Boxscore

District of Columbia held IUP to only five points over the final 6:18 and broke open what had been a tight game the entire way for a 69-61 victory over the Crimson Hawks in the season opener for both teams Sunday afternoon in the nation's capital.

IUP trailed by four when Eryn Withers (Burtonsville, Md./Springbrook) made her fourth 3-pointer of the game to pull the Crimson Hawks within 60-59 with 45 seconds remaining. A free throw and layup by Jamilia Bonner pushed the UDC lead back up to four, and the Firebirds iced it when Kendra Johnson made four free throws after a foul by Lacey Claar (Imler, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel) and a technical against the IUP bench with 30 seconds left.

Withers led the Crimson Hawks with 14 points while adding six rebounds and five assists. Sarah Pastorek (Johnstown/Bishop McCort) finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Claar was the third IUP player in double figures with 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers which gives her 160 in her career, 10 behind Katie Glaws' school record.

Brianna Johnson (Fairfax, Va./Oakton) and freshman Alex Vega (Highland, Md./River Hill) both contributed nine points, with Vega hitting three 3-pointers to go along with six assists and three steals in her first regular season college game.

Lillian McGill had a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds for UDC. Bonner finished with 15 points and Johnson had 10 while Jasmine Rich handed out seven assists. Both teams shot 40 percent from the floor but the Firebirds were 17 of 19 from the free throw line, including 13 of 15 in the second half, while IUP were just 8 of 14. UDC held a 38-33 edge on the boards.

The Crimson Hawks jumped out to a 7-0 lead over the opening three minutes but other than that early surge neither team was able to establish control in the first half. Pastorek made two free throws with 5:09 left before halftime to tie it at 24 and it stayed that way until Vega made a 3 as time expired in the half.

IUP maintained the lead through the opening portion of the second half and rebuilt its cushion to six at 47-41 on a layup by Katelyn Marshall (Bowie, Md./Elizabeth Seton) at the 10:34 mark. It was at that point that the Firebirds took over, going on a 15-6 run and taking a 56-53 lead on a jumper by Bonner with 6:41 remaining. Withers tied it for the final time at 56 with a 3-pointer with 6:18 left.

The Crimson Hawks are off until Saturday when they travel to West Virginia to take on Fairmont State. IUP plays its home opener Nov. 29 vs. La Roche and has a rematch with UDC Dec. 3 at Memorial Field House.