Firebirds and Knights Meet for ECC Clash in Nation’s Capital

2012-13 University of the District of Columbia Women's Basketball Game Notes

Queens (5-9, 2-5 ECC) at District of Columbia (7-10, 2-5 ECC)

Wednesday, January 23^rd – UDC Gym (Washington, DC)

Opening Tip-Off

The Firebirds host ECC foe Queens College on Wednesday night at UDC Gym. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. Follow Live Stats and Live Video.

Updating the Firebirds

With a win Wednesday night, District of Columbia is still very much in contention for the sixth and final ECC playoff spot. The Firebirds snapped a five-game losing streak on Saturday with a decisive, 73-52 victory at home over Molloy. This marked the first time they had scored 70 or more since November 28^th, 2012, as head coach Lester Butler, Jr.'s squad seemed to have found its offense after struggling the past five games. A big reason for that is the re-emergence of sophomore guard Denikka Brent (Mechanical Engineering – Chesapeake, VA/Booker T. Washington HS). After a three-game stretch where she combined to score just 14 points, Brent has scored in double-figures and averaged 6.7 rebounds per-game the last three games. Defense has also been solid during that three-game stretch, despite the fact that the Firebirds only managed one win in that span. District of Columbia has held its last three opponents under 60 points.

Scouting Queens

The Knights have lost seven of their last nine games but are coming off a 68-55 win over Roberts Wesleyan at home on Saturday. Prior to that game, Queens had lost their last four straight, including two consecutive overtime losses. The Knights feature the nation's 6^th leading scorer in Bria Jackson. The diminutive redshirt-senior guard averages 20.9 points per-game while also handing out a team-best 4.2 assists and grabbing 7.4 rebounds per-contest as well. Jackson is, however, coming off her worst shooting performance of the season on Saturday where she shot just 1-of-9 from the field and failed to score in double-figures for the first time with seven points.

The Matchup

These two teams, with identical ECC records (2-5), are both looking to stay in contention for a spot in the ECC playoffs. With a win Wednesday night, either of these two teams would overtake Roberts Wesleyan for 6^th place in the standings if the Redhawks are to lose against Bridgeport. The Firebirds will have to continue to play stout defense, particularly on Jackson, and limit the Knights on the offensive glass where they grab 15.2 rebounds per-game. District of Columbia will also look to wreak havoc defensively as the Firebirds cause an ECC-3^rd best 21.3 turnovers per-game while Queens turns it over an ECC-2^nd worst 22.0 times per-game.