The University of the District of Columbia Firebirds women’s basketball team came up just short of winning their season finale with a 80-78 loss to the University of Bridgeport Purple Knights on March 1 in Bridgeport, Conn. Yet, despite the loss, UDC will still take the No. 2 seed in the East Coast Conference (ECC) Women’s Basketball Tournament, scheduled to start March 4.
UDC was a bit caught off by Bridgeport in the loss March 1. The Lady Firebirds got off to a slow start and trailed by 12 points at halftime. Bridgeport maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second half but UDC got hot during the final minutes of the game and eventually tied the score with only 13 seconds left. That’s when Bridgeport senior guard Aziza Patterson made a clutch game-winning layup with only 3 seconds left to give her team the 80-78 win.
Patterson finished with a team-high 26 points for Bridgeport. UDC junior guard Telisha Turner scored a game-high 27 points in the loss.
UDC’s second place standings in the ECC gives the Lady Firebirds a chance to rest during the opening round of the ECC Tournament. They’ll face the winner of the first round matchup between No. 3 Queens vs. No. 6 Dowling on March 6 in Washington, D.C.
