Luke Gadson – Sports Editor
The Owls got off to a hot start this season, securing a victory in their home opener against the University of the District of Columbia. The Owls outscored the Firebirds 75-65 during the Friday afternoon game in James Moore Fieldhouse.
It was a slow start for the Owls as they shot 37% from the field and 62% from the free throw line. This was quickly changed when the Owls came out in the second half and improved those numbers to 52% and 80%, respectively.
“It felt good to get the first win. Now, we just have to continue. We have to fix a couple of things, but I feel good about our team, and I am happy about our first win,” said guard Marty Silvera, a junior.
Silvera had an all-around excellent performance in the victory, making plays on both ends of the floor. In 35 minutes, he put up 21 points, six rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
“It felt great. It’s our home opener. We have a new team, basically. We have a couple young freshmen and transfers,” said Silvera.
Forward Josh McGettigan, a graduate student, recently transferred to the university from Saint Rose College, and he wasted no time to make an impact as an Owl. McGettigan had 17 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Rebounds were one of the keys to the win, and forward Cherif Diarra was a force in the paint, racking up 13 rebounds.
Guard Sean James, a junior, made plenty of plays, putting together 11 points, five rebounds and four assists.
“I think it was our guard play, today. Marty and Sean controlled the game for us. They were getting us a lot of good shots, and Marty finished that game really well for us,” said McGettigan. “We also rebounded the ball very well. We killed them on the boards.”
Slivera said that he was mainly happy about their rebounding because, “In practice, we have been struggling with that. Our coach has been on us about rebounding, so I am happy about what we were able to come out here and do on the glass.”
In the 2022-23 season, the Owls lost their opening game, so beginning this year well is important to the team.
“It’s huge. The last couple of years we stumbled out the gates, and this builds something. If you can build that momentum early, it can go a long way. Today, we battled; we didn’t play great, but we found a way to win,” said Head Coach Scott Burrell. “That’s a tough team. They are much better than last year. I think we can play better though, and hopefully we grow, learn and move on from here.”
The Owls are off to a great start with a record of 1-0 after their first matchup. They have two nonconference games coming up before their first conference game at Assumption University on Saturday, Nov. 18.
