KINGSTON, R.I. – The Duquesne women's basketball team fell in its A-10 opener on the road against Rhode Island, losing 70-63.
 
Duquesne falls to 10-4 (0-1 A-10) while URI improves to 10-3 (1-0 A-10).
 
Despite trailing by 10 points after the first quarter, Duquesne stayed with Rhode Island all game – even retaking the lead in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, shooting woes from beyond-the-arc haunted the Dukes all afternoon as they shot just 20 percent (5-for-25) from long-range.
 
In the second quarter, Duquesne held Rhode Island to just seven points to go into halftime down by just four.
 
Duquesne was able to stay in this one the entire way thanks to excellent free throw shooting (16-for-20). In the end, the free throws weren't enough as Rhode Island outpaced the Dukes in assists (19-7), steals (6-4) and blocks (8-2).
 
Sophomore guard Megan McConnell was able to record her seventh double-double of the year with 15 points and 11 rebounds. She was 5-for-9 from the field and 2-for-3 from three-point range.
 
Junior forward Ayanna Townsend led all players with 17 points on 6-for-14 shooting, and junior guard Amaya Hamilton notched 15 points while shooting 100 percent from the free throw line.
 
Sophomore guard Naelle Bernard was Duquesne's lone spark offensively early in the game, scoring the Dukes' first seven points. She ended the game with 11 points – the fourth Duquesne player in double digits.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Bernard began the game with seven early points for Duquesne, including a three-pointer to tie it up early. Despite her hot hand, Rhode Island held a 13-9 lead at the first media timeout after starting the game 3-for-4 from three-point range.
 
Townsend hit a couple shots, but the Dukes couldn't find much rhythm offensively in the first quarter. URI led 23-13 and was shooting 62.5 percent from long-range after 10 minutes.
 
Two free throws by Bernard cut Rhode Island's lead to eight, but both teams would fail to make a field goal until there was 5:44 left in the first half in a defensive battle.
 
Hamilton and junior center Precious Johnson got the deficit down to five points, but URI countered with a make of its own.
 
Hamilton drew a foul on her way to the bucket, made the layup then made the free throw to get Duquesne within four points with 1:08 to play in the second quarter. At halftime, Duquesne trailed 30-26.
 
McConnell opened the second half with a three-pointer then tied the game with a free throw a minute later. Rhode Island countered, but Hamilton tied it up again with another bucket.
 
Another McConnell three-pointer brought the Dukes back within one point at 36-35, but five points by URI shot Duquesne's deficit back up to six points.
 
McConnell scored her 10^th point of the third quarter on an athletic layup at the rim, but once again, Rhode Island kept pushing and was able to keep its lead at six points.
 
That is when Townsend took over.
 
Townsend went on to score four-straight points – and also Duquesne's last seven points of the quarter – but a couple of made shots by URI kept Duquesne playing catch-up going into the final frame.
 
Townsend converted an and-one attempt to open the fourth quarter scoring, and at that point, she had Duquesne's last 10 points. The Dukes trailed by just one after her made free throw.
 
Like clockwork, Townsend continued her dominance and converted a second-straight three-point play – making that 13-straight Duquesne points by the junior forward.
 
Still, even after her stretch of made baskets, Rhode Island never gave up the lead. Duquesne got within one point again after a Hamilton free throw.
 
Finally, after trailing for most of the game, Hamilton drilled a three-pointer to tie this one at 56. After a two-pointer by URI, sophomore guard Tess Myers got on the board with her first three-pointer of the game to give Duquesne a lead.
 
Unfortunately, that lead was short-lived. Rhode Island scored six-straight points late to go up four. From there, the Rams were able to close the game out from the free throw line to win 70-63

GAME NOTES

• McConnell recorded her seventh double-double of the year today, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
• This is her eighth game with 10 or more rebounds. She leads the A-10 with 9.9 rebounds per game.
• With 42, today marked Duquesne's 10^th game of the year with 40 or more rebounds.
• The Dukes have held their opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field in all but two games today. Rhode Island shot 39.1 percent today.

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