Nov. 17, 2010

Box Score

MORGANTOWN - (AP) West Virginia (2-0) defeated the Dukes for the 11th straight time and earned its school-record 21st consecutive home win dating to the end of the 2008-09 season.

Freshman Orsi Szecsi scored 13 points off the bench for Duquesne (1-1).

Ali also grabbed 10 rebounds. Korinne Campbell added 10 points for the Mountaineers.

West Virginia let a 20-point lead slip to seven midway through the second half before turning up their defensive pressure to keep the Dukes from getting any closer.

West Virginia guard Sarah Miles, the reigning Big East defensive player of the year, saw her first action a month after undergoing wrist surgery. She started but played sparingly in the first half and fell on her right arm underneath the basket after making a pass. Miles remained in the game but finished with just one point and four steals in 22 minutes.

Ali's basket 18 seconds into the second half gave the Mountaineers a 48-28 lead. But she didn't score again and Duquesne pulled closer by forcing turnovers, getting easy layups and going to the free-throw line.

Vanessa Abel had a layup and three free throws during a 10-0 run that brought Duquesne within 56-49 with 10:18 left. But the Dukes managed just two field goals the rest of the game.

West Virginia committed 20 turnovers and shot just 30 percent (7 of 23) from the floor in the second half. The Mountaineers were outrebounded 37-33.

Duquesne had scored 40 points in the first half of a season-opening win over Lehigh last week and got off to a good start against the Mountaineers in the first of six consecutive road games for the Dukes.

Duquesne got several rebounds and inside baskets in jumping to a 13-8 lead. West Virginia coach Mike Carey called a timeout two minutes into the game to give his starters an earful.

Duquesne at West Virginia