Todd Dominates Boards in Close Overtime Loss

WASHINGTON, DC — The University of the District of Columbia (8-14, 4-8) fell to Molloy College (9-14, 7-4), 72-66, after an overtime battle that saw the Lions outscore the Firebirds 13-7 in the extra period. UDC dominated the boards with a 60-45 rebounding advantage, largely thanks to Le'Asia Todd, who totaled a remarkable 24 rebounds, but the Lions capitalized with 21 points off turnovers.

District of Columbia secured a 16-12 lead by the end of the first quarter. Molloy's Colleen McCullagh opened the scoring with a layup assisted by Sophia Yearwood at 9:57. Kristian Harris responded for UDC with a layup at 8:42, leveling the score at 2-2. Despite Molloy briefly holding a lead, UDC surged ahead in the final minutes, highlighted by Le'Asia Todd's fastbreak layup at 1:29, extending their lead to six points. Molloy cut the deficit with a layup by Yearwood at 1:11, but UDC's defense held firm to close the quarter in front.

Rosa Rizzitelli of Molloy initiated the second quarter with a jumper at 9:39, leveling the score at 14-14. Dashani Coleman responded for the Firebirds with a three-pointer assisted by Aliyah Eason, bringing the home team ahead 19-16 at 8:09. Molloy regained the lead with a fast-break three-pointer by Rizzitelli at 4:55, pushing the score to 21-19. UDC tied the game at 23-23 with a jumper from Todd at 0:27. The quarter concluded without further scoring, leaving the teams deadlocked at the end of the half.

The third quarter featured a back-and-forth battle with both teams exchanging leads. Molloy used a balanced attack with Rizzitelli hitting a crucial three-pointer at 1:21, extending their lead to five points. UDC responded with Coleman scoring a layup at 2:35, leveling the score temporarily. However, Yearwood's layup and free throw in the final seconds sealed the quarter for Molloy, leading 47-41 heading into the final quarter. The visitors outscored the home team 24-18 in the quarter.

In a tense fourth-quarter showdown, UDC overcame Molloy with a final quarter score of 18-12, culminating in a 59-59 tie. Aiyana Ellis played a crucial role, scoring consistently in the paint, while Eason added a pivotal three-pointer at 2:56, extending the home team's lead to its largest margin of seven points. Molloy battled back with a fast-break three-pointer by Yearwood at 1:13, narrowing the gap to just two points. Rizzitelli then tied the game with a layup with 27 seconds remaining. Despite a final turnover by Todd, Molloy failed to capitalize, leaving the game deadlocked at the buzzer.

The overtime period saw Molloy emerge victorious with a 72-66 win over UDC, highlighted by a strong performance from the free-throw line. Ellis initially put the home team ahead with a jumper at 4:43, but Yearwood's layup and subsequent three-pointer helped Molloy regain the lead. With 33 seconds left, Jamie Davneiro's two free throws extended Molloy's advantage to five. Nhaikyia Smith responded with a layup to cut the deficit to three, but Emma Poland sealed the game with two free throws with just 2 seconds remaining.

Smith posted 12 points, collected seven rebounds, and recorded six assists, highlighting her playmaking ability. Ellis led the team with 17 points, adding nine rebounds and two blocks to her performance. Todd was dominant on the boards, grabbing 24 rebounds while also contributing 11 points and five blocks. Coleman contributed 11 points and added two steals to her stat line.

In their next game, the Firebirds will face Staten Island on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 1 p.m.