PITTSBURGH – Duquesne women's basketball dropped its first game of the season to Pitt on Saturday night by the final score of 61-45.

Duquesne falls to 3-1 on the year while Pitt improves to 4-0.
 
Duquesne's shots just did not fall all night, and it ended up shooting just 26.3 percent from the field and 22.6 percent from three.
 
Despite the offensive struggles, junior forward Ayanna Townsend recorded her second double-double of the year as she scored 11 points and secured 11 rebounds. She also recorded a team-high three blocks.
 
Sophomore guards Tess Myers and Megan McConnell were the only other Dukes in double figures, as McConnell scored 11 and Myers scored 10.
 
The final score ended up being somewhat lopsided, but Duquesne was within single-digits pretty much the entire game. At half, the Dukes trailed by eight and only trailed by nine going into the final quarter. The first half was competitive the entire way with six lead changes and three ties.
 
Duquesne's offense struggled early and didn't make a shot for the first five minutes and seven seconds until junior guard Amaya Hamilton hit a three-pointer to tie it at six. Luckily for the Dukes, their defense was tough, just as it has been all year, and they held Pitt to just 2-of-7 shooting to start the game.
 
Hamilton followed her three-pointer with an and-one layup to get Duquesne back within two after the first media timeout. Pitt's lead grew to four points, but two three-pointers from junior forward Precious Johnson and McConnell tied it at 14.
 
Even after shooting just 25 percent in the first quarter, Duquesne only trailed by two.
 
Myers led to a three-pointer by sophomore guard Naelle Bernard to give Duquesne the lead at 19-18. At the second quarter media timeout, Duquesne was able to hold onto a one-point lead.
 
Unfortunately, Duquesne was unable to hold that lead and Pitt went on a 9-0 run to end the half. The difference was simple in the first half – Duquesne shot 25.8 percent and Pitt shot 45.2 percent.
 
McConnell began the second half with a three-pointer thanks to two offensive rebounds by Townsend, and Myers followed that with her first three of the game to cut Pitt's lead down to two.
 
Myers hit her second three-pointer of the half shortly after her first, but Pitt's offense kept making shots, as the Panthers still held a three-point lead at 36-33.
 
Pitt kept scoring and ended the third quarter on a 7-2 run as the Dukes found themselves down nine points going into the final frame.
 
Townsend scored Duquesne's first four in the fourth, but the Dukes weren't able to cut into the lead as they still trailed by 10.
 
A Myers layup brought the deficit back down to single-digits, but Pitt responded with five-straight points of its own.
 
With a double-digit deficit, there just wasn't enough time for the Dukes to come back. Pitt won the game, 61-45.

GAME NOTES

• Townsend recorded her second double-double of the season tonight with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
• Myers has made multiple three-pointers in every game this season.

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