WASHINGTON, D.C. – The D'Youville University men's basketball team fell to the University of the District of Columbia in their conference opener by a score of 73-62 on Friday.
 
Redshirt junior Noah Hutchins (Buffalo, N.Y.) led the Saints in scoring with a season-high 16 points and dished out a team-high three assists. Sophomore Dawson Matsell (Hamilton, Ontario) turned in a solid performance, scoring 11 points and grabbing a season-high six rebounds. Redshirt junior Trayton Trice (Romeoville, Ill.) posted his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Matsell gave DYU an early lead with his first of three three-pointers on the night. A layup and-one from Trice made it 6-3 at the 15:07 mark. Layups from Hutchins and junior TI Scruggs (Huntsville, Ala.) increased their lead to 12-8 at the 11:46 mark. A 6-1 run from UDC gave them a 14-13 edge with 8:51 left to play in the first half. The Saints responded with five straight points thanks to a mid-range jumper from Matsell and a three-point play from Hutchins to go back in front 18-14.
 
Redshirt sophomore Elisha Warren (Woodhaven, Mich.) and senior Nelson St. Louis (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) both put in layups to keep DYU's lead at four with two minutes to go until halftime. Junior Renard Fontes-Jules (Brockton, Mass.) converted a fast break layup in the closing seconds of the half to remain ahead by four points as the game went to halftime.
 
Matsell drilled a three-pointer to make it 31-26 DYU early in the second half. An 8-2 run from the Firebirds gave them a 34-33 lead at the 15:16 mark. A mid-range jumper from redshirt junior Justin Moore (Oxford, Ala.) followed by a pair of layups from Hutchins put the Saints back ahead 39-38 at the 12:57 mark. After UDC took the lead back, Trice cut the deficit to one with a layup.
 
Moore converted a three-point play to cut the Firebirds' lead to 51-47 with 7:48 remaining in the second half. UDC continued to distance themselves from DYU, though, taking a nine-point lead with 6:31 to go. Layups fron Trice and Moore made it 58-51 with 5:17 left in regulation. Scruggs put in a layup with 1:41 remaining to keep it at a ten-point deficit and Matsell drained a three-pointer with 47 seconds remaining, but the Saints couldn't overcome the deficit and the Firebirds would go on to secure the 73-62 victory.
 
D'Youville falls to 2-5 (0-1 ECC) and will head to the College of Staten Island for another conference matchup on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.