PITTSBURGH - Freshman Jackie Johnson III came off the bench to score a game-high 27 points, but it was not enough as Weber State (2-0) held Duquesne (1-2) scoreless over the last 1:31 to pull out a 63-59 win over the Dukes on Monday night at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

Koby McEwen led the Wildcats with 21 points.

Kevin Easley Jr. was the only other Duke in double figures with 10.

The game was tied at 59-59 when Johnson III was trapped near midcourt and was assessed a technical foul for calling a timeout after the Dukes had used their allotment.

McEwen hit one of two free throws with 1:03 left to make it a one-point game. Johnson III, who went 4-of-8 from the arc, missed a deep 3-pointer and Weber State rebounded and called timeout.

DU forced a shot clock violation and regained possession with 24 seconds remaining. Easley Jr. was stripped of the ball at the foul line and immediately fouled Dillon Jones who hit both free throws.

Primo Spears missed a contested 3-pointer from the top of the key with three seconds left. DU rebounded but stepped out of bounds and WSU's Jones made one of two free throws for the final margin.

Weber State led 19-18, before Tre Williams opened a 14-4 half-ending run with a layup. Johnson followed with a 3-pointer to give the Dukes a 23-19 lead. A basket by Toby Okani made it 29-19.

Easley Jr., who had 10 in the half, scored six in the final 6:44 as the Dukes took a 32-23 lead into the break.

Weber State hit six of its first eight shots out of the half to tie it at 39-39.

The Dukes, who shot .356, went scoreless for over three minutes as WSU took a 57-52 lead with 7-0 run.

Johnson ended the drought with a 3-pointer and Spears tied it with a pair of free throws with 3:04 left.

Duquesne heads to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands early Tuesday for the three-game Paradise Jam. The Dukes face Northeastern in their opening round game on Friday, Nov. 19 at 5:45 p.m. (ET) on ESPN3.

NOTES

• Johnson III's 27 points off the bench were the most by a Duquesne player since Jordan Stevens had 27 off the pine at Abilene Christian on Nov. 22, 2011. Johnson III, who had six points in Duquesne's first two games, scored 18 of DU's 27 second-half points.
• Mike Bekelja made his fourth career start and first since the Feb. 2 Dayton game last season. DU was 3-0 in his three starts last season (at Fordham, vs. Saint Joseph's & vs. Dayton)
• R.J. Gunn Jr. made his first appearance of the season. Gunn, who is coming back from an ankle injury, was not in uniform for the DU's first three games. He was scoreless in four minutes.
• Ten Dukes saw action in the game's first seven minutes.
• Duquesne, which turned it over 16 times in its first two games, finished with 20.
• Duquesne's largest lead was 11 (34-23) with 19:21 left ... Weber State's largest lead was five (57-52) with 3:49 to go  ... there eight ties and seven lead changes before Weber State took the lead for good on Koby McEwen's free throw that made it 60-59 with 1:03 to go ... Duquesne led for 27:58 ... Weber State led for 5:46.