PITTSBURGH - New Mexico State (5-3) got 17 points from Issa Muhammed and 16 from Deshawndre Washington to down cold-shooting Duquesne (7-3) on Sunday afternoon at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

Jimmy Clark III led Duquesne with 16 points. Dae Dae Grant and Joe Reece added 12 points each for the Dukes who shot .327 from the field and 4-of-25 from the 3-point arc.

DU, which trailed by 17 with under 12 minutes to left, cut the lead to single digits twice, but couldn't close the gap as shots just wouldn't fall.

Neither team led by more than six, before New Mexico State went on a 11-2 run - fueled by Washington and DaJuan Gordon - to take a 35-27 lead at the half. Washington, who had 12 in the half, scored six and Gordon added five during the run.

The Dukes went just 1-of-11 from the 3-point arc in the opening 20 minutes.

NMSU, which outscored the Dukes 11-5 out of the half, took a 46-32 lead on a Xavier Pinson 3-pointer with just over 16 minutes left.

DU, which trailed by as many as 17 in the second half, again cut it to 10 on a steal and 3-pointer by Clark III followed by a steal at layup by Grant that made it 58-48 and forced a NMSU timeout with just under six minutes left.

The Dukes finally cut it to single digits on a Clark III three-point play that made it 62-53 at the 4:16 mark. Reece misfired on a 3-point attempt before NMSU scored again.

DU cut it to nine one last time at 64-55 on a pair of Reece free throws with 2:45 left, but could get no closer.

New Mexico State, which shot .448, outscored Duquesne 34-22 in the paint.
 
Duquesne returns to action on Wednesday, when it welcomes DePaul (6-4) at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+).

NOTES

• Duquesne went 1-of-11 from the arc in the first half and 3-of-14 from deep in the second half.
• Joe Reece, in his first start since Nov. 18 vs. Colgate, finished with 12 points, six rebounds and three steals in 22 minutes.
• This was the third-consecutive double digit scoring game for Clark III who finished with 16 points and three steals.
• Duquesne's largest lead was six, at 8-2, with 15:56 left in the first half ... New Mexico State's largest lead was 17, at 53-36, with 11:36 left ... there were six ties and five lead changes before NMSU took the lead for good on a Kyle Feit 3-pointer that made that made it 24-21 with 5:29 left in the first half ... New Mexico State led for 29:34 ... Duquesne led for 6:40.