Goldey-Beacom played solidly in its 2019-20 home debut, but was handed a 72-66 loss by the District of Columbia at the Jones Center in Wilmington, DE.
Goldey-Beacom in the third quarter looked to gain control with a 7-2 run that gave it a 47-40 lead with 3:44 left. Sophomore Alexis Harrison (Millville, NJ) scored five points in that time.
But the Firebirds poured in the final 11 points of the period to gain a 51-47 lead. Maya Thomas scored nine points in that span for UDC, which shot 4-of-6 from the floor and 3-of-4 from three-point range.
The Lightning had the momentum back when sophomore Sarah Round (Northampton, England) canned a 3-pointer with 6:46 left for a 54-52 lead. But the Firebirds then went on a 16-5 over the next five minutes for a 68-59 lead with 1:46 remaining, thanks to five points from Latavia Jackson.
Senior Amanda McGrogan (Mount Laurel, NJ) poured in 16 points on 7-of-18 shooting and now stands at 973 career points. Round scored 14 points with Harrison getting 13 and eight rebounds for the Lightning (0-3), who shot 53 percent (8-of-15) from the field in the fourth quarter to get back in the game.
Thomas scored 24 points with Jackson adding 23 and 13 rebounds for the Firebirds (1-2), who shot 50 percent (6-of-12) from the floor in the fourth quarter and 38 percent (21-of-56) overall.
Goldey-Beacom does not play again until November 26, when it hosts Saint Thomas Aquinas at 6:00 pm.
