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Senior Janelle Junior led the Firebirds with a career and game-high 21 points which included 6-of-8 shooting from long-range.
Senior Janelle Junior led the Firebirds with a career and game-high 21 points which included 6-of-8 shooting from long-range.
Posted: Feb 11, 2012

GAME PREVIEW: University of the District of Columbia Women's Basketball vs. Dowling

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WASHINGTON, DC - The No. 23 University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team looks to avenge a heartbreaking, 55-54 defeat at Dowling earlier this season, as the Firebirds square off against the Lions at UDC Gym on Saturday, February 11th at 1:00 p.m. The game will take place in conjunction with UDC's Think Pink event, to raise funds in the fight against cancer.

District of Columbia (18-3, 9-2 ECC) is currently on an eight game win-streak during which it has defeated seven of the eight other teams in the East Coast Conference, including NYIT twice. The Firebirds recently jumped Dowling for first place in the league standings after the Lions dropped their second straight game to St. Thomas Aquinas on Wednesday night.

The Firebirds are a perfect 9-0 at home this year and own the East Region's longest home winning streak of 11 straight games dating back to last season. With a win over Dowling, UDC will have beaten every team in the conference at least once in this, its inaugural season as members of the ECC.

Dowling (16-5, 9-2 ECC), who had the longest home win-streak in the region until its loss to STAC on Wednesday night, has struggled of late, losing its last two games after winning its first nine in conference play. The Lions are coming off their worst offensive performance of the season having lost to STAC, 48-39. They shot just 22-percent from the field (17-percent from three-point range) and turned the ball over 23 times.

Janelle Junior (Riverside, CA - La Sierra HS) led all scorers with 18 points when these two schools met earlier this season on January 7th, 2012. Junior made a pair of free-throws with 18 seconds left in regulation to put UDC ahead 54-50 with 18 seconds remaining in regulation, but the Lions marched quickly down the court and Kelly Puwalski (six points, 2-of-4 3-pt. FG) buried a three-pointer to make it a one-point game with 10 seconds left. Puwalski immediately fouled, and the Firebirds missed the front-end of a one-and-one. During the scrum for the rebound, the Firebirds unintentionally fouled Connie Simmons with six seconds showing on the clock. The league's top free-throw shooter at the time knocked down both to put her team in front 55-54, and the Lions escaped with the one-point victory.

Fans who cannot make it to the game can watch a live video webcast with play-by-play by Eli Pearlstein. Visit the team's schedule page and follow the link for "Live Video."