Firebirds Look to Rebound Against Surging Molloy Saturday
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Molloy (6-9, 2-5 ECC) | 26 | 26 | 52 |
|
Dist. Columbia (7-10, 2-5 ECC) | 36 | 37 | 73 |
2012-13 University of the District of Columbia Women's Basketball Game Notes
Molloy (6-8, 2-4 ECC) at District of Columbia (6-10, 1-5 ECC)
Saturday, January 19th - UDC Gym (Washington, DC)
Opening Tip-Off
The Firebirds play host to the Molloy College Lions on Saturday afternoon at UDC Gym. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. Follow Live Stats and Live Video.
Updating the Firebirds
District of Columbia is entering the game on a five-game losing streak following a 51-46 loss at Dowling on Wednesday night. The Firebirds used a 19-4 run to take a seven-point lead into halftime, aided by strong showings from Denikka Brent (10 points) and guard Terra Shaw (seven points). However, the offense just was not there in the second half as the Firebirds were held to 15 points on 6-of-25 shooting, and Dowling opened the second half with a 12-2 run to take a lead that they would hold for the remainder of the game.
District of Columbia's scoring average has taken a significant dip during the recent losing streak. During the season's first 11 games, the Firebirds were averaging 64 points per-game, and not coincidentally, they won six of those 11. However, over the last five games, field goal percentage has dropped .393 to .313, free throw percentage has dropped .622 to .525, and, consequently, scoring has dipped to under 46 points per- game. Even more alarming, scoring in the second halves of games has dropped to under 19 points per- game (on 29-percent shooting) during the streak, punctuated by a 15-point second half effort last Saturday vs. Dowling. However, the Firebirds' defense has actually played better during the losing streak, holding four of five opponents to 60 points or less. District of Columbia is giving up only 58 points per-game over its last five outings, down from the 62.8 average it had been giving up over its first 11.
Scouting Molloy
Molloy, on the other hand, is on the upswing having won its last two games at Queens (74-65) and vs. Roberts Wesleyan (71-62). The Lions seem to live-or-die by the three-point shot, making an ECC-best 7.4 treys per-game but also taking an ECC-high, 24.6 attempts per-game from behind-the-arc. They rank 3rd best in three-point accuracy (30-percent) but next to last in the league in overall field goal percentage (33-percent). Molloy is the most penalized team in the league (20.0 personal fouls per-game) but is also tops in the league in free-throws made (14.9) and attempted (23.3). The Lions are middle of the pack in the ECC in scoring offense (63.6 ppg) but their defense is suspect, allowing 68.4 points per-game which ranks next to last in the league. Molloy is led by upperclassmen guards Kelly Guerriero and Christina Marra. Guerreiro averages a team-best 10.7 points per-game while Marra shoots an ECC 3rd-best 40-percent from three-point range and averages 10.1 points per-game.
The Matchup
The Firebirds will be looking to end a five-game losing skid while Molloy seeks its third straight win. The Lions have shot 40-percent or better from three-point range in each of their last three games and 30-percent for the season while District of Columbia, a primarily zone-defense team, is 5th best in the league at defending the three-point shot, allowing opponents to shoot a 29-percent average from behind-the-arc for the year. The Firebirds have struggled offensively of late, but bear in mind, they have faced three of the league's top-four defenses during their five-game losing streak. Saturday they go up against Molloy's next-to-last rated defense in the league which allows over 68 points per-game. District of Columbia's offense seemed to be operating just fine in the first half against Dowling when the Firebirds dropped 31 points on the nation's No. 1 scoring defense; however, as has been the trend of late, the offense stalled in the second half, and the Firebirds managed just 15 points the rest of the game. Sustaining a productive offense for 40 minutes and getting out on Molloy's three-point shooters defensively will likely dictate the outcome of the game for the Firebirds on Saturday.
