Pittsburgh, Pa. – Behind five Dukes in double-figures, the Duquesne women's basketball team earned an 89-82 double-overtime victory over Kent State on Sunday afternoon in non-conference action inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. With the win, the Dukes improve to 5-3 overall this season while the Golden Flashes drop to 4-4.
DOUBLE THE FUN
Trailing by three with 20 seconds remaining in regulation, junior
Tess Myers buried a left-wing triple to knot the score at 66-all and force overtime. In the first OT, both teams struggled from the floor, combining 2-of-8 from the field before both squads went 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Trailing by one with 14 seconds remaining, junior
Megan McConnell knocked down a top of the key three to give the Dukes a 73-71 advantage. The following possession, Katie Shumate was fouled and knocked down a pair of free-throws for Kent State with a second remaining. It was a back-and-forth affair in overtime number two, until Duquesne mounted a 9-0 run to grab its largest lead of the contest, 84-76. Senior
Ayanna Townsend connected on a layup before junior
Nae Bernard knocked down a triple while McConnell found the bottom of the net with a jumper. Bernard would cap the run with a pair of free-throws with 1:03 remaining. In the final minute, the Dukes converted 5-of-6 from the charity stripe, four of them coming from McConnell.
THIRD QUARTER SPARK
Trailing 32-25 at the half, the Dukes used a 16-3 run to begin the third frame while shooting 64.3 percent (9-for-14) for the quarter. Senior
Amaya Hamilton sparked the run with a layup before Bernard buried a triple to cut the deficit, 36-30. McConnell would connect on a pair from the free-throw line, followed by another triple from Bernard. A driving layup by
Kiandra Browne knotted the score at 37-all before a jumper from behind the arc by Myers gave the Dukes the lead. Corynne Hauser would connect on a layup to trim the lead before Myers buried her second consecutive triple with 4:41 remaining in the quarter. The Dukes were a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and 4-for-4 from behind the arc during the run. Later in the quarter after a pair of free-throws from Kent State, Duquesne scored six of the next eight points to hold a 49-43 lead. Senior
Precious Johnson sparked the run with a bucket, followed by back-to-back driving layups from sophomore
Jerni Kiaku. The Golden Flashes ended the quarter on a 7-1 run as it was knotted at 50-all heading to the fourth.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Duquesne jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead thanks to a layup from Bernard and a triple from McConnell while holding Kent State to 0-of-5 from the field to begin the contest. The Golden Flashes responded with five consecutive points before Townsend connected on a layup and a pair of free-throws to regain the lead for the Dukes. The Golden Flashes would rattle off seven consecutive points to take a 12-9 advantage with over a minute remaining in the opening frame. The two teams would trade empty possessions until senior Johnson buried a jumper from behind the arc as time expired to knot the score at 12-all after one.
It was a stagnant start for both squads in the second quarter, as the two teams combined 0-for-6 from the field and four turnovers in the first three minutes. The Dukes would take a 16-14 lead thanks to a Browne layup before the Flashes went on a 7-0 run to take a 21-16 advantage with 4:50 remaining in the half. Later in the quarter, Duquesne responded by scoring six of the next eight points to trim the Kent State lead, 23-22. Townsend sparked the run with a layup and a jumper before Kiaku connected on a pair from the charity stripe. The Golden Flashes put together a 9-3 stint to claim a 32-25 lead at the break.
QUOTABLE
"That was a fun basketball game, especially coming away with the win," head coach
Dan Burt said. "Coach Starkey and his staff do a great job and they're not just a good team, they're a good program. We found a way and what we did today helped us prepare ourselves for when we get to February and March. I don't know if anyone in our league has played the number of close games that we have and has played in pressure situations like that. That's what our non-conference schedule was built for and very happy to get the win today."
THE QUINTET
Five Dukes finished in double-figures, led by McConnell who posted her third double-double of the season and 16
th of her career. She finished with a game-high 20 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and two steals. McConnell finished 50.0 percent (5-for-10) from the floor, 7-of-8 from the charity stripe, and knocked down three triples while playing all 50 minutes. Bernard totaled 14 points, three assists, and two boards while knocking down three threes. Townsend collected a season-high 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor while carding four rebounds and a block. Myers tallied 12 points, all in the second half, while knocking down four jumpers from behind the arc. She collected three caroms and posted a season-high three steals. Browne is the final Duke in double-digits, finishing with 10 points and six boards while totaling two blocks and a steal. The five combined for 70 of Duquesne's 89 points and 10 of the Dukes 11 triples.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Kiaku finished with nine points, four rebounds, a block, and one steal off the bench while Hamilton posted a season-high 10 rebounds and five assists. Duquesne collected 10 steals in the win while registering 34 points in the paint and producing 28 points off the bench. There were a total of 10 lead changes and nine ties during the game.
UP NEXT
Duquesne closes out their homestand when they host Longwood on Thursday, Dec. 14, at La Roche University in non-conference action, with the opening-tip scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
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