WASHINGTON, D.C. – Making their annual trip to the nation's capital, the D'Youville University men's basketball fell in a hard-fought game against the University of the District of Columbia Friday evening.
 
The Saints (6-16, 3-8 ECC) had a pair of players record double doubles in the game, with Nasir Hammonds (Norfolk, Va.) going for 13 points and a career-high 19 rebounds with Trayton Trice (Romeoville, Ill.) scoring 10 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Nelson St. Louis (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) had a team-high 15 points with Noah Hutchins (Buffalo, N.Y.) adding 14 points.
 
The teams were deadlocked at 6-6 in the first four minutes of action before Hammonds knocked-down a three to help DYU take the lead, coming off the dish from St. Louis. That was the start of an 8-0 run that was capped off with a basket from Hutchins to take the 14-6 lead. The Firebirds were able to flip the momentum, jumping out to a 22-14 lead with 6:16 left in the first half.
 
In the final stretch of the first half, UDC got out to a 33-19 lead, but DYU got the final two buckets of the half thanks to Bryson Birdsong (Winter Haven, Fla.) and St. Louis scoring to cut it to a 10-point lead going into the break.
 
The Saints were able to cut the Firebird's lead down to two possessions, but UDC responded on several occasions. DYU cut the deficit down to four points with 2:54 left in regulation with back-to-back threes from Luke Theisen (Lakeview, N.Y.) and Birdsong to make it 64-60. In the late going of the game, the Firebirds pushed their lead out to nine to help get the win.
 
DYU went 24-for-75 (32.0 percent) from the floor with UDC going 27-for-56 (48.2 percent) from the field. The Saints held the edge on the glass, going for 51 rebounds to the Firebirds' 44 rebounds.
 
The Saints will wrap up their road trip this Sunday, February 11th, as they travel to the College of Staten Island for a 3 p.m. tip.