District of Columbia Women's Basketball 2012-13 Season Outlook
WASHINGTON, DC - Eighth year head coach Lester J. Butler III knows that the mark of a quality college women's basketball program is the ability to "reload" as opposed to "rebuild." With that in mind, Butler has the University of the District of Columbia poised to compete for an East Coast Conference championship in 2012-13 despite the departure of seven graduated seniors from last year's NCAA Tournament team.
With two key returnees from last year's squad and the addition of five new, highly-touted young players, the 2012-13 Firebirds will look to earn the school's first ECC Basketball Championship and make a return trip to the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament in March.
Guard Janelle Junior (Criminal Justice – Riverside, CA/La Sierra HS) is one of just two seniors that comprise this year's 13-player roster and is the lone returning starter from last year's team which enjoyed a 21-7 overall record and a 12-4 mark in its first year as a member of the ECC. Junior is the leading returning scorer with 9.3 ppg scoring average last season. She also recorded 75 rebounds, 52 steals and 46 assists.
The Firebirds also feature 2011-12 ECC All-Rookie Team selection, Denikka Brent, who is back for her sophomore season at District of Columbia. Brent (Mechanical Engineering – Chesapeake, VA/Booker T. Washington HS) ranked fifth on the team in points scored (170, 6.1 ppg) and third in rebounds (116, 4.1 rpg). She also ranked fourth on the team in steals (44) and T-2nd in blocked shots (14).
Butler has also brought in five new players including transfers Jadda Jefferies and Teara Shaw as well as three freshman recruits Tiara Goode, Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore and Tatyana Calhoun.
District of Columbia will open its 2012-13 campaign at the East Coast Conference/Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Challenge hosted by St. Thomas Aquinas on Nov. 9-10. The Firebirds will square off against Caldwell in their season opener on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. The Cougars have 12 players returning from last year's squad which went 17-11 and advanced to the CACC semifinals. Then, District of Columbia faces Goldey-Beacom the next day at 2 p.m. The Lightning return 11 letter-winners from last year's 19-8 squad, including six seniors.
The Firebirds will play 10 non-conference games in total, including a Nov. 18 home contest against NCAA Southern Regional semifinalist, Florida Southern. They will also play each of the nine other ECC teams twice (at home and on the road) before the regular season comes to an end on March 2nd, 2013.