PITTSBURGH – The Duquesne women's basketball team opened its season with a dominant 94-47 victory over the Point Park Pioneers Monday night at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

Duquesne (1-0, 0-0 A-10) gave the Pioneers (2-1, 0-0 RSC) their first loss of the season.

Sophomore guard Megan McConnell scored 17 points on a perfect 6-6 shooting from the field to lead the Dukes. She also recorded her fourth-career double-double after securing 10 rebounds.   

Junior forward Ayanna Townsend and sophomore guard Tess Myers each scored 16 points, and Townsend grabbed 10 rebounds to mark her first double-double as a Duke.

Junior guard Amaya Hamilton also had a big-time game to begin the season, scoring 14 points, grabbing nine rebounds and setting a new career high with seven assists.

Duquesne used a huge second quarter to blow out the Pioneers. The Dukes outscored their opponent 25-9 in the second stanza to give themselves a 46-19 lead at half.

In the second half, the Dukes continued to roll, as they shot 56.8% to outscore Point Park, 48-28. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Duquesne had doubled Point Park's score.

It was McConnell who sparked Duquesne's offense early, scoring the first six points, notching a steal and grabbing two rebounds, all before the first media timeout. She ended the first quarter with nine points on 4-4 shooting to lead the Dukes.

Townsend scored two quick buckets, her first points as a Duke, to put the Dukes up 21-5 on the Pioneers. After one quarter, Duquesne led, 21-10.

The Dukes struggled early in the second quarter, starting 0-6 from the field, but they would soon turn it around in a big way. Freshman guard Reilly Sunday snapped the cold spell by making her first-career bucket to put the Dukes up 28-16.

Townsend followed Sunday's make with an and-one layup herself, giving the Dukes a 15-point lead. With just a few minutes left in the half, the Dukes capped off a 15-0 run with a junior forward Precious Johnson layup.

Following a flurry that included a Myers three-pointer, a McConnell layup and a pretty Townsend two-point jumper, Duquesne found itself ending the half on a 22-3 run and leading 46-19.

The Dukes' defense managed to hold Point Park to just 5-27 (18.5%) shooting in the first half. Duquesne shot 18-43 (41.9%).

In the second half, Point Park shot just 29.4%, and Duquesne breezed its way to a season-opening victory.

GAME NOTES

• McConnell's 17 points were one off a career high and her six made field goals tied a career high. This is also her first career game without a miss, as she ended the night 6-6 from the field.
• With her 10 rebounds, McConnell recorded her fourth-career double-double.
• McConnell, last year's A-10 steals per game leader, led the Dukes with five steals. She recorded her 100th-career steal with 2:32 left in the first half.
• Hamilton set a new career high with seven assists. She also pitched in with 14 points tonight on 6-10 shooting.
• Sophomore guard Naelle Bernard's first Duquesne bucket came at the beginning of the third quarter to give the Dukes a 51-22 lead.
• Redshirt junior Lauren Wasylson's first Duquesne bucket came with 3:10 left in the game.
• Sunday first Duquesne bucket with 4:50 remaining in the second quarter.
• Townsend's first Duquesne bucket came with 1:42 remaining in the first quarter. With her 10 rebounds tonight, she recorded her first double-double as a Duke.
• With tonight's win, the Dukes are now 7-1 in their last eight home openers.
• Also with tonight's win, head coach Dan Burt is now six wins away from tying and seven wins away from breaking the all-time women's basketball wins record at Duquesne.
• The Dukes have now won nine-straight games against Point Park.
• Freshman guard Olivia Westphal made her collegiate debut tonight and made her first career three-pointer.

GET YOUR TICKETS
To buy women's basketball single game tickets, click here.
For full information on renewing or buying season tickets, click here.

If you have any questions or enquiries about season or single game tickets, please email ticketservices@duq.edu or call 412-232-DUKE (3853) Monday-Friday 10am-4pm.

FOLLOW THE DUKES
For the latest news and updates for Duquesne women's basketball, follow @DuqWBB on Twitter and Instagram.