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| Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore (#22) led UDC with a career-high 30 points |
From our friends at UDC Athletics...
Firebirds Push Past Lincoln, 68-61 Behind Baldwin-Kollore’s 30-Point Scoring Effort
Senior guard Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore led all scorers with a career-high 30-point scoring effort to power the University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team to a 68-61 victory over Lincoln in non-regional play Saturday afternoon in our nation's capital.
Baldwin-Kollore shot 8-of-13 from the field, 3-of-3 from long range, and 11-for-12 from the free-throw line while also registering six rebounds and game-highs of four assists and four steals. She is a 93-percent (40-for-43) free-throw shooter on the season after today - good for 2nd in the East Coast Conference.
The Firebirds (4-3) were the better shooting team on the day, out-firing the Lions from the field, 43-percent to 31-percent, from long-range (47-percent to 25-percent) and from the free-throw line (91-percent to 50-percent.) The shooting disparity and a 42-38 rebounding edge, were enough to compensate for nine more turnovers (22-13), 30 points allowed off of turnovers, and 15 2nd chance points allowed to the Lions.
Lincoln (4-3) trailed 22-7 at the end of the 1st quarter but out-scored UDC 40-24 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters and led by as many as three with 4:29 remaining in the 3rd quarter. The Lions were led by an outstanding effort off the bench by De'jah Taylor. The 6-foot junior center registered a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds, including 11 boards on the offensive glass. She also pitched in three blocked shots, two assists and a steal.
Lisa Saunders (11 points) scored the first points of the game on a jump-shot nearly a minute into the action, but that proved to be the only field goal made by the Lions in the entire 1st quarter. UDC's defense held Lincoln to 1-of-10 FG shooting and forced nine turnovers. Meanwhile, the Firebirds connected on 4-of-5 from long range, including two three-pointers by junior forward Jenka Stiasna (13 points), and rolled to a 22-7 advantage at the end of the opening quarter.
Iman Scott (7 points) extended UDC's lead to 24-7 with a pair of free-throws nearly a minute into the 2nd quarter, but the tables began to turn on the Firebirds as they turned the ball over on five consecutive possessions and missed a three-pointer on the next possession while the Lions stampeded back into the game on an 11-0 charge to cut the deficit to six, 24-18.
Baldwin-Kollore stopped the bleeding with a three-point play at the 6:07 mark, and answered back after a Courtney Smith three-pointer with one of her own to put UDC ahead 30-21 at 5:30. But Lincoln was not going away, cutting the deficit to three after a 6-0 run culminating in a Teira Pendleton layup with 3:49 to play in the half. Saunders would add a three-pointer in the waning seconds of the half to keep the Lions within five, 37-32 as both teams headed to the locker rooms for intermission.
The Lions wasted no time in going inside to Taylor when play resumed, as she came through for three buckets during a 9-2 spurt to open the 3rd quarter and give Lincoln its first lead since the opening minute of play, 41-39. Baldwin-Kollore countered with a three-pointer at the 5:43 mark to help UDC regain the lead, 42-41, but back-to-back layups by Courtney Smith (11 points) and Amani Clark gave the Lions their largest lead of the day, 45-42 with 4:29 left in the 3rd quarter. Lincoln would control a 47-46 lead at the end of the period.
The 4th quarter saw Dionna Tunstall and Stiasna bury back-to-back three-pointers in the first 1:06 of action and take a 52-47 lead the Firebirds would never relinquish. Lisa Saunders knocked down a three-pointer for Lincoln at the 8:11 mark to make it 52-50, and later hit another one to make it 55-54 with 5:20 to play, but the Lions converted only 3-of-6 from the free-throw line down the stretch while the Firebirds made 12-of-13. UDC went on to win comfortably by a seven-point margin.
The Firebirds will open East Coast Conference play on Friday night, December 11th at Roberts Wesleyan when they take on the Redhawks at 6:00 PM.
Click here for today's box score.
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| Tiara Goode (#14) added 4 points & 4 rebounds |
The Firebirds (4-3) were the better shooting team on the day, out-firing the Lions from the field, 43-percent to 31-percent, from long-range (47-percent to 25-percent) and from the free-throw line (91-percent to 50-percent.) The shooting disparity and a 42-38 rebounding edge, were enough to compensate for nine more turnovers (22-13), 30 points allowed off of turnovers, and 15 2nd chance points allowed to the Lions.
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| Mia Wynn (#34) led all players with 4 blocks |
Lincoln (4-3) trailed 22-7 at the end of the 1st quarter but out-scored UDC 40-24 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters and led by as many as three with 4:29 remaining in the 3rd quarter. The Lions were led by an outstanding effort off the bench by De'jah Taylor. The 6-foot junior center registered a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds, including 11 boards on the offensive glass. She also pitched in three blocked shots, two assists and a steal.
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| Lincoln's De'jah Taylor (#55) led all players with 13 rebounds |
Lisa Saunders (11 points) scored the first points of the game on a jump-shot nearly a minute into the action, but that proved to be the only field goal made by the Lions in the entire 1st quarter. UDC's defense held Lincoln to 1-of-10 FG shooting and forced nine turnovers. Meanwhile, the Firebirds connected on 4-of-5 from long range, including two three-pointers by junior forward Jenka Stiasna (13 points), and rolled to a 22-7 advantage at the end of the opening quarter.
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| Iman Scott (#24) scored 7 points in the first half |
Iman Scott (7 points) extended UDC's lead to 24-7 with a pair of free-throws nearly a minute into the 2nd quarter, but the tables began to turn on the Firebirds as they turned the ball over on five consecutive possessions and missed a three-pointer on the next possession while the Lions stampeded back into the game on an 11-0 charge to cut the deficit to six, 24-18.
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| Tatyana Calhoun (#32) led UDC with 9 rebounds |
Baldwin-Kollore stopped the bleeding with a three-point play at the 6:07 mark, and answered back after a Courtney Smith three-pointer with one of her own to put UDC ahead 30-21 at 5:30. But Lincoln was not going away, cutting the deficit to three after a 6-0 run culminating in a Teira Pendleton layup with 3:49 to play in the half. Saunders would add a three-pointer in the waning seconds of the half to keep the Lions within five, 37-32 as both teams headed to the locker rooms for intermission.
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| Arielle Ward (#5, 2 points) prepares for takeoff |
The Lions wasted no time in going inside to Taylor when play resumed, as she came through for three buckets during a 9-2 spurt to open the 3rd quarter and give Lincoln its first lead since the opening minute of play, 41-39. Baldwin-Kollore countered with a three-pointer at the 5:43 mark to help UDC regain the lead, 42-41, but back-to-back layups by Courtney Smith (11 points) and Amani Clark gave the Lions their largest lead of the day, 45-42 with 4:29 left in the 3rd quarter. Lincoln would control a 47-46 lead at the end of the period.
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| Dionna Tunstall (#11) added 5 points off the bench |
The 4th quarter saw Dionna Tunstall and Stiasna bury back-to-back three-pointers in the first 1:06 of action and take a 52-47 lead the Firebirds would never relinquish. Lisa Saunders knocked down a three-pointer for Lincoln at the 8:11 mark to make it 52-50, and later hit another one to make it 55-54 with 5:20 to play, but the Lions converted only 3-of-6 from the free-throw line down the stretch while the Firebirds made 12-of-13. UDC went on to win comfortably by a seven-point margin.
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| Firebirds' head coach DeWayne Burroughs |
The Firebirds will open East Coast Conference play on Friday night, December 11th at Roberts Wesleyan when they take on the Redhawks at 6:00 PM.
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| Lincoln head coach Darrell Mosley |
Click here for today's box score.
