Firebirds Defeat LIU Post, 80-68
Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
---|---|---|---|---|
LIU Post (5-3, 2-1 ECC) | 34 | 34 | 68 | |
Dist. Columbia (7-2, 1-1 ECC) | 43 | 37 | 80 |
LIU Post
Game Statistics | LIU Post | Dist. Columbia |
---|---|---|
Field Goals | (21-49) | (24-54) |
Field Goal % | 42.9% | 44.4% |
Rebounds | 38 | 32 |
Assists | 16 | 8 |
Turnovers | 20 | 14 |
Pts off Turnovers | 21 | 21 |
2nd Chance Pts | 13 | 7 |
Pts in the Paint | 20 | 26 |
Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 0 |
Bench Pts | 8 | 16 |
WASHINGTON, DC – In a rematch of last year's East Coast Conference Championship, the reigning champion University of the District of Columbia used a 22-5 halves-spanning run to take a 21-point lead early in the closing period and simply cruised to victory, 80-68 over LIU Post on Saturday in our nation's capital.
The Firebirds improved to 7-2 overall and evened their record in the ECC with today's win while the Pioneers suffered their first league loss of the season (2-1) and fell to 5-3 overall.
Senior forward Denikka Brent (Mechanical Engineering – Chesapeake, VA/Booker T. Washington HS), who was honored before the game for having surpassed 1,000 points for her career on December 1st at AIC, registered a season-high 28 points, six rebounds and three assists to lead the Firebirds to victory. Senior guard Telisha Turner also added 18 points and made 3-of-5 from long range.
LIU Post, meanwhile, was led by guard Chelsea Williams, who registered 24 points on 7-of-15 from the field (4-of-8 from behind-the-arc), but did turn the ball over a game-high seven times. The Pioneers turned it over 20 times as a team.
In the first half, the two teams locked into a back-and-forth battle with no team leading by more than four points until well into the game. After a pair of free-throws by Williams made the score 33-29, UDC outscored LIU Post 10-5 to close out the first half. A three-pointer by Turner with only seven seconds remaining gave UDC a 43-34 lead, and momentum, heading into the break.
The Firebirds quickly put the game away with a 12-0 spurt to start the second half, completing a 22-5 run which spanned the halves and taking a 21-point advantage, 55-34. The Pioneers though, trailing 73-56 near the six-minute mark, went on a 12-2 run in less than four minutes to close within seven after a pair of Williams' free-throws. Turner ended the threat with a pair of free-throws of her own and later a three-pointer with under a minute left, as UDC went on to win comfortably by 12.
Next up, UDC will host non-regional opponent Virginia Union on Monday, December 15th at 5 p.m.