WASHINGTON, D.C. - - The District of Columbia turned 15 turnovers into 26 points as the Firebirds went on to defeat the Wilmington University men's basketball team, 91-72, in the Wildcats' final nonconference contest of the season on Monday night.
The Wildcats (3-10) shot 43.5 percent from the floor for the game, including hitting 10 three-pointers, but the Firebirds (6-9) hit on 49.3 percent of their shots, shooting 12-of-30 (40 percent) from beyond the three-point arc. The Firebirds assisted on 28 of their 34 made field goals in the contest.
Jordan Harding scored eight of the first 10 points for the Wildcats, sinking a pair of three-pointers and giving the Wildcats their largest lead of the game 10-5, with 15:07 to play in the first half. Kam Cooper tied the game, 22-22, with a three-pointer and once again at 24-24 with a jumper with 8:29 showing on the clock in the half, but the Firebirds scored the game's next six points to take a lead they'd never relinquish again.
A three-pointer with 1:29 left in the half gave the Firebirds their first double digit lead of the game, 45-34, and put in a layup with eight seconds left to go into the halftime break with a 47-36 lead.
Jermaine Head hit a jumper to get back to within single digits, 52-43, early in the second half, and Jordan Harding hit another three-pointer to move to within 56-46, but that would be as close as the Wildcats would get the rest of the way. Chima Okwu-Lawrence hit a three to again cut it to 65-55, but the Firebirds always had an answer.
UDC hit a three-pointer then followed it up with an old-fashioned three-point play to move ahead 80-62, and then capitalized the momentum with a steal and a fast-break dunk to take a 20-point lead with 5:16 to play.
Jermaine Head and Tyler Norwood paced the Wildcats with 17 points each. Head added nine assists and five rebounds as well. Jordan Harding hit three three-pointers and finished with 15 points while Kam Cooper came off the bench to score 11 points. Chima Okwu-Lawrence led the team with seven rebounds off the bench.
The Wildcats will play their remaining 15 games inside the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, starting with a home game against Georgian Court on Wednesday night. The tip=off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in the WU Athletics Complex.