UDC Women’s Basketball Loses Nail-biter at Bowie State, 69-66

BOWIE, MD – The University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team fought all the way back from a 16-point 3^rd quarter deficit only to come up short at the end of regulation, 69-66 in a tough loss at cross town rival Bowie State Tuesday night at the A.C. Jordan Arena.

The Firebirds led 64-63 with under two minutes to play but made the crucial mistake of fouling a three-point shooter at the 1:21 mark. Kyah Proctor made them pay as she calmly sank all three to put the Bulldogs in front, 66-64. An Iman Scott jumper with 22 seconds remaining forced the 8^th and final tie of the game, but Lisa Jing connected on a clutch jump shot with just four ticks left. The Firebirds would turn the ball over on the ensuing possession, and Kiara Colston made 1-of-2 at the free-throw line to help secure the three-point win.

UDC (2-2) was led offensively by three double-figure scorers, including Scott who registered her first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Senior forward Tiara Goode also notched her first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Senior guard Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore, meanwhile, registered a game-high 22 points on 7-of-13 FG shooting and 7-of-9 FT to go with a team-best three assists.

Bowie State (2-2) also had three scorers in double-figures, led by Proctor's 20 points on 4-of-18 FG shooting and 10-of-11 FT. She also added four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Colston, meanwhile, packed the stat sheet with 18 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Also, Jasmine Orsted was a sparkplug off the bench for BSU, shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from long range and finishing with 11 points, five rebounds and a game-high four steals.

The Bulldogs were the more efficient team offensively as they shot slightly better from the field (43-percent to 40-percent), much better from three-point range (46-percent to 29-percent) and had six fewer turnovers (15 to 21). BSU capitalized on UDC's 21 turnovers as they registered 28 points off of turnovers compared to the Firebirds' 13. The hosts also doubled-up UDC in bench points, 16-8.

In the first quarter, the Firebirds led 6-3 after a Tatyana Calhoun layup near the five-minute mark, but the Bulldogs came marching back with three consecutive three-point baskets to close the quarter on a 9-4 run and pull in front 12-10 on Orsted's 2^nd three-pointer of the opening quarter.

Back-to-back buckets by Colston to the start the scoring in the 2^nd quarter ignited a 20-6 BSU run that spanned a little over six minutes and gave the Bulldogs their largest lead of the night, 32-16. The hosts would lead 36-21 at halftime.

Still a 16-point cushion for Bowie State, 47-31 with under six minutes to play in the 3^rd quarter, a pair of Amber Bryson free-throws followed shortly thereafter by a conventional three-point play by Scott helped spark a 10-2 Firebirds surge that culminated in a three-pointer by Myla Somerville to cut the UDC deficit to eight, 49-41. UDC would still trail by nine, 55-46 at the end of the 3^rd quarter.

A 10-0 run to start the 4^th quarter gave the Firebirds their first lead since late in the 1^st quarter, as Calhoun registered seven points during that four-minute stretch to put UDC up 56-55. The lead would then change hands six times before three consecutive free-throws by Proctor put BSU ahead to stay with just over a minute left.

UDC will host the Firebird Classic Tournament this weekend. The Firebirds will take on Saint Anselm on Saturday at 3 p.m., and the University of Tampa on Sunday at 3 p.m.