PITTSBURGH – Down 11 points with 8:57 left in the fourth quarter, the Duquesne women's basketball team came back to force overtime and eventually won in the extra period, as the Dukes (9-2) earned its ninth consecutive victory with a 72-69 win over the Saint Francis University Red Flash (2-7) on Sunday afternoon at La Roche University.
Laia Solé exploded for 38 points in the victory, a Dan Burt era record and the most points by a Duke since Duquesne legend Korie Hlede registered a school-record 42 points on Feb. 11, 1998 against Dayton at the Palumbo Center. Solé's 17 field goals made are the second most in school history. Amy Alger set the record in the City Game against Pitt in 1988, while Hlede tallied 18 field goals against Rhode Island in 1995.
Along with Solé's 38 points, the redshirt junior from Spain posted five rebounds and drew nine fouls in the contest.
Libby Bazelak registered 10 points and 10 rebounds in her third career and second consecutive double-double. Paige Cannon knocked down a clutch 3-pointer and three consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Amanda Kalin also tallied eight points, a team-best six assists and grabbed four boards off the glass.
The contest was tightly fought the entire way, featuring seven tied scores and eight lead changes.
Saint Francis led 16-15 after the first quarter, ending the opening frame on a 9-3 to grab its first lead of the game. Solé posted 11 points in the opening quarter, making her first four attempts from the field and five of her first seven.
Duquesne quickly retook the lead at 17-16 in the second quarter, and increased its advantage to four after a 3-pointer from Kalin. After the teams traded buckets, Saint Francis retook the lead at 26-24. The Dukes would grab back the lead after another Kalin trey. The Dukes entered the locker room with a slim 31-28 advantage at the half. Solé upped her point total 15 after 20 minutes of action. Solé played just over three minutes in the frame due to foul trouble.
The Red Flash put together its best quarter overall after the intermission, outscoring the Dukes 20-11 in the third frame. With the Dukes leading 40-34 with 5:34 remaining in the period, Saint Francis posted a 19-2 run, which filtered into the fourth quarter as the Red Flash led by 11 points early on the in fourth.
The Dukes slowly chipped away at the lead, as an 8-0 sprint featuring points from Kalin, Bazelak and Solé cut the deficit to just three at 53-50. The Red Flash elevated their lead to seven at 57-50, but Duquesne countered with a 7-0 sprint, as Cannon knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:38 left to tie things up at 57-57.
Solé swished two free throw attempts to give the Dukes back the lead, but a triple from SFU's Karson Swogger gifted the advantage back to the Red Flash. SFU sunk a jumper in the paint with 57 seconds left to give the Red Flash a three-point lead at 62-59. Cannon was fouled while attempting a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left, as the redshirt senior calmly drained all three attempts from the line to knot the contest at 62-62. SFU could not convert a shot at the buzzer, as the game advanced into overtime. Solé posted 30 points in regulation to lead the squad.
Solé kept attacking inside the paint in overtime, recording eight of Duquesne's 10 points in the extra period, as Cannon tallied the remainng points on two free throws with 10 seconds remaining to give Duquesne a three-point edge. The Red Flash traveled on its final possession, as the Dukes escaped La Roche with a 72-69 win for its ninth consecutive victory. The nine-game win streak is the longest since Duquesne reeled off a school record 15-straight wins in the historical 2015-16 season.
The Dukes are back in action on Friday, Dec. 20 when the Dukes host Kennesaw State at La Roche University.
