PHILADELPHIA – A put-back with 0.2 seconds on the clock dealt the Dukes a heart-breaking 67-66 loss to La Salle at Tom Gola Arena Wednesday evening.
 
Duquesne (11-16, 6-9 A-10) took a 66-65 lead on a Precious Johnson (Helsingborg, Sweden/Marks) layup in the paint that rattled home with seven seconds left on the clock. 
 
La Salle (15-11, 8-6 A-10) advanced the ball with a timeout and missed a contested three-pointer, but Clair Jacobs found the loose ball and tipped it back in to push the Explorers in front. The Dukes had one last chance after a timeout, but a pass near the rim was intercepted to end the game.
 
Duquesne got a career-high 25 points out of guard Libby Bazelak (Kettering, Ohio/Alter). Bazelak was 11 of 15 from the field, including 3-of-4 from long range. The 11 made field goals was also a career-high. Bazelak also added six rebounds and three assists.
 
Amaya Hamilton (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) finished with 16 points, while Tess Myers (Lower Burrell, Pa./North Catholic) added nine points in the loss.
 
Duquesne opened up a 10-4 lead five minutes into the game on a Myers layup. La Salle responded with a 8-1 run to close out the first quarter ahead 12-11.
 
The Dukes reclaimed the lead at 19-18 with 6:24 to play until halftime. The two teams traded the lead down the stretch, before La Salle put Duquesne in a 27-25 hole heading into the break.
 
The Explorers opened the third quarter with a 12-4 run that forced the Dukes to use a timeout down 39-29 with 6:35 to play in the period. Duquesne chipped away at the deficit, before a Hamilton three pointer in the final minute of the quarter propelled the Dukes to a 46-45 lead entering the fourth quarter.
 
A Bazelak jumper with 4:37 to play in the game helped the team match its largest lead of the evening at 59-53. La Salle countered with seven-straight points to take the lead at 60-59 with 2:29 to play in the game, before the lead traded six more times down the stretch. Duquesne led 64-63 in the final minute, when a turnover and a pair of Explorer free throws flipped the score in favor of La Salle 65-64. Johnson helped the team reclaim the lead with seven seconds on the clock before the final sequence that clinched the win for La Salle.
 
The Dukes shot 26 of 53 (49 percent) from the field and were 6-of-14 (43 percent) from three-point range. Duquesne struggles at the free-throw line, converting just 8-of-15 (53 percent). 
 
Four La Salle players scored in double figures, including a team-high 17 from Kayla Spruill.
 
Bazelak moved into 24^th place all-time in scoring at Duquesne with 1,098 points. She passed both Gail Wilkins (1993-97) and Kelly Eberhart (1996-99) in the process. She has scored 20 or more points in consecutive games for the first time in her Duquesne career.
 
The Dukes return home on Saturday, Feb. 26 for their regular-season and home-finale when they host Saint Josesph's on Senior Day. The game is set to tip at 2 p.m. and will broadcast live on ESPN+.