Dec. 4, 2015

Box Score / Photo Gallery

PITTSBURGH - James Robinson scored 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and Michael Young added 20, to lead Pitt to a 96-75 win over Duquesne at CONSOL Energy Center.

Eric James scored a career-high 21 points and Derrick Colter added 15 for the Dukes who shot 43.1 percent in falling to 6-2.

Pitt shot 55.4 percent, including 67.9 percent in the first half in upping its record to 5-1.

Duquesne missed its first seven shots and turned it over four times in falling behind 17-2 before Colter hit the Dukes first field goal at the 14:06 mark.

Pitt, which opened 8-of-10, took a 25-6 lead on the second of consecutive Robinson 3-pointers.

Duquesne briefly cut the lead to 12 on a TySean Powell jumper with 7:00 left, only to see Pitt close the half with a 22-7 run.

The Panthers went 6-of-9 from 3-point in building their 57-30 halftime lead.

Robinson had 14 at the half.

"They dominated us in that first half and we never recovered," said Duquesne head coach Jim Ferry.

Duquesne - which shot 51.4 percent in the second half - briefly cut it to 18 on a Micah Mason jumper with just under eight minutes left, before Sterling Smith - who finished with 16 - answered with a 3-pointer to push the lead back over 20.

Pitt maintained at least a 20-point lead the rest of the way.

"They got it going - and they really did get it going - and they did a really good job defensively." said Ferry. "You've got to give all the credit to Pitt. I thought they played a great game tonight. This game certainly won't define our season by any means."

DU, which entered the game averaging 10.9 3-pointers and 18.1 assists per game, finished 7-of-20 from the arc and assisted on just 12 of 28 field goals.

"You've got to remember now, they came off a real tough loss," said Ferry. "I know Jamie [Dixon] very well and he's going to motivate those guys to bounce back very quickly in a game like this - and they did. Hopefully my team will respond the same way in our next game."

Duquesne hosts UMBC on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., Dec. 8 at Palumbo Center.

NOTES

• Eric James followed his career high 18-point outing vs. Mississippi Valley State with 21 against the Panthers ... James, who has made 25 of his 28 two-point field goal attempts this season, tied his career high with three 3-pointers (3-of-5 from the arc).

• James, who was 7-of-10 from the field, also set career highs in assists (4), steals (4) and minutes (30)

• With his 15 points, Derrick Colter moved into a tie with Kieron Achara for the 23rd spot on DU's all-time leading scorers list ... Colter has 1,240 points in 99 career games.

• Pitt, which finished at .554, was the first DU opponent to shoot better than .433 from the field.

• Duquesne, which won its previous game at CONSOL Energy Center, 78-52 over Penn State, gave up 57 points in the first half.