ROCHESTER, NY – Graduate student Malik Brooks led the Roberts Wesleyan University Men's Basketball team with 24 points and helped spark a couple comeback efforts but the University of the District of Columbia held on for a 97-91 victory Saturday afternoon in an East Coast Conference (ECC) game at the Voller Athletic Center.

District of Columbia (5-19 overall, 3-11 ECC) took control early in the game and led by 17 points with 10:12 left in the opening half.

Roberts (9-15, 6-8 ECC) battled back with strong defensive play and put together a 13-4 run over the next five minutes to trim the lead and then closed the half on a 14-6 run to close the gap to a point at 41-40 at the intermission.

In the second half, the teams traded baskets early but the Firebirds eventually built another double-digit lead and led by 14 points with 6:45 left to play.

The Redhawks cut the lead to seven points three different times over the next four minutes and a 3-pointer by senior Jermaine Taggart II trimmed the lead to six points with 35 seconds left to play.

Brooks hit four layups in the closing seconds but a 4-for-4 effort at the free throw line by UDC sealed the victory.

Brooks led the team with 24 points and added eight assists and eight rebounds while Taggart and freshman Zach Hicks each scored 15 points. Junior Arnardo Camacho scored 13 points and added seven steals and eight rebounds while sophompore Trey Kleitz chipped in 11 points for the Redhawks.

Roberts is back in action Wednesday night with the final regular-season home games of the year against D'Youville in the Voller Athletic Center.