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| Mia-Alexis Llyod (#32) led UDC with 16 points |
From our friends at UDC Athletics...
Firebirds Edged by Millersville, 82-79
The University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team was edged by Millersville University, 82-79 in non-regional action at the UDC Sports Complex Tuesday night.
The Firebirds (2-9) fought their way back from a 10-0 deficit to start the game with strong 2nd and 3rd quarter performances, setting the stage for a 4th quarter that featured nine lead changes and six ties. Millersville (4-5) snatched the lead for good with 3:38 remaining in regulation on a layup by Courtney Dimoff, and the Marauders went on to defend UDC's buzzer-beating three-point attempt for the tie superbly to claim the narrow road win.
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| Freshman Daeja Quick (#3) added 10 points, 2 assists & 2 steals |
UDC featured five double-figure scorers, including a team-high 16 points by junior transfer guard Mia-Alexis Lloyd for her 5th double-figure scoring game this season. Freshman guard Daeja Quick managed 10 points on 3-of-10 FG shooting and 4-of-6 made free-throws for her 10th double-figure scoring game this season, and she also contributed two assists and two steals. All three Firebird reserves reached double-figure scoring as well - junior transfer guard Natasha Roy recorded 15 points and a game-high four assists, freshman forward Mia Boyd posted a season-high 12 points and five rebounds, and sophomore transfer guard Natalija Dubrovina added 11 points and three rebounds.
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| Junior Natasha Roy (#24) scored 15 points off the bench |
Millersville, a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), ended a two-game losing skid courtesy of four scorers in double-figures, including Dimoff's game-high 18 points. Dimoff shot 8-of-16 from the field and registered six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Also, forward Kendra Bamberger and reserve guard Lauren Lister combined for 29 points and 14 rebounds.
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| Mia Boyd (#21) scored a season-high 12 points |
Though UDC finished the game with only 16 turnovers - its 2nd fewest total this season - the Firebirds committed nine of those turnovers in the first quarter, including four in the first 3:05. The Marauders took advantage by racing out to a 10-0 lead, and although UDC responded with a 7-0 burst, Millersville out-scored the Firebirds 9-5 the rest of the way to take a 19-12 lead at quarter's end. The Firebirds had cut the deficit to five after a three-pointer by Dubrovina with 26 seconds to play, and they had an opportunity to make it a one-possession game with possession and just under 10 seconds showing on the clock. A turnover, however, led to an Olivia Mottern made jump shot just before the buzzer to give the visitors a seven-point cushion.
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| Danielle Harrington (#2) added 2 points & 5 rebounds |
Millersville opened the 2nd quarter on an 8-2 march to take its largest lead of the night, 27-14 right around the eight-minute mark. Still a nine-point Marauder lead after a Bamberger three-pointer at the 3:23 mark, Boyd would score six of her 10 2nd quarter points to help UDC out-score MU 8-5 to end the quarter and pull within six, 40-34, by halftime.
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| Tyra Coombs (#22, 8 points) led UDC with 7 rebounds |
Bamberger extended the Millersville lead to eight with the first points of the 3rd quarter on a layup a little over a minute in, but at that point, the Firebirds used a 10-0 surge to take their first lead of the game, 44-42. Dubrovina scored five of those 10 points, including the run-capping three-pointer at the 6:40 mark to put UDC in front. The Marauders answered, however, with eight consecutive points, and went on to out-score UDC 14-7 in a span of six minutes to re-claim a seven-point lead, 56-49. Back-to-back three-pointers by Dubrovina (who scored eight of her 11 in the 3rd quarter alone) and Roy enabled UDC to close out the final minute of the period on a 6-1 surge though, as the Firebirds headed to the 4th quarter only trailing by two, 57-55.
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| UDC Head Coach John Nakpodia |
The 4th quarter featured a see-saw battle, as UDC forced two ties at 57 and 59 before taking its 2nd lead of the night, 61-59 on a layup by Lloyd around the 7:30 mark. The Firebirds, who never led by more than two points tonight, also claimed leads of 63-61 (6:57), 65-64 (6:22), 70-69 (4:39) and 72-71 (3:45), but Dimoff's layup at 3:38 gave Millersville the lead back for good, 73-72. UDC went on to shoot 2-for-5 from the field and 2-for-6 from the foul line down the stretch, as Millersville snuck away with the three-point victory.
Next up, UDC will return to East Coast Conference play after the winter break with a road game at Queens College on Saturday, December 30th.
Click here for yesterday's box score.
