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PITTSBURGH - L.G. Gill posted career highs in points (22), rebounds (10) and 3-pointers (6) and Jeremiah Jones added a career-high 20 points to help Duquesne to its best start in 36 years with an 89-70 win over UMBC at Palumbo Center.

Derrick Colter added 19 points, including five 3-pointers, and nine assists and Micah Mason had 13 points and seven assists as the Dukes upped their record to 7-2.

The 7-2 start is the best by a Duquesne team since the 1979-80 team opened 10-2.

Duquesne, which assisted on 25 of its 34 field goals, shot 53.1 percent, including 16-of-31 from the 3-point arc. The 16 3-pointers were one shy of the school record tied earlier this season in a win over Penn State.

Joe Sherburne hit six 3-pointers in leading UMBC (2-8) with a game-high 25 points.

"Our guys came out the way I thought they'd come out after we took that thumping Friday night [a 96-75 loss to Pitt]," said Duquesne head coach Jim Ferry. "I was pleased with our effort. I was pleased with our focus to come out and really jump these guys. I thought our senior leadership was big tonight."

Duquesne hit eight 3-pointers - with Colter and Gill accounting for three each - in the first 10 minutes, in building a 35-16 lead. The Dukes extended the advantage to 28 with just over two minutes left before UMBC cut it to 53-31 at the half.

Colter, Gill and Mason had three 3-pointers each in the opening 20 minutes.

UMBC opened the second half with an 11-0 run, powered by eight points from Sherburne, to pull within 11 before Jones converted a layup at the 17:34 mark.

The Dukes got 12 points from Gill and Jones in building the lead back to 21 with 7:24 left. Gill finished 8-of-10 from the field, while Jones went 8-of-12.

"I think in years past we would have crumbled a little bit," said Ferry referring to UMBC's second half-opening run. "I wasn't going to take a timeout. I wanted the upperclassmen to figure it out. To come up with a stop. To break the ice. These guys fought through it and showed a little character. In the years past, our youth would have hurt us in that run and it could have snowballed. Not with this team this year."

Duquesne heads to Johnstown, Pa. to face Saint Francis U (3-4) at 1:00 p.m. on Sat., Dec. 12 at the Cambria County War Memorial. It will be the first time in 45 seasons - and 11th time in the 75-game series - that the Dukes and Red Flash will meet in Johnstown.

NOTES

• Duquesne's 7-2 start is its best since the 1979-80 team opened 10-2.

• L.G. Gill, who missed his first 3-point attempt, hit his last six to eclipse his previous career high for 3-pointers made (5-of-6 in a then career-high 19 point outing at Rhode Island as a freshman) ... Gill's 22 points were a career-best as were his 10 rebounds ... his previous high rebound game was nine, which he reached four times (three this year).

• Jeremiah Jones' 20 points were three more than his previous career high set on Nov. 25 vs. Western Kentucky ... Jones finished 8-of-12 from the field.

• With his 19 points, Derrick Colter passed Sean Johnson (1,245) to move into the 22nd spot on DU's all-time leading scorers list ... Colter has 1,259 points in 100 career games ... Colter's nine assists were two shy of his career high set as a freshman vs. Charlotte.

• Micah Mason scored 13 points to bring his career total to 965 ... Mason, who played his freshman season at Drake, has scored 803 points in his three seasons at Duquesne.

• Ten Dukes saw action in the game's first 14 minutes.

• Duquesne's 53 first half points were one shy of tying the Ferry Era record of 54 accomplished twice - the last coming on Nov. 16 vs. New Orleans.