Hot-Shooting Firebirds Soar Past NYIT, 96-73

OLD WESTBURY, NY – The University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team shot a season-best 57-percent from the field en-route to a convincing, 96-73 victory over East Coast Conference foe NYIT on Saturday afternoon at Recreation Hall.

The Firebirds, showing no ill effects from the loss to LIU Post on Thursday night, jumped out to an early 12-4 lead and never looked back. UDC improved to 15-4 overall and 11-2 in the ECC while also completing the season sweep of the Bears. NYIT, meanwhile, fell to 13-7 overall and 9-5 in league play.

Four of the Firebirds' starting five scored in double figures in addition to one reserve. Junior transfer guard Telisha Turner (Criminal Justice – Wilmington, DE/Harcum) led all scorers with 22 points on 9-of-18 FG shooting while also adding four assists and four rebounds. Junior forward Denikka Brent (Mechanical Engineering – Chesapeake, VA/Booker T. Washington HS) shot 7-of-9 from the field and finished with 16 points and five rebounds. Junior transfer guard ShaKena Williams gave UDC an outside scoring punch, knocking down 4-of-5 from long range and finishing with 14 points along with a game-high three steals. Also, sophomore forward Tatyana Calhoun (Environmental Science – Disputanta, VA/Sussex Central) hauled in a game-high eight rebounds to go with 12 points and sophomore guard Shantrel Oliver (History – Columbia, MD/River Hill HS) pitched in 10 points off the bench.

Guard/forward Alex Venuto registered team-highs of 17 points and eight rebounds for the Bears, and guard Dina Ragab added 15 points and a game-high five assists.

The Firebirds started the game red-hot from the field, making five of their first six shots collectively as a team in the first four minutes of play to grab an early 12-4 lead. Brent made two jump shots and Williams canned a three-pointer in that stretch. UDC would go on to shoot a scintillating 71.4-percent (20-of-28) from the field and 44.4-percent (4-of-9) from three-point range while also making 100-percent (6-of-6) at the free-throw line in the first half. Meanwhile, the Firebirds defense held NYIT to 38-percent  (13-of-34) FG shooting and a paltry  18-percent (2-of-11) from three-point range. UDC held a comfortable, 50-36 lead at halftime.

NYIT out-scored UDC 8-4 in the opening 4:20 of the second half and closed the gap to 10 (54-44), but that was as close as the Bears would get the rest of the way. Williams and Oliver each knocked down a three-pointer during an 8-2 Firebirds surge as UDC widened the gap to 16 (62-46) near the 14-minute mark. The Firebirds led 79-63 with 5:49 left to play when they went on an 11-0 run to take their largest lead of the day, 90-63, with 3:31 remaining. Senior guard Snezana Blagojevic (Business Management – Kragujevac, Serbia/Shepherd) added two three-pointers in the final two minutes of regulation for good measure as UDC won by a final score of 96-73.

The Firebirds, currently a game back of 1^st place LIU Post in the win column, will host Bridgeport on Monday, February 10^th at 5 p.m. in a rescheduled game from last month.