FARMVILLE, Va. – Despite erasing a 19-point deficit, the Dukes came up short in the closing seconds 77-76 at Longwood early Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference game at Willett Hall.
 
Longwood (1-2) led 77-76 with possession in the final minute of the game. Libby Bazelak (Kettering, Ohio/Bishop Alter) forced a turnover to get the ball back into the hands of Duquesne (1-3) with less than 15 seconds left on the clock. Megan McConnell (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) got a good look from the right elbow, but the ball rimmed out and the Lancers corralled the rebound to deal the Dukes the narrow loss.
 
Fatou Pouye (Kaolack, Senegal/Glasgow Christian Academy) led four Dukes in double figures. She registered a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds (six offensive). Bazelak finished with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including a 3-for-3 showing from beyond the arc. McConnell added 12 points, while Amaya Hamilton (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) chipped in 11 points.
 
The Dukes started slow, missing each of their first nine field goal attempts. The Lancers took advantage and put Duquesne in a 14-2 hole through the first six minutes of the game. Bazelak ended the drought with a trey at the 3:32-mark, but Longwood closed out the quarter with a 24-7 lead. The Lancers recorded 17 points in the paint in the opening period.
 
Duquesne managed to draw within nine with eight-unanswered points to start the second quarter. Longwood did not let the Dukes get any closer and eventually rebuilt its lead back to 17, 43-26, in the final 15 seconds of the half. A pair of McConnell free throws on the final possession cut the deficit to 43-28 entering halftime.
 
Consecutive baskets by the Lancers to open the third quarter pushed the deficit to 19, 47-28, with 8:42 on the clock. McConnell got the comeback started with a three pointer that kicked off a seven-minute stretch in which Duquesne out-scored Longwood 22-to-10 to make the score 57-50 with just under two minutes to play in the third quarter.
 
The Lancers led 65-54 entering the fourth quarter. Duquesne controlled the first five minutes of the period with a 17-5 run, capped off by a fast-break layup by Pouye, to take their first lead since the opening minute of the game at 71-70. Pouye scored 11 of the team's points during the run, including the go-ahead basket with 5:07 left in the game.
 
The lead changed hands three more times in the final five minutes, including a 76-75 edge for the Dukes on a Pouye second-chance bucket with 1:43 remaining on the clock prior to the final sequence.
 
After shooting just 2-of-15 (13 percent) in the first quarter, the Dukes closed the game shooting 23 of 40 (57 percent) in the final three periods. Longwood shot 31 of 66 (47 percent) for the game.
 
The Dukes finished with a 39 to 28 advantage on the glass, but were charged with 21 turnovers compared to 12 takeaways. Duquesne held an 18 to 12 edge in second-chance points, but the Lancers converted for 25 points off of turnovers.
 
Kyla McMakin, a two-time First-Team All-Big South selection, led Longwood with 28 points. The Lancers carved up the Dukes all game in the low post, finishing with a 45 to 22 advantage in points in the paint.

The double-double was the fourth of Pouye's career. She posted three double doubles over the past two seasons at Western Kentucky.

The contest was played in front of an unusually loud crowd for a Wednesday morning tip, as Longwood hosted elementary students from Prince George County for the game.
 
Duquesne returns to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Saturday, Nov. 20 for the City Game against Pitt. Last season marked the first time since 1982-83 that the City Game was not played. Tip off of the City Game is set for 8 p.m. and the contest will broadcast on ESPN+.