GAME 9
Duquesne (5-3) vs Longwood (2-6)
Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023 | 11:00 a.m.
Pittsburgh, Pa. | Kerr Fitness Center (1,200)

GAME DAY LINKS
Live Stats
DUQ Game Notes
Longwood Game Notes

OPENING TIP
-The Dukes wrap up its four-game homestand when it welcomes Longwood on Thursday, Dec. 14, in non-conference action at La Roche University.

- Behind five players in double-figures, the Duquesne women's basketball team captured an 89-82 double overtime victory over Kent State on Sunday (12/10) in non-conference action at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

- Junior guard Megan McConnell led the way by posting her third double-double of the season and 16th 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.

- Classmate Nae Bernard totaled 14 points, three assists, and two boards while knocking down three threes. Senior Ayanna Townsend collected a season-high 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor while carding four rebounds and a block.

- Junior Tess 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. Junior Kiandra 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.

- 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.

- Sophomore Jerni Kiaku finished with nine points, four rebounds, a block, and one steal off the bench while senior Amaya 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.

- At the conclusion of battling the Lancers, the Dukes will begin a four-game road trip, traveling to Vermont on Saturday, Dec. 16, before participating in the Tulane Holiday Tournament in New Orleans, La., Dec. 21-22.

The Series vs. Longwood – Come Thursday morning, it'll be just the second all-time meeting between the Dukes and Lancers as Longwood captured a 77-76 victory in January of 2021. Duquesne erased a 19-point deficit before falling in the final seconds. Longwood led 77-76 with possession in the final minute of the game. Libby Bazelak forced a turnover to get the ball back into the hands of Duquesne with less than 15 seconds left on the clock. Megan McConnell got a good look from the right elbow, but the ball rimmed out and the Lancers corralled the rebound to deal the Dukes the narrow loss. Fatou Pouye led four Dukes in double figures registering a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds (six offensive). Bazelak finished with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including a 3-for-3 showing from beyond the arc. McConnell added 12 points, while Amaya Hamilton chipped in 11 points.

Scouting the Lancers – Longwood is currently in the midst of a seven-game road swing, dropping four of their last five contests, most recently an 85-49 defeat at Stony Brook (12/11). The Seawolves limited the Lancers to just 26.0 percent shooting from the floor and forced 21 turnovers. Redshirt senior Adriana Shipp-Davis paced Longwood with 11 points on 4-for-12 shooting. Anne-Hamilton LeRoy scored nine points, while freshman Frances Ulysse registered a career-high nine scores in 20 minutes off the bench. Senior Steph Davis added five points, while going 5-for-6 from the charity stripe and secured four rebounds and three steals.

A member of the Big South conference, the Lancers were selected to finish fourth in the preseason poll while carding a pair of Preseason All-Conference members. Adriana Shipp-Davis was tabbed to the First Team while Anne-Hamilton LeRoy was selected to the Second Team. Hamilton LeRoy is averaging 9.8 points per contest while collecting 3.9 boards, 1.6 assists, and totaling 1.6 steals per contest. Shipp-Davis sits third in the team in scoring (8.9 points) while securing 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. She has scored in double-figures in four of the last eight games while Hamilton LeRoy has mounted five double-digit games.

Kent State Leftovers – The Golden Flashes had won three of the last four meetings in the all-time series before the Dukes won the last two and hold a 7-5 edge in the series. 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.

Double Time – For the first time since the 2007-08 campaign, the Duquesne women's basketball team has played back-to-back overtime contests. The Dukes captured a 75-73 victory over Fordham (12/5) in their Atlantic 10 opener before securing an 89-82 win over Kent State in double overtime last Sunday (12/10). The double overtime contest is the first since Duquesne captured a 63-59 victory at George Washington in 2013. On record, the Dukes have never played three consecutive overtime contests, especially back-to-back double overtime games. Before the Fordham game, Duquesne had lost its previous four overtime contests as they now hold a 26-17 all-time mark in overtime games.

Let It Fly – The Dukes don't hesitate from letting it fly from downtown as they currently lead the Atlantic 10 in triples made per game (9.4). Duquesne currently sits fifth in three-point percentage (.333) while sitting third in three-point attempts (225). Junior Nae Bernard is currently tied for the league lead in triples (24) while sitting tied for the lead in treys per game (3.0). Bernard has knocked down three plus jumpers from behind the arc in six consecutive games. Classmate Tess Myers sits tied for third in the conference with 2.4 triples a game while connecting on 19 three-pointers this season. Her 224 career triples rank fifth all-time for the Dukes as her 586 attempts currently sit third in program history. Junior Megan McConnell currently leads the team and is tied for sixth in the A-10 with a .457 percentage. The Dukes are a perfect 5-0 on the season when they make 10 plus threes in a game.

FOLLOW THE DUKES
For the latest news and updates for Duquesne women's basketball, follow @DuqWBB on Twitter (X) and Instagram all season.