The University of the District of Columbia women’s basketball team, the Lady Firebirds, finally saw their winning run come to an end after a recent loss to the Fayetteville State University Lady Broncos on Jan. 24 at the Capel Arena in Fayetteville, N.C.
The Lady Firebirds had won five straight games, including victories over Salem International, Philadelphia University, Central State and King College. Their streak began on Jan. 3 with a win over Fayetteville State at the UDC Complex in Washington. But the Lady Broncos gained revenge Monday with a 69-62 home win over UDC to split the season series.
The win didn’t come easy for Fayetteville State, though. The Lady Firebirds recorded a 9-0 scoring run in the first half to stretch their game-high lead to 10 points. UDC led 33-27 at the halftime break, but the Lady Broncos managed to come back, outscoring the Lady Firebirds 42-29 in the second half.
Fayetteville State was able to outperform UDC in the second half by containing star forward Lillian McGill, who averages double-digits in points and rebounds per game. McGill scored only eight points, seven of them scored in the first half, but still pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.
But while McGill struggled offensively for UDC, Lady Broncos’ Tiffany Haywood was able to go on a second half 15-point scoring surge. Haywood led the game with 19 total points, while her teammates LaQuasha Jordan and Amanda Sinclair joined in with 12 points and 10 points, respectively.
Fayetteville State now improves to a 5-11 overall record, while UDC drops to 12-7 overall on the season. The Lady Firebirds will see their next action against the King College Tornadoes in Bristol, Tenn., on Feb. 3. They edged King, 66-62, back on Jan. 8 in a home game.
