turnovers into points, as they held a 29-20 edge in the points off of turnovers category.

Neither team shot particularly well (UDC – 39%, WAU 35%) from the field, and both teams were miserable from long range (UDC – 19%, WAU 18%); but, the Firebirds made out like bandits at the charity stripe as they made 22-of-27 (82%) compared to the Shock's 8-of-16 (50%). There was also a huge disparity in bench points as District of Columbia's reserves registered 20 points compared to just four by Washington Adventist's.

Rebounding, which hurt District of Columbia in its first two games of the year (-15.5 rebounds per-game) was in the Firebirds' favor tonight, 44-35. As a result, the visiting Firebirds won the points in the paint battle, 34-28 and had a few more second-chance points (11-7).

The visitors led 6-2 after a pair of free-throws by freshman forward Tatyana Calhoun (Environmental Science – Disputanta, VA/Sussex Central HS) a little over two minutes into the action, but the Shock came back with a 10-3 run over the next 6:38 to take its first lead of the game, 12-11 after a pair of free-throws by Briana McClain. Later, a 1-of-2 trip at the foul line by WAU's Rice again put the Shock up one, 13-12, but a three-pointer by Junior ignited a 17-3 Firebirds run that gave District of Columbia the lead for good, 29-16. Tiggle's layup with 53 seconds showing on the clock were the last points scored in the half as the Firebirds took a 29-18 lead into the intermission.

District of Columbia, which was 18-0 last season when leading at halftime, saw its 11-point halftime lead shrink to six (29-23) as WAU scored the first five points of the half, including an old-fashioned three-point play by Brown-McDaniel. The Firebirds responded by scoring eight of the next 12 points to build their lead back up to 10 (37-27) nearing the 15-minute mark, but the Shock were still not going away.

The hosts knocked down three consecutive jumpers to cut their deficit down to four (37-33) with 12:37 left to play. Then, when the Firebirds built an eight-point cushion after a pair of free-throws by Brent at the 8:33 mark, the Shock used a 12-5 power surge that culminated in a three-pointer by Rice to pull them within one, 49-48 as the game approached the five-minute mark.

On the ensuing Firebirds possession, freshman guard Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore (Public Health – Newport News, VA/Denbigh HS) earned a trip to the foul line where she calmly sank both. Then, following a defensive steal by Junior, Shaw drew a foul and followed suit by converting a pair of free-throws as well. Junior then buried her second three-pointer of the night (and the third and final one by District of Columbia), and with 3:45 left in regulation, the Firebirds were suddenly ahead, 56-48. Calhoun put the finishing touches on what amounted to a 9-0 run as she also sank a pair of free-throws at the 3:20 mark.

Washington Adventists managed just three points in the final five minutes of play while a young Firebirds squad showed the poise of a veteran squad by making 12-of-12 free-throws down the stretch as they went on to win by their largest margin of the night, 69-52.

Up next, the Firebirds will play their first two home games of the season this weekend as they host the Firebird Classic at UDC Gym. First, they take on Grand Valley St. on Saturday, November 17^th at 3 p.m. and then they play Florida Southern on Sunday, November 18^th at 3 p.m.