GAMEDAY: WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FACES DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN FIRST ROUND OF ECC CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

3/1/2023 6:00:00 AM

Washington, D.C. - The College of Staten Island Women's Basketball Team will make their first appearance in the postseason as an NCAA Division II program this evening as they travel to Washington, D.C. for a first-round East Coast Conference Championship Tournament matchup with the University of the District of Columbia. The Dolphins enter tonight's game as the #5 seed in the six-team bracket and will face off against the #4 seeded Firebirds. The Dolphins finished the regular season with a 10-18 overall record and a 6-10 mark against the ECC. The Firebirds finished 15-12 on the season with a 10-6 record in conference play.

Both meetings during the regular season were won by the Firebirds and the Dolphins have never beaten UDC in four tries. The first meeting of the season between the two teams came in early December of last year and the Dolphins suffered the loss on their home floor by ten, 73-63. The second meeting came less than two weeks ago and the Firebirds won convincingly over the Dolphins at home handing the Dolphins an 86-58 loss.

Gia Esposito has averaged 18 points per game against the Firebirds this season and has by far been the most effective Dolphin against UDC at the offensive end. In the most recent meeting between the two teams, Ashley Lambert scored 16 points to go along with 21 from Esposito. The Dolphins will be hoping to get their leading scorer Jenalyse Alarcon a bit more involved in tonight's game as she has not scored in double-figures in either meeting against UDC. Latavia Jackson and Destiny Ryles, the two leading scorers for the Firebirds, have both played well against the Dolphins this season. Both averaged 17 points against the Dolphins across two games and Ryles also grabbed 9.5 rebounds per game against the Dolphins. It was an uncharacteristically poor performance on defense for the Dolphins last time they faced UDC as the 86 points they allowed was the most they surrendered in a non-overtime game all season.

Gametime - 5:30 PM
Location - Washington, D.C.
All-Time Series - UDC leads, 4-0
Last Meeting - 2/18/23: UDC won, 86-58

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