UDC Rallies To Top Purple Knights, 70-66, In ECC Women's Hoops Action

Bridgeport, Conn. - The University of Bridgeport women's basketball team saw a late lead slip away as they dropped a hard-fought East Coast Conference contest to the visiting Firebirds of the University of District Columbia, 70-66, on Wednesday evening. The loss drops Bridgeport to 2-13 overall and 0-7 in ECC play this year. UDC is now 12-3 overall and 5-2 in conference play.

The Purple Knights took a 36-32 lead heading into halftime. Bridgeport came out of the gate hot as they upped their lead to double digits less than two minutes into the second 20 minutes of action. UDC would not go away easy and came all the way back to eventually take a 52-49 lead with 10:08 remaining. Bridgeport would then go on a 7-0 run to recapture the lead 56-52 at the 8:50 mark.

The game remained in UB's favor until UDC's ShaKena Williams hit back-to-back three pointers to tie the game up at 62-62 with 3:52 to play. After a couple of empty possessions for each team, the Firebirds put in a layup to take a 64-62 advantage, one that they would not relinquish as they made their free throws down the stretch to close out the game.

Seniors Jennifer Kucukkaya (Sodertalje, Sweden), Tiara Aziz (Easton, Pa.), and sophomore Evelyn Ovner (Vallentuna, Sweden) led balanced scoring attack on the evening as the trio each tallied 13 points. Aziz pulled in seven rebounds which was a team-high. Aziz and Kucukkaya tied for the team high in assists with six apiece.  

UDC's ShaKena Williams scored a game high 24 points on 8-11 shooting from three-point range.

The Purple Knights will hit the road for two games, first stopping in Oakdale, NY to take on Dowling College on Tuesday, January 20 at 5:00 pm. Then they will head to Rockville Centre, NY to play the Lions of Molloy College on Thursday, January 22 also scheduled for 5:00 pm. Bridgeport's next home contest will be played on Saturday, January 24 at 1:00 pm versus Queens (NY) College.