Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University men's basketball team opened a three-game homestand Tuesday at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, dropping a 62-59 decision to Saint Peter's. The Dukes, who have lost five games by seven points or less, including three by five points or less, slipped to 1-7 (.125) overall during the 2024-25 season.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Tied, 47-47, after junior forward
David Dixon hit the front end of a pair of free throws with 8:12 remaining, the Peacocks used an 8-1 spurt to grab a 55-48 advantage with 5:40 to play. Bryce Eaton put Saint Peter's (4-3) back in front with a pair of free throws and followed by connecting for a three-pointer. Dixon again went 1-for-2 at the stripe, and Zaakir Williamson capitalized on the other end, converting in the paint while drawing contact. He completed the three-point play to give SPU its biggest lead of the contest.
CLOSING IN
Duquesne trimmed its deficit to one on a pair of occasions in the closing minutes, including 57-56 after junior forward
Chabi Barre hit the front end of a pair at chalk with 1:51 to go. On the ensuing possession, Eaton found Mouhamed Sow open at the top of the key, and his three-pointer with 1:27 left pushed the advantage for the Peacocks to 60-56. The Dukes were able to make it a one-possession game in the final minute, as Sow went 1-for-2 at the line with 4.3 seconds remaining. Senior forward
Jahsean Corbett came down with the rebound and pushed an outlet pass to junior guard
Kareem Rozier, who got inside halfcourt and was able to get a look at tying it, but his shot was strong.
QUOTABLE
"I think there is enough effort," head coach
Dru Joyce III said. "You have to be engaged for 40 minutes. There's always gaps in the game. That's the game of basketball. It's a game of runs. It becomes 'How do you recover?' I didn't think we recovered with the right mindset. They punched back and found some momentum, and we never put that series of stops together. We didn't get enough stops and became reliant on trading baskets."
BAND ON THE RUN
Duquesne opened its biggest lead with 7:29 to go in the first half on the strength of a 16-0 run that turned an 11-8 deficit into a 24-11 advantage. The Dukes got six points during the burst from Barre as well as five from junior forward
Matúš Hronský. Duquesne also did a solid job on the defensive end, forcing the Peacocks into three turnovers while holding SPU to an 0-for-9 performance from the field, including an 0-for-4 performance from beyond the arc. Barre was again a factor off the bench for the Dukes, setting a career high for the second consecutive game with 13 points while also adding eight rebounds. He shot 5-of-8 from the field while going 3-for-4 at the free-throw line and also added an assist and a block.
QUOTABLE
"(Chabi) just keeps playing with a high motor, and he's improved," Joyce III said. "He's gotten stronger over the course of the offseason, and I think that's really helping him around the interior. He's doing a great job of rebounding the basketball on both ends of the floor. He's always had a pretty good defensive presence, and what he's doing now is rebounding the ball much better. He's also become more comfortable finishing around the rim. It's a bright spot to see where his improvement has taken place."
NOTES
Corbett scored a game-high 15 points to pace Duquesne and also registered six rebounds, three assists and a steal … The Dukes were without sophomore guard
Jake DiMichele, who missed the game due to injury … Senior guard
Cam Crawford played 14 minutes and finished with four points and four rebounds … The contest featured seven ties and eight lead changes … Dixon posted a pair of blocks to push his career total to 94 in 72 games (1.31 per contest) and leaving him six short of 100 rejections ... Marcus Randolph, Eaton and Sow each scored 11 points to lead Saint Peter's, which held a 42-37 edge on the glass … Duquesne owned a 24-22 edge in points in the paint.
QUOTABLE
"I just want us to keep improving, myself included," Joyce III said. "On a day-to-day basis. How we manage our day. How we manage the game. Figuring out how we can be our very best, and then gaining some consistency with that with our level of play. We've been up and down. Some of our lineups are starting to be more secure. Guys are finding their way a little bit. We'll still continue to grow. We have to have a better level of consistency throughout the lineup."
UP NEXT
Duquesne hosts Delaware Friday, Dec. 6, for a 6:00 p.m. tip at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
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