PITTSBURGH – Trailing by 18 points entering the fourth quarter, the Duquesne Dukes (10-4) fell just short of a comeback victory, falling to the UMass Minutewomen (11-3), 81-77, on Saturday night at La Roche University. The Dukes outscored UMass 26-12 in the final period, cutting the deficit to as low as five points on four separate occasions, but ultimately could not complete its third consecutive comeback at the Kerr Fitness Center.
Four different Dukes reached double-figures in scoring, led by Nina Aho (6-11 FG, 3-6 3PT) and Libby Bazelak's 16 points (5-12 FG, 4-9 3PT). Laia Solé totaled 13 points and six boards, while Paige Cannon added 11 points and six caroms.
Amanda Kalin neared double-digits with nine points and added six rebounds off the glass. Bazelak dished a career-best eight assists and brought down four boards on the evening.
Duquesne shot excellent from 3-point land, swishing 13-28 attempts (46.4 percent) and came within one triple of tying the school-record of 14 3-pointers.
The Dukes and Minutewomen shot the lights out in opening quarter, with the conference foes combining to shoot 17-of-29 (58.6 percent), as Duquesne knocked down six 3-pointers on just eight attempts. UMass grabbed the biggest lead of the quarter at 10-4, but Duquesne strung together a 13-6 run to take the lead after a Bazelak 3-pointer. UMass tied the game at 20-20, but another Bazelak trey gave the Dukes a 3-point lead. Ultimately, Duquesne was ahead on the scoreboard after 10 minutes by a score of 23-22.
After the Dukes increased its lead to the largest of the game at 25-22, UMass tied the contest at 25-25, and would close the half on an 8-0 sprint to take a 43-34 advantage into the locker room at halftime. Duquesne's 3-point success in the first quarter did not carry over to the second, as the Dukes shot 1-of-7 from beyond the arc and 5-of-14 overall from the field, as UMass outscored the Dukes 21-11.
The Dukes cut the deficit to as low as three points at 45-42 in the third, but the Minutewomen would take control from there, reeling off a 22-4 surge to close out the period with an 18-point lead at 69-51.
Duquesne posted double-digit fourth quarter comebacks in their previous two games at La Roche in wins over Saint Francis and Kennesaw State, and it looked like the Dukes would make it three in a row.
Duquesne began the fourth quarter on a pivotal 13-0 sprint to cut the UMass lead to just five points at 69-64 in just two and a half minutes of game clock. The Minutewomen responded with a 6-1 sprint to retake a double-digit lead at 75-64, but the Dukes would not back down, as Aho and Amaya Hamilton sunk 3-pointers on back-to-back possession to make it a five-point game once again.
Duquesne would cut the Minutewomen lead to five twice more, and to as low as three points with just a few seconds on the clock, but could not pull off the comeback in the Atlantic 10 opener.
The Dukes return to action on Wednesday, when Duquesne heads to the nation's capital to battle George Washington in an Education Day game on Wednesday morning at 11:00 a.m.
