PITTSBURGH – Despite leading for the majority of the afternoon, the Dukes were defeated 59-52 by Fordham at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon.
 
Duquesne (9-13, 4-6 A-10) was led by a team-high 21 points from Fatou Pouye (Kaolack, Senegal/Glasgow Christian). It was her fifth career 20-point game and third this season as a Duke. Libby Bazelak (Kettering, Ohio/Alter) chipped in 11 points.
 
Duquesne opened up a 10-2 lead three minutes into the game, including back-to-back three pointers from Bazelak and Megan McConnell (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley). The Dukes opened up their biggest lead of the game at 19-8 with 1:45 to play in the first quarter on another Bazelak trey. Fordham managed to cut into the lead with a triple of its own in the final minute to send Duquesne into the first intermission ahead 19-11.
 
Fordham out-scored the Dukes 15-6 through the first seven-plus minutes of the second quarter to take its first lead of the game at 26-25 with 2:37 to play until halftime. Duquesne held the Rams off of the scoreboard for the remainder of the half and knocked down a trio of free throws to take a 28-26 lead into the locker rooms.
 
The Dukes shot 7-of-11 (63 percent) in the third quarter and led by as many as seven points, 37-30, at the 7:43-mark of the period on a fast-break basket by Amaya Hamilton (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) that forced a Fordham timeout. The Rams countered with a 14-7 spurt to knot the game up at 44-44 with 1:40 left in the third, before the Dukes split a pair at the free-throw line to carry a 45-44 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
The lead was traded twice, before Pouye gave Duquesne a 52-48 lead with 5:14 to play in the game. Fordham shut down the Dukes on the offensive side and scored the game's final 11 points to collect the win. Fordham led 54-52 with 1:35 to play in the game. After the Dukes came up empty on their end, Fordham's Kendell Heremaia knocked down a corner-trey to make the score 57-52 and effectively put the game away. The Rams knocked down free throws with 11 seconds to play to close out the contest.
 
The Dukes shot 21 of 44 (47 percent) from the field, but attempted 23 less shots than the Rams. Fordham was 23 of 67 (34 percent) and enjoyed the benefit of 16 offensive rebounds. Duquesne also committed 20 turnovers, compared to just six by the Rams. Duquesne out-rebounded Fordham 36 to 33.
 
Three Rams scored in double figures, led by a game-high 24 points from Asiah Dingle. Heremaia added 15, while A-10 leading scorer Anna DeWolfe (20.0 ppg.) added 13 points.
 
The Dukes led for over 30 minutes of game-time, compared to the Rams who led for just three minutes, 48 seconds, including the final minute and 35 seconds of regulation.
 
The Dukes will look to bounce back on Wednesday, Feb. 9 when it welcomes George Washington to the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The opening-tip is set for 7 p.m. and the game will broadcast on ESPN+.