KENT, Ohio – Trailing by as many as 18 points during the first half, the Duquesne women's basketball team fought back to within two points during the fourth quarter, but Kent State held off the comeback bid, defeating the Dukes by a score of 73-66 on Monday afternoon at the MAC Center. Both the Dukes (2-3, 1-0) and Golden Flashes (3-2, 2-0 MAC) closed out 2020 and their current non-conference schedules in the Monday matinee.
Laia Solé led the Duquesne with a season and game-high of 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field. The graduate student center brought down four rebounds and also earned a steal and two blocks. She registered her first Duquesne 3-pointer and the fourth of her collegiate career (first since 2/4/17).
Senior guard Amanda Kalin, just two days since setting a new career-high in points (32 against Toledo), added 15 points, including 13 in the second half alone. She distributed four assists and turned the ball just twice in nearly 34 minutes of action.
Sophomore center Precious Johnson neared double-double numbers with eight points and seven rebounds. Freshman guard Tess Myers sparked the potential comeback with an 8-0 run by herself, with back-to-back 3-pointers and a jumper. Classmate Megan McConnell tied Kalin with a team-high of four assists.
Nila Blackford (18 pts., 9 reb.), Lindsey Thall (17 pts., 7 reb.) and Katie Shumate (17 pts., 4 reb.) led the way for the Golden Flashes. Kent State's substantial lead in the second quarter came from a fury of made shots from beyond the 3-point line, as the Golden Flashes drilled 9-of-14 shots from beyond the arc during the first 20 minutes.
FIRST QUARTER
- With Kent State leading 14-6 with four minutes left in the opening frame, the Dukes fought back with a 12-7 run to make it a one possession game at 21-18 after 10 minutes.
- Both teams got into rhythm offensively after a slow start, as the Dukes made 8-of-14 shots from the floor, while Kent State made 5-of-8 from 3-point land.
SECOND QUARTER
- Kent State outscored the Dukes by a margin of 20-10 in the second quarter to take a 13-point lead at 41-28 into the locker room at halftime. The Golden Flashes built a lead after a 16-1 scoring run.
- The Dukes buckled down defensively, not allowing a field goal the final 3:56 of the quarter.
- Solé led Duquesne and was tied with a game-high 14 points (5-of-8 FG), including her first 3-pointer at Duquesne and her first collegiate triple since Feb. 4, 2017.
- Amanda Kalin faced foul trouble, acquiring her third foul midway through the second period. She played 13:41 of the 20-minute first half.
- The Golden Flashes were red hot from long distance, converting 9-of-14 attempts from beyond the arc during the first 20 minutes.
- The Dukes led on the glass 17-12 during the first half.
THIRD QUARTER
- Kent State led by 14 46-32 with 7:32 left in the quarter, as the Dukes sliced the lead in half with a 7-0 run made the score 46-39.
- Ultimately, KSU would take a 57-45 advantage into the fourth quarter.
- Kalin paced the offense in the quarter with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting.
FOURTH QUARTER
- Duquesne's 12-point deficit quickly turned to two points, as Myers buried eight consecutive points on a jumper and a pair of 3-pointers. Solé added a hook shot for her 19th and 20th points on the afternoon, as the Dukes trailed 57-55 with 7:24 to play.
- Kent State would prevent the Dukes from getting any closer, closing the game on a 16-11 run to earn the 73-66 win.
- Overall, the Dukes outscored Kent State 21-16 in the frame in the final period.
NOTES: Duquesne still holds a 5-4 lead in the all-time series over Kent State and a 36-24 lead against MAC teams … Solé's first 3-pointer in a Duquesne uniform came 1,416 days since her last collegiate 3-pointer, when she sunk her last of three triples during her freshman season as a Maine Black Bear at UMBC.
UP NEXT: The Dukes are idle during the holidays until resuming Atlantic 10 play on the road against Saint Louis (Jan. 1) and Dayton (Jan. 3) to open 2021. All games, dates and times are subject to change.
