Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University bowling team continued play at the Penguin Classic Saturday in Struthers, Ohio, finishing with a 3-2 record during traditional play at Holiday Bowl. The Dukes improved to 7-3 (.700) overall during the 2024-25 season heading into Sunday's championship round.
THE RESULTS
Duquesne opened play Saturday by facing its second opponent ranked in the top five during the tournament, with No. 3 Youngstown State prevailing, 1,020-986. The Dukes rebounded with three consecutive wins, including a 1,028-860 triumph over Central Missouri, a 1,078-940 victory over Roberts Wesleyan and a 920-901 win over fellow Northeast Conference (NEC) foe Niagara, which entered action this weekend ranked 25th in the preseason National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll. Duquesne closed the day against No. 17 Wichita State, dropping a 1,136-1,059 decision.
TEN
A pair of Dukes finished in the top 10 individually Saturday, with sophomore
Maribeth Baker finishing second and fifth-year
Shannon Small claiming sixth. Baker averaged 233.20 over the course of the five games, knocking down 1,166 total pins. She opened competition Saturday with a 245 against the Penguins, rolled a 232 in the win over the Jennies and a 231 in the triumph over the Redhawks. Baker's average score is the highest in a tournament by a member of the Dukes since Olivia Farwell, at the time a grad student, set a program record by averaging 246.14 in seven games at NEC #2 during the 2022-23 campaign. Baker also eclipsed her previous standard of 233.00 she set last year at the Hawk Classic.
ALL THE SMALL THINGS
Small, meanwhile, knocked down 1,108 total pins Saturday in averaging 221.60 to finish sixth. Small fired a 234 against the Penguins, led the Dukes against Central Missouri with a 255 and also contributed a 217 in the win over Roberts Wesleyan. Small's performance against the Jennies marks the fifth time during her career on the Bluff she has rolled a 255 or better.
THE LEADERBOARD
Youngstown State is a perfect 10-0 heading into Sunday's championship round but sits third in total pinfall with 10,362. Nebraska, which is 8-2 through the first two days of competition, has registered a tournament-high 10,702 total pins, while Wichita State, which is 9-1, owns 10,362. Duquesne is the only other program with over 10,000 total pinfall at 10,078, an average score of 201.6. Claiming the individual crown of the 2024 Penguin Classic was Piper Reams of Wichita State, who finished just five pins better than Baker with 1,171, an average of 234.20.
LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
Freshman
Anna Clark made her NCAA Division I debut Saturday for the Dukes, rolling a 220 in the win over Roberts Wesleyan. She played the final three games, averaging 195.67. Senior
Ranelle Ulanday, meanwhile, averaged 194.60 in five games, including a 221 against the Shockers, while junior
Emma Siekierski also played all five games, averaging 193.00, including a 237 in the win over the Redhawks.
UP NEXT
Duquesne faces No. 3 Youngstown State to open the championship bracket Sunday at 8:25 a.m. at Holiday Bowl, and a victory would advance the Dukes to face the loser of Nebraska and Wichita State.
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