DAVIDSON, NC - Duquesne (6-17, 1-10) cut a 17-point second-half deficit to six late, but couldn't make up the difference in falling to Atlantic 10-leading Davidson (21-4, 11-2), 72-61, at Belk Arena on Monday night.

The loss was the tenth in a row for the Dukes who were led by Primo Spears' 20 points. Jackie Johnson III added 14 for DU, which was down 47-30 with under 18 minutes left.

Davidson, which shot 58 percent in the opening 20 minutes, led 39-28 at the half.

Spears scored the first basket out of the half to cut the lead to single digits, before the Wildcats answered with a pair of 3-pointers to go up 17.

Kevin Easley Jr., who finished with 12 points, than came back with two 3-pointers around a Spears layup to make it a nine-point game again at 47-38.

Davidson built the lead back to 15 before DU came back to cut it to nine again, this time on a Johnson III 3-pointer that made it 60-51.

Johnson III, who scored all of his points in the second half, made it 65-57 and Spears followed with a layup to pull DU within six with 3:31 to go.

Davidson answered by scoring the next four points to go up 69-59 with 1:53 left.

DU would get no closer than eight the rest of the way.

Davidson got eight points - including a pair of 3-pointers - from Hyunjung Lee in jumping out to a 20-4 lead.

Duquesne, which opened the game 2-of-13, found its range and cut it to nine on an Easley Jr. layup with under eight minutes to go in the half.

The Dukes return home to host George Washington on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+). The GW game will be preceded by the Duquesne women vs. Richmond at 5:00 p.m.

NOTES

• Freshman Primo Spears finished with 20 points and five rebounds off the bench. It was his team-high fifth 20-point game of the season and most since he scored 20 at Fordham on Jan. 12.
• Fellow freshman Jackie Johnson III scored all 14 of his points in the second half.
• Davis Larson made his first career start for the Dukes.
• Davidson's largest lead was 17, 47-30, with 17:45 left  ... Duquesne never led ... there was an early tie at 2-2 before Davidson took the lead for good on a Luka Brajkovic hook shot at the 18:40 mark.