UDC freshman Philip Izevbehai scored 23 points on 7 of 10 shooting from the field against the local rival Bowie State Bulldogs on Nov. 15, but that wasn’t enough to keep his team from falling to 0-2 to start the college basketball season.
Fifteen of Izevbehai’s team-high 23 points came on 5 of 7 three-pointers made, but the Firebirds still lost, 87-81, marking the eighth straight loss to the Bulldogs.
On the plus side for the Firebirds, the score was much tighter than it has been in recent years. Last season, UDC fell to BSU, 83-61, at the UDC sports complex. But the Firebirds appear to have a lot more depth in the scoring department this year as four players recorded double digit points Monday night.
UDC senior forward Greg Avila followed Izevbehai with 20 points, while junior guard Brandon Herbert scored 15 points and sophomore forward Dyrek Jones added 11.
The Firebirds shot 48 percent from the field as a whole but their best players got into foul trouble, allowing Bowie State to take control of the game.
The Bulldogs were led by Darren Clark, who scored a game-high 25 points on 7 of 14 shooting, including a few big shots late in the game to help give BSU a 1-0 season start. Clark was followed by teammate Eric Vann with 24 points on 8 of 12 shooting.
Next Up:
The UDC Firebirds will see action over the weekend when they host Mansfield on Nov. 20. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs seek their second straight win when Indiana University of Pennsylvania comes to Bowie on Nov. 20.
