Feb. 23, 2011

Box Score

CHARLOTTE - Orsi Szecsi scored 18 of her career-high 23 points in the second half to lead the Duquesne women's basketball team to a 76-63 victory over third-place Charlotte on Wednesday night.

With the win, the Dukes earn their program-best 21st win and improve to 8-5 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Duquesne, who finished the game on a 36-13 run, also earns their first-ever victory against Charlotte at Halton Arena.

Alex Gensler, coming off a total of 12 points in her last two games, finished with 15. Vanessa Abel added 11 and Wumi Agunbiade 10 for the Dukes are currently tied for fourth place with St. Bonaventure, Dayton and Richmond. Szecsi missed recording her first-ever double-double by pulling down a game-best nine rebounds.

Charlotte's Jennifer Hailey, Shannon McCallum and Epiphany Woodson each scored 13 points for the 49ers, who fall to 21-7, 9-4 A-10.

Duquesne took an early 10-3 lead - hitting five of their first seven shots - capped by Abel stripping McCallum in the paint and finishing with a pull-up jumper at the 16:27 mark of the first half.

Charlotte would come back to take a 13-12 lead at 11:23 after a 10-2 run, highlighted by six straight points by Woodson.

The Dukes would tie the game at 22-22 with 6:55 left after a pair of Ahjah Hall foul shots, but the 49ers would end the half on a 15-7 run to take a 37-29 lead into halftime.

UNCC finished the first half 13-of-20 (65 percent) from the floor and hit 10-of-12 free throws (83 percent). The Dukes were just 10-of-27 from the floor (37 percent) and made only 2-of-10 from beyond-the-arc (20 percent).

Charlotte forced a turnover on the first series of the second half and converted it into a basket to take a 10-point lead at 39-29.

With Charlotte leading 50-40, Duquesne went on a 15-0 run over 5:33 finished off by a Szecsi fast break with 7:03 remaining in regulation.

McCallum would come back with a traditional 3-point play, but a 14-2 run over the next 2:28 made the score 69-55 to put the game out of reach with 1:35 left.

"Orsi picked a great time to have a career game," said head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio. "Ahjah took full advantage of her time and Alex responded to the challenge tonight."

Hall played a career-best 17 minutes and tied her career-best with four foul shots made.

"This win tonight puts us right back in the fight in the A-10." added McConnell-Serio.

The Dukes finish up the 2011 regular season on Saturday afternoon against Rhode Island (7-20, 1-12 A-10). Tipoff will be at 2:00 p.m. Prior to the game, seniors Kelly Britcher, Samantha Pollino and Diana Voynova will be honored along with student assistant Lauren Reinshuttle and manager Andrea Gaborcik.

GAME NOTES

• Duquesne held Charlotte to 4-of -15 shooting after the 49ers were up 10 at the 14:27 mark of the second half
  
  
• With her second 3-pointer at the 16:26 mark of the second half, Gensler moved ahead of Hall of Famer Korie Hlede into third place on the Dukes' all-time list
  
  
• Szecsi's previous career-high was 19 points in the season-opener versus Lehigh
  
  
• Abel tied her career-high with eight rebounds
  
  
• The Dukes hit a season-best 25 foul shots
  
  
• Duquesne has climched a thrid consecutive conference winning season - a program first

Duquesne at Charlotte