Box Score
Site: Aquinas Hall (Sparkill, N.Y.)
Final Score: Goldey-Beacom 70, University of the District of Columbia 63
Records: Goldey-Beacom (2-0), University of the District of Columbia (0-2)
Next GBC Event: Monday, Nov. 12 at Kutztown | 6 p.m. | Keystone Arena (Kutztown, Pa.)
University of the District of Columbia vs. Goldey-Beacom Box Score: HTML
SPARKILL, N.Y. – Led by 17 points each from seniors
Devonne Richardson (Milford Mill Academy/Baltimore, Md.) and
Irene Hudson (Corcoran H.S./Syracuse, N.Y.), Goldey-Beacom College (2-0) overcame a half-time deficit for the second game in a row to remain undefeated with a 70-63 victory over the University of the District of Columbia (0-2) at the East Coast Conference/Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Challenge at Aquinas Hall on Saturday afternoon.
The win allowed the Lightning to win back-to-back games to open the season for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign when Goldey-Beacom opened the year with three consecutive victories.
For the second straight game, the Lightning had to come back from a half-time deficit to earn the victory. After trailing by 37-34 at the intermission, Goldey-Beacom outscored the Firebirds by a 36-26 margin in the second half.
After the Firebirds opened the second half by scoring five of the first eight points, the Lightning tallied nine of the next 11 points to take a 46-44 lead with 13:20 remaining on a Hudson free throw. The score was tied twice over the next two minutes before Hudson gave Goldey-Beacom a 51-49 advantage with 11:28 remaining that the Lightning did not relinquish.
Over the final 11 minutes, the Lightning led by as many as 10 points on a lay-up by junior guard
Briana Richmond-Peters (Blimm Medical Arts H.S./Camden, N.J.) with 2:55 remaining.
Led by 10 points from senior guard
Janelle Junior (La Sierra H.S./Riverside, Calif.), the Firebirds built a three-point lead in the first half. Junior, who finished the game with a career-high 21 points, helped UDC build its lead after the Firebirds shot an impressive 46.7 per cent from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
But, the Lightning used a 50.0 per cent shooting effort from the field in the second half to secure the victory.
Richardson, who also had 17 points in the Lightning's win over St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday night, made 4 of 10 shots from the floor and was 9-for-12 from the free throw line. She also contributed six assists and four steals.
Meanwhile, Hudson connected on 7 of 12 field goal attempts en route to her 17-point effort in addition to posting four assists and a pair of steals.
The Lightning will continue their season-opening road trip on Monday night by traveling to Kutztown University for a 6 p.m. non-conference game against the Bears.
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