Firebirds Feature Five Double Figure Scorers in Pivotal Conference Victory over the Lions
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dist. Columbia (10-12,2-4 ECC) | 44 | 44 | 88 |
|
Molloy (8-13,3-3 ECC) | 32 | 40 | 72 |
Rockville Centre, N.Y.- The University of the District of Columbia's men's basketball team defeated the Molloy Lions 88-72, avenging a tough 102-101 early season loss back in December. This win was a pivotal one for the Firebirds as they knocked the Lions down to fifth place on the ECC standings while moving their way up to fourth.
UDC featured five scorers in the double figures, which included Juanye Colon who led them offensively with 22 points, going 9-18 from the field. Cheyenne Nettleton, who came off the bench to score 14 points, knocked down four jumpers from behind the arc and seniors Aaren Smith, Consolo Adams and Zachary Olukanni also contributed 15, 13 and 10 points respectively.
The Firebirds took the lead in the first half, with Colon and Adams leading the way with 11 and 10 points. UDC went 50% from the field while also handling the ball really well with only one turnover. They were neck and neck with the Lions in rebounding, both grabbing 17 boards apiece.
The second half saw the Firebirds fight to not only hold onto their lead but increase the deficit from 12 points to 16. Smith led the way for the Firebirds going 6-7 from the field to account for 13 points. The Lions were led by senior Nick Corbett and Steven Torre who contributed 16 points apiece. Overall, they struggled at the free throw line going only 18-27 while the Firebirds went 11-13.
Other key contributors were Senior guard Kerry Kirkwood, who led the field with eight assists, and Junior guard Quran Dublin who scored eight points and grabbed four boards.
Last year the Firebirds were kicked out of the playoffs by Molloy, who beat them three times in the season and went on to win the Conference Championships. This is the Firebirds first win over the Lions since January 2017.
This win puts UDC in fourth place in the ECC standings with a 5-5 record. They will head to N.Y. to face off against New York Tech on Wednesday February 12 at 7:00pm as they continue their quest to the playoffs.