New Rochelle, N.Y. – With the score tied at 74-74 with 1.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Laia Solé was fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound, and sunk both attempts from the charity stripe to lift the Dukes past Iona, 76-74 on Friday night at the Hynes Athletic Center.
The Dukes held off a late run from Iona in the quarter, as the Gaels fired off a 23-14 sprint to tie the contest with less than a minute remaining.
Freshman Amaya Hamilton led the team with a season-best 17 points. Amanda Kalin posted 15 points, including a perfect 9-for-9 mark from the free throw line, the junior was just one steal and two assists away from a triple double. Libby Bazelak (11 pts.) and Paige Cannon (10 pts.) also reached double-figures in scoring.
The Dukes got off to a fast start offensively, as the Dukes grabbed an early 14-6 advantage. The Gaels began to click, rallying off a 14-4 run to take its first lead of the contest at 20-18. The advantage on the scoreboard did not last long, as Duquesne quickly grabbed a 21-18 lead following a Hamilton triple. No team could score in the final 40 seconds, as the Dukes led the Gaels by a point after the first quarter.
The Dukes stormed ahead with a 17-5 outburst in the second quarter, as the Dukes made over half of its shots from the field and held Iona to shot just 2-for-10 on attempts from the floor. The impressive scoring surge featured points from six different Dukes, as Hamilton (4 pts), Kalin (2 pts.), Samson (6 pts.), Bazelak (3 pts.), Johnson (4 pts.) and Cannon (2 pts.) all contributed points in the run.
The Gaels countered with a 22-8 run in the third quarter, cutting the Duquesne lead to as low as 50-48, but the Dukes closed the final 2:24 of the quarter on a 10-0 run, to earn a 12-point lead to begin the fourth at 60-48.
Iona fought back once again to begin the fourth quarter, as the Gaels cut the 12-point deficit to just a single point after an 18-10 sprint. With 2:38 left in the fourth, the Galels fired off a layup and 3-pointer, while Duquesne countered with free throws as the score was tied at 74-74 with 18 seconds left. The Dukes attempted a shot near the basket, as Solé grabbed the important offensive rebound and went up strong before being fouled. The redshirt-junior from Spain converted both attempts from the line to give the Dukes back the lead. Iona called timeout and started possession at midcourt. The Gael's 3-point game-winning attempt was blocked, as the Dukes held on to defeat the Iona.
Duquesne missed its final seven field goal attempts, but went 7-for-7 from the free-throw line to earn the victory.
The Dukes complete the weekend in Easton, Pa. against Lafayette on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast online on the Patriot League Network.
