Dec. 31, 2011

Box Score

PITTSBURGH - Sean Johnson and B.J. Monteiro scored 24 points each as Duquesne extended its winning streak to three by completing the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 118-72 win over Houston Baptist at the Palumbo Center.

The Dukes (9-5), who led 52-31 at the half, posted their highest point total since a 129-59 win over Howard on Nov. 9, 2007 in handing HBU (5-8) its sixth road loss without a win. The 46-point margin of victory was the largest since the 70-point win over Howard.

Monteiro, who scored his 1,000th career point on a free throw early in the first half, added a career-high 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks in 29 minutes. Jerry Jones went 8-of-9 in scoring a career-high 19 off the bench and T.J. McConnell handed out 9 of the Dukes' 27 assists.

Terry Bembry lead Houston Baptist with 16 points.

"It was nice for us to have a game like this," said Duquesne coach Ron Everhart. "We haven't really had one where an opponent was willing to run and play a fast break style of game. I think our guys played well and they really had a lot of fun doing it."

Houston Baptist led by three five minutes into the game as Duquesne, which was coming off a season-low 7 turnover game in a win over Bowling Green on Wednesday, had nine with just over eight minutes left in the half. DU led 18-17 before Monteiro started a 23-6 run with a layup. Seven players scored during the run, with none scoring more than five.

The Dukes closed their highest scoring first half of the season with a Mike Talley layup to take 21-point lead.

Duquesne took its first 30-point lead on a pair of Kadeem Panthophlet free throws with just under 13 minutes left. The lead reached 40 for the first time on a Jones 3-pointer at the 7:30 mark. A Johnson layup with 4:30 left gave the Dukes 100 points for the 11th time under Everhart.

"When we rebound the ball on the defensive end and we can get ourselves out in transition, normally good thinks happen for us," said Everhart whose Dukes enjoyed a 55-39 rebounding advantage. "I think we're pretty good when we get our motor going a little bit. A lot of our transition baskets came as a result of guys who blocked out, guys who went and got the ball, good outlet passes, sprinting the floor and beating the defense back."

Duquesne shot a season-high 57.9 percent while holding HBU to 33.3 percent.

Duquesne opens Atlantic 10 play on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 7:00 p.m. against Saint Joseph's (10-4) at the Palumbo Center.

NOTES

• This is the fourth consecutive season Duquesne will enter the new year with nine wins (9-5 this year, 9-5 last year, 9-4 in 2008-09 & 9-3 in 2007-08) .... the last time DU had nine wins through December prior to 2007-08 was 1968-69 when the Dukes were 9-1 on January 1.

• It was DU's first 100-point game since a 101-69 win over UMBC on Nov. 27, 2010 ... it was the Dukes' 11th 100-point game in six seasons under Ron Everhart ... the 118 points were the most since a 129-59 home win over Howard on Nov. 9, 2007 ... the 46-point margin of victory was the most since the Howard game.

• B.J. Monteiro became the 35th member of Duquesne's 1,000-Point Club with the the first of two free throws at the 15:40 mark of the first half. Monteiro, who finished with 24, has 1,021 points in 107 games ... the 1,021 points rank 33rd all-time.

• The double-double was the third of Monteiro's career ... Monteiro completed the double-double with a rebound with 4:00 minutes left in the first half ... he had 13 points and 10 rebounds at the half.

• Monteiro, who was coming off a career-high 28 point outing on Wednesday vs. Bowling Green, pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds ... his previous career high was 10 which he's done three times (last vs. Temple last year).

• The Dukes, who had seven turnovers in their 86-76 win over Bowling Green on Wednesday, matched that total in the game's first 11 minutes ... DU, which finished the first half with nine turnovers, was turnover free for the last 7:54 ... DU, which finished the game with 12 turnovers, didn't turn it over again until the 13:32 mark of the second half.

• DU opened with its fifth different starting lineup in its past five games: Monteiro, Datt, Johnson, Evans & McConnell.

• Andre Marhold had a career-high four blocks in 12 minutes ... Danny Herrera scored 8 points in 6 late-game minutes.