UDC Women’s Basketball Dealt, 77-59 Loss to St. Michael’s

BRIDGEPORT, CT – The University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team was dealt a 77-59 loss to St. Michael's College at the University of Bridgeport-hosted conference challenge between the East Coast Conference and Northeast 10.

Playing in their 2^nd game in as many days following a near 300-mile road trip to the UB campus, the Firebirds fell to 1-1 on the young season with today's loss. Freshman guard Daeja Quick led all UDC scorers with 17 points while also collecting a game-high six steals. Sarah Hare, the sophomore transfer forward from West Virginia St., added 10 points and four rebounds as well.

St. Michael's, a team predicted to finish 7^th of eight teams in the NE-10 Northeast Division, improved to 2-0 on the season on the strength of a 43-31 rebounding advantage and all five starters scoring in double figures. Forward Samantha Delaney was a force inside for the Purple Knights, posting game-highs of 21 points and 14 rebounds. Her counterpart in the paint was Emily Ferreri with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. Also, guard Brianna Purcell shot 5-of-7 from the field (6-of-9 FT) to add 16 points.

Quick knocked down a pair of free-throws 20 seconds into the action for the game's first points, but SMC quickly rattled off six straight points on three consecutive layups, and the Purple Knights would never trail again. Then, following a layup by UDC freshman forward Mia Boyd, St. Michael's scored the game's next eight points as part of a 14-2 run to take a double-digit lead (14-4) nearly mid-way through the first quarter. The Purple Knights would go on to take a 24-14 lead at the period end.

In the second quarter, SMC would extend its lead to 16 courtesy of an 8-2 run that included four Purple Knight layups. Delaney capped the run to put SMC ahead, 32-16 right near the five-minute mark. UDC fought back with an 8-4 burst over the next three minutes to cut the deficit to 12 with two minutes left in the period. Freshmen twin sisters Dana and Danielle Harrington from Battlefield HS in Gainesville, VA, each scored two points during that stretch – Dana on a layup, and Danielle on a pair of free-throws, and the SMC lead was a manageable 13 at halftime.

SMC out-scored UDC, 7-4 in the first four minutes of the 3^rd quarter to open up a 16-point lead, but a jump shot by Hare breathed life into the Firebirds, who went on to score 11 of the final 17 points to close out the period. A steal and fast-break layup by Quick in the final 13 seconds of the quarter brought UDC within 11, 53-42 heading into the final period.

The Purple Knights wasted little time putting the game away in the 4^th quarter, however, as they marched to an 11-4 run over the first 2:20 of the period and opened up a 64-46 lead. UDC never got any closer than 13 the rest of the way, with SMC leading by as many as 21 before settling for an 18-point victory.

Next up, UDC hosts its season home opener on Wednesday, November 15^th vs. Post University at 6 p.m.