Devils Defeat Firebirds

Omari Phillip and Curtis Fitch turned in career best scoring efforts as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's basketball team placed four players in double figures in defeating the University of the District of Columbia 72-57 Thursday night in Washington D.C.

USP improves to 7-15 overall.

Phillip (Germantown Friends School/Elkins Park, Pa.) scored 11 points in the second half en route to a career high 19 (6-12 FG; 4-9 3FG, 3-3 FT). Fitch (Marianapolis Prep HS/North Grosvenordale, Conn.) also had a career night, equaling Phillip's 19 point effort (7-10 FG, 3-5 3FG, 2-2 FT). Will Kernan (The Lawrenceville School/Medford, N.J.) added 12 points (5-8 FG, 2-4 3FG) and dished out a game high six assists. Adewale Adefemi (Winslow Township HS/Chesilhurst, N.J.) chipped in 11 points (4-8 FG, 3-4 FT) and grabbed a game high nine rebounds. Adefemi, Fitch and Kyle Flannery (Monmouth Academy/Lakewood, N.J.) had two blocked shots apiece.

Keith Brooks led the Firebirds with 26 points. Chris Leach added 10 points and nine rebounds. Brooks and Kenneth James had five assists apiece for the undermanned Firebirds, who used just five players.

The Devils led right from the opening tap, scoring the first ten points of the game, getting three-point field goals from Phillip and Matt Whitworth (Ocean City HS/Ocean City, N.J.) and layups from Fitch and Phillip. After UDC closed within six, 21-15, the Devils went on a 14-6 run to close out the half with a 14-point advantage 35-21.

Fitch started off the second half with a 3-ball to give the Devils their biggest lead of the game, 18-points, 42-24 before the Firebirds slowly whittled away at the deficit. Buckets by Avatar Jones (Strath Haven HS/Media, Pa.) and Flannery kept the Devil lead in double digits before a trey by Brooks and a jumper by Sam Shehadeh pulled the Firebirds within eight for the first of five times, the last being 59-51 with 4:33 left. Phillip then took over, knocking down two treys and converting three free throws as part of an 11-2 spurt capped by an Adefemi slam that gave the Devils plenty of breathing room, 70-53 with just 2:11 left. a Kernan layup sandwiched between two UDC baskets in the final 1:44 ended the scoring as the Devils completed the home-and-home sweep with a 15-point win.

USP was the superior shooting club (54%-40%) and rebounding unit (35-26) and they did more damage from beyond the arc (10-23 to 6-16) and the foul line (8-11 to 5-11). Both teams boasted stellar assist-turnover ratios (USP 17/11, UDC 16/8).

The Devils return to action on Saturday, February 20, 2010 when they take on Bloomfield College in a Central atlantic Collegiate conference crossover contest in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Tip off is set for 3:00 p.m.