The University of District of Columbia women’s basketball team couldn’t have ended their season better than they did Feb. 27, crushing Urbana University’s Lady Blue Knights, 84-60, for third place in the Independent Invitational Women’s Basketball Classic in Washington, D.C.
UDC not only sealed their winning season with an impressive 19-9 record (a seven wins improvement over last season) but also honored their most veteran leaders with Senior Day.
Team captains Lillian McGill and Niqky Hughes both were named to the Independent Invitational all-tournament team after outstanding performances in what will be their last home game as a collegiate athlete. McGill fell just shy of her usual double-double, scoring a team-high 19 points with eight rebounds; she will end her career with more than 1,400 points and 1,100 rebounds, along with 78 game wins, the most by any player under current UDC head coach Lester Butler.
Hughes followed McGill with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting. The graduate student transferred from North Texas last season and made an immediate impact, scoring more than 250 points this season.
UDC will miss both seniors, but they have much to look forward to next season. Freshman forward Dohnay Banice proved that in the season finale, scoring 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting, along with five rebounds. She had also scored 15 points against King College in the tournament opener.
Banice helped UDC carry a 13-2 home record this year, but they’ll have to play away from the District when they participate in the NCAA Regional’s scheduled to begin March 11.
