Dec. 22, 2006
Box Score
LORETTO, PA -- Six-ten center Kieron Achara hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a five-point comeback in the final 44 seconds and give Duquesne a dramatic 72-71 win at Saint Francis.
The victory ended a 17-game non-conference road losing streak for the Dukes who upped their record to 3-7 - matching the team's win total from last season (3-24). Saint Francis dropped to 4-7.
Achara, who entered the game 1-of-14 from the 3-point arc for his career, hit two of his four 3-point attempts in finishing with a game-high 22 points. Aaron Jackson added 16 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and a career-high five steals for the Dukes.
J.R. Enright led four Red Flash players in double figures with 19.
"I wanted to make sure I took my time and shot a smooth shot," said Achara. "In my previous years here, I was never asked to shoot from the 3-point line. When I play for my international team [in his native Scotland] I step out for 3-pointers all the time. I am comfortable doing that. Coach Everhart has told me that he wants me to take that shot."
"We had some games earlier this season that we maybe should have won," said Everhart. "I don't know if this was one of them, but we'll take it."
Saint Francis took a 70-65 lead on a pair of Jelani Lawrence free throws with 44 seconds to go, before Aaron Jackson answered with a driving layup 12 seconds later to cut the lead to three. Phillip Fayne fouled Devin Sweetney on the inbound pass and Sweetney, who finished with 11 points, missed the front end of a one-and-one that was rebounded by Aaron Jackson.
On the ensuing possession, Reggie Jackson, who finished with 10 points, was fouled on a drive and dropped in a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left to make it 70-69. Aaron Jackson fouled Cale Nelson who made one of two free throws to give Saint Francis a 71-69 lead with nine seconds left.
Following a timeout, Aaron Jackson brought the ball up the floor, veered to the right foul line extended and looked for Robert Mitchell of a screen before finding Achara open at the top of the key. Achara caught the pass and calmly launched the game-winner which bounced off the rim three times before dropping through the net as the final horn sounded.
"Aaron had two options on the final play," said Everhart. "We ran him off a high double screen and the first option was Robert Mitchell on a back cut. When Kieron's man helped on Rob, Aaron did a nice job of keeping his composure and making the right pass. He made the right pass at the right time and sometimes its hard to do that."
Duquesne trailed by 14 with six minutes left in the first half before closing the half with a 17-1 run to take a 37-35 lead. The Dukes scored the final 15 points of the half beginning with a Fayne 3-pointer and ending when the 6-2 Fayne threw down a dunk off an alley-oop pass from Aaron Jackson with 38 seconds left.
The Dukes took their largest lead of the game at 53-46 on an Aaron Jackson bucket with 13:53 remaining before the Red Flash rallied to retake the lead on a Sweetney dunk with 7:18 left. Duquesne managed to tie the score three times in the game's final seven minutes, but did not take the lead until three zeros showed on the scoreboard clock.
Both teams finished with 16 turnovers and 31 rebounds. Duquesne shot 47.5 percent to 47.1 percent for Saint Francis in a game that saw six ties and five lead changes.
Aaron Jackson went 7-of-10 from the field in 40 minutes for the Dukes, while the 6-10 Enright scored 15 of his 19 in the second half, including three 3-pointers, for the Red Flash.
The win was Duquesne's first in a non-conference road game since a 71-68 overtime win at Florida International in the championship game of the FIU New Years Classic on Dec. 28, 2002.
The Dukes break for Christmas prior to returning to the court on Dec. 28 at Boston College.
