ST. THOMAS, V.I. - Leon Ayers III came off the bench to lead five Dukes in double figures with a career high-tying 23 points as Duquesne (2-4) snapped a four-game losing streak with a 78-70 win over Bradley (1-5) at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, V.I. on Monday afternoon.

Tre Williams had 15 points and three blocks, Primo Spears scored 14 points, Jackie Johnson III added 12 points and Kevin Easley Jr. scored 10 for the Dukes who shot a season-best 48.3 percent.

Ayers, a first-year Mercer transfer who was coming off a 15-point game vs. Colorado on Saturday, was equally as effective on the defensive end where he tied his career highs in both steals (4) and blocks (2).

Duquesne, behind nine points from Ayers III, built a 57-42 second-half lead, only to see Bradley mount an 11-0 run - fueled by a pair of Connor Hickman 3-pointers - to make it 57-53 with 8:18 left.

Spears, who scored 12 in the second half, ended the run with a jumper in the lane to give the Dukes a six-point lead.

Williams followed with a bucket in the paint and a free throw to make it 62-53, before Hickman answered with a traditional three-point play.

Williams then converted a three-point play of his own for the Dukes to bring the lead back up to nine.

Bradley came back to make it 65-61 and had a chance to cut further into the lead when Williams gave the Dukes possession with his third block.

The Braves pulled within three twice, the last at 70-67 with 18 seconds left, before Ayers III hit four-straight free throws around a Bradley turnover to make it 74-67.

Ayers III added a pair of free throws and Spears added two more with one second left for the final margin.

There were five ties and five lead changes early before DU put together a 7-0 run to take a 27-20 lead. Johnson III and Williams led the Dukes with nine and seven points in the first half that ended with the Dukes up 31-25.

The Dukes got 3-pointers from Easley Jr. and Ayers III to take a 39-27 lead less than two minutes into the second half, forcing a Bradley timeout.

Duquesne returns to action on Sunday, Nov. 28 when it hosts American at 2:00 p.m. (ET) at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (ESPN+).

NOTES

• Ayers, a first-year transfer from Mercer, tied his career high of 23 points set last year at The Citadel. Ayers also tied his career highs for steals (4) and blocks (2).
• This was the 16th time Duquesne has erased a double-digit deficit under Keith Dambrot. DU trailed 10-0 with 15:38 left in the first half. All 16 of the comebacks have occurred since 2018-19.
• Duquesne's largest lead was 16, at 53-37 with 12:59 left ... Bradley's largest lead was 10-0 at the game's outset ... there were five ties and five lead changes before Ayers III gave Duquesne the lead for good on a pair of free throws with 6:46 left in the first half ... Duquesne led for 27:32 ... Bradley led for 9:38.