Box Score Nov. 16, 2014 Box Score | Photo Gallery
PITTSBURGH - The Duquesne women's basketball team fell in their 2014-15 season opener to Princeton (2-0) 79-62 on Sunday afternoon at the Palumbo Center.
April Robinson, who came within one point of tying her career-high, led Duquesne with 19 points. Amadea Szamosi added a career-high 12 points and Deva'Nyar Workman scored 10 in her Division I debut for the Dukes. Workman and Szamosi each led Duquesne with six rebounds. Robinson and Olivia Bresnahan each had a team-high five assists.
Princeton's Michelle Miller scored a game-high 20 points and Amanda Berntsen added 14 for the Tigers.
The Dukes opened up the 1st half by committing turnovers on their first four possessions before a Szamosi putback off a Bresnahan missed foul shot gave the Dukes their first basket of the season. This started a 9-2 run - highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers by Robinson - over the next 1:42 and gave Duquesne an 11-8 lead with 15:36 remaining in the half. The Dukes would hold onto the lead until a Blake Dietrick 3-pointer at the midway point of the half gave the Tigers a 19-18 advantage.
Princeton would extend its lead to eight points at 28-20 coming out of the 8-minute media timeout. An Annie Tarakchian hook gave the Tigers their first 10-point of the game at the 6:06 mark, making the score 30-20. A Kyasia Duling layup would cut the deficit to six points with 2:29 to play, but Princeton got baskets from Berntsen and Miller to close out the scoring and took a 36-26 lead into halftime.
Princeton hit the half-century mark coming out of the 16-minute media timeout in the 2nd half, extending their lead to 19 points at 50-31. A Miller 3-pointer followed, giving the Tigers their first 20-point lead of the game at 53-33 with 14:09 remaining. An Alex Wheatley layup gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game at 21 points - 68-47 with 4:31 remaining.
A 9-2 run by Duquesne made it a 14-point game with 2:06 remaining, which is as close as they would come the rest of the contest.
"Princeton is a very good, NCAA caliber team," said head coach Dan Burt. "Playing teams like Princeton simulates being in conference and postseason play, which is a tremendous challenge right off the bat.
Princeton shot 49 percent (31-63) to Duquesne's 39 percent (22-56). The Tigers held the edge on rebounds 41-35 and points in the paint 34-26. The also had 23 assists to Duquesne's 12.
"We knew heading into the season that the first three games (Syracuse, Green Bay) were going to be a big test," added Burt. "It's a quick turnaround with us playing Wednesday, so we're going to forget about this one and get focused on Syracuse on Wednesday."
The Dukes and Orange (1-0) tipoff at the Palumbo Center on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Syracuse defeats A-10 rival Fordham 59-42 earlier this afternoon.
GAME NOTES
- This is the first season-opening loss for Duquesne since a 65-51 setback at East Carolina on Nov. 9, 2005
- Robinson previously scored 20 points at VCU on Jan. 22, 2014 and against West Virginia on Dec. 21, 2013
- Princeton's starters outscored Duquesne's 62-44
- Robinson's tied a career-high with four 3-pointers (Buffalo - Nov. 28, 2012)