Defense Keys Firebirds’ 62-48 Homecoming Victory vs. Goldey-Beacom
Senior guard Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore registered 14 points, four rebounds and a game-high three steals)
WASHINGTON, DC – The Firebirds turned 23 Lightning turnovers into 25 points as the University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team led wire-to-wire in a 62-48 victory over Goldey-Beacom College on Homecoming Night at the UDC Sports Complex.
Senior forward Iman Scott led three Firebirds in double-figures with game-highs of 19 points, eight rebounds and one block to go with a team-high four assists. Nearly half of Scott's points came from the free-throw line where she shot 9-of-12. She was complimented by the outside shooting of senior guard Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore (14 points, four rebounds and a game-high three steals) and senior forward Tiara Goode (12 points, eight rebounds, two steals, one assis). The Firebirds feasted at the free-throw line, making 22-of-31 (71-percent) while GBC earned only two trips to the foul line and made 3-of-4.
The Lightning (0-4), which out-shot UDC 35-percent to 31-percent from the field on the night and 32-percent to 24-percent from three-point range, spread the scoring around a bit more as forward Britani Bryson was the lone GBC scorer in double-figures with 14 points and eight rebounds. Guard Lexi Bruno pitched in with nine points, a game-high five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
UDC (2-1) raced out to a 13-0 lead in the first five minutes of play, holding Goldey-Beacom scoreless on 0-for-3 FG shooting and five early turnovers. Baldwin-Kollore led the way with seven first quarter points as the Firebirds took a commanding, 21-8 advantage at the end of the period.
Bryson and Bruno steered Goldey-Beacom back into the game in the 2nd quarter as Bryson sparked the Lightning with a three-pointer for the first points of the period and Bryson went on to score six points on three buckets. The Firebirds were just 1-of-7 from the field to start the quarter and finished 5-of-16 with four turnovers as the Lightning stormed back to twice close within eight before settling for a 31-21 halftime score thanks to aDionna Tunstall jumper at the buzzer.
The two teams traded baskets early in the 3rd quarter as UDC maintained a 35-26 lead just past the eight-minute mark, but Baldwin-Kollore's three-pointer jumpstarted a 7-2 Firebirds surge culminating in a 1-of-2 trip at the line by Goode which matched the largest lead of the night of 14, 42-28. The Lightning would out-score UDC 6-2 in the final 4:11 to stay in striking distance, 44-34 at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Goldey-Beacom began to heat up from long range, as Bruno knocked down two three-pointers and Quorea Pearyer and Mikila Stefanski each added another. Each of Bruno's treys cut the lead to eight, and later Pearyer and Stefanski's back-to-back threes brought the Lightning as close as they had been since the opening minutes of the game, 55-48 with just under two minutes left to play.
At that point though, the Firebirds defense stiffened and held the Lightning scoreless for the remainder of regulation. They went on to sink 5-of-6 at the line to win comfortably by their largest margin of the night, 62-48.
Next up, the Firebirds visit their cross town rival Bowie State on Tuesday, November 24th at 6 p.m.
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