District of Columbia Overcomes Slow Start; Defeats Daemen 74-63

AMHERST, NY – The University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team overcame a slow start with a strong second half to defeat East Coast Conference newcomer, Daemen, 74-63 on Sunday afternoon.

The Firebirds improved to 9-3 overall and 5-1 in ECC play with today's win while Daemen suffered its fourth loss in its last five games to fall to 4-10 overall and 1-7 in its inaugural season in the ECC.

Junior transfer guard Telisha Turner (Criminal Justice – Wilmington, DE/Harcum) led three Firebirds starters with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. Junior forward Denikka Brent (Mechanical Engineering – Chesapeake, VA/Booker T. Washington HS) added 10 points while hauling in a career-high tying 13 rebounds, sophomore forward Tatyana Calhoun (Environmental Science – Disputanta, VA/Sussex Central HS) pitched in 10 points and eight rebounds, and junior transfer guard ShaKena Williams (Accounting – Washington, DC/Frederick CC) scored six points and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds.

Four of the Wildcats' five starters scored in double figures, including guard Raeann Stilwell who tied for the game-high with 19 points. Forwards Natalie Galus and Taylor Heinold each pulled down nine rebounds and scored 15 and 14 points, respectively.

Coming off its first ECC loss of the season on Friday vs. Roberts Wesleyan, UDC started slow, falling behind 16-5 through nearly seven minutes of play. At that point, senior reserve guard Julissa Anderson (Criminal Justice – Greensboro, NC/Southeast Guilford HS) ignited a 12-0 Firebirds surge, culminating in a three-pointer by Turner to give the visitors a 17-16 lead near the 9:30 mark. The Wildcats fought back and led 31-28 with 40 seconds remaining in the half, but consecutive baskets by Turner, including a layup at the buzzer, put UDC in front, 32-31 at the halftime horn.

Brent scored the first points of the half on a layup 20 seconds in, and the Firebirds opened the closing frame on a 7-2 run that culminated in a Turner three-pointer to make the score, 39-33 a little over two minutes in. UDC never trailed in the second half; although, Galus helped the Wildcats claw back within three (43-40) with a three-pointer at the 13:22 mark. A three-pointer by senior center Milena Bubnjevic (Criminal Justice – Leskovac, Serbia/Leskovacka Gimnazija) followed by a Brent layup helped push the Firebirds' lead back to eight, and Daemen never really threatened after that. UDC led by as many as 14 and went on to win by a final of 74-63.

Daemen shot slightly better (38-percent to 37-percent) from the field and from three-point range (31-percent to 26-percent), but UDC's 57-35 rebounding edge allowed the Firebirds to out-score the Wildcats 44-24 in the paint and 31-10 in second-chance points. District of Columbia also forced 22 Daemen turnovers, which the Firebirds cashed in on for 33 points. Bench play was also a huge factor as Head Coach Lester Butler, Jr. utilized eight reserves  who combined for 32 bench points compared to the Daemen bench's one point.

The Firebirds return to the nation's capital to host ECC foe Molloy on Wednesday, January 15^th at 7 p.m. UDC is currently in a three-way tie for 2^nd place in the league standings with Molloy and LIU Post.