GAME 7
Duquesne (4-2) at Pitt (5-4)
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 | 6:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh, Pa. | Petersen Events Center (12,508)

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NOTHING BUT NYLON
- The Duquesne women's basketball team travels down the road to crosstown rival Pitt for the City Game on Wednesday, Dec. 4, with the opening tip scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

- Behind four Dukes in double figures, Duquesne captured its second win in a row on Sunday evening, defeating Saint Francis 85-71 inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in non-conference action.

- It was a career day for grad student Gabby Hutcherson as she paced four Dukes in double figures. She carded a career-best 22 points on an impressive 10-of-12 shooting (83.3 %) from the floor. Hutcherson ended with six rebounds while collecting two steals and a pair of blocks in the win. The Ohio native netted 12 of her 22 points in the second half, shooting 6-of-7 from the field.

- Three other Dukes finished in double digits. Senior Megan McConnell ended with 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and four steals. Junior Jerni Kiaku finished with 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals while freshman Mackenzie Blackford recorded 10 points, three steals, and a pair of rebounds.

- Junior Andjela Matic tied for the team-lead with six boards while posting six points as sophomore Reina Green registered six points and five rebounds during the win.

- It was a hot start for both squads as they traded the opening 16 points of the contest. Duquesne responded with an 11-0 run to secure a 19-8 advantage. Freshman Mackenzie Blackford sparked the run with a layup followed by a layup from junior Jerni Kiaku and a triple from sophomore Reina Green. A long ball from senior Megan McConnell and a free-throw from graduate student Gabby Hutcherson capped the stint.

- Saint Francis ended the first quarter on an 8-5 run as the Dukes led 24-16 after one. After a jumper from Natalie Johnson trimmed the Duquesne lead to 32-21, the two teams went scoreless over the next two minutes.

- Duquesne countered with 11 consecutive points as junior Andjela Matic started the stint with a pair from the chalk as Green hit two free-throws to increase the advantage.

- Kiaku collected a steal and a layup before McConnell buried a triple and Hutcherson connected on a turnaround jumper to grab its largest lead of the contest, (43-21). Hutcherson would end the half with a jumper as the Dukes took a 50-29 lead into the break.

- After battling the Panthers, Duquesne returns home to begin a five-game homestand, beginning Sunday, Nov. 8 when it welcomes Carnegie Mellon at 2:00 p.m.

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The Series vs. Pitt – For the 42^nd time, the Dukes and Panthers will square off on the hardwood on Wednesday night. Pitt holds a 23-18 record in the all-time series but Duquesne snapped a two-game skid last year with a 56-55 victory inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. Trailing 44-40 entering the final frame, Kiandra Browne connected on a pair of free-throws before causing a Pitt (1-3) turnover on the defensive end. She found classmate Megan McConnell in the right corner, who buried a triple to give Duquesne its first lead since the second quarter, 45-44. Later in the stanza, the defensive stand continued as Browne took her third charge of the afternoon at the 6:49 mark which a couple possessions later led to a corner three by Tess Myers to give the Dukes a 48-45 advantage. With just under four minutes to go, Duquesne would score five consecutive points to grab its largest lead of the contest, 56-45. Amaya Hamilton connected on a pair of freebies before Myers knocked down her third triple of the afternoon. With just over a minute and a half remaining, the Panthers would mount a 7-0 run to trim the deficit, 53-52 with 11 seconds remaining. Hamilton would go 1-of-2 from the charity stripe before a Pitt travel gave the ball back to the Dukes with two seconds remaining. Browne would step to the line and bury both of her opportunities to seal the deal for Duquesne.

Scouting The Panther – A member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Pitt comes into Wednesday with a 5-4 overall record after dropping three straight at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands last week. The Panthers opened the Paradise Jam by falling to Kansas 59-53 before dropping an 82-50 decision to Auburn and a 90-74 contest to Northern Iowa. The Panthers are led by second year head coach Tory Verdi who's in his 14^th season as an NCAA Division I head coach. Pitt is led by Khadija Faye who is averaging 15.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per contest. She's shooting .494 percent from the field while collecting 2.7 blocks, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 steals.

Saint Francis Remains - Duquesne continues to be one of top teams in the country in causing turnovers and the Dukes continued that trend this afternoon. For the fifth straight game, the Dukes forced 20+ turnovers in causing Saint Francis into 27 miscues. Duquesne caused 17 turnovers in the first half alone, 10 of them coming in the second quarter. They collected its second highest total of steals (15) during Sunday's contest, with seven different Dukes collecting a takeaway. Megan McConnell led the way with four steals while Jerni Kuaku and Mackenzie Blackford each tallied three. Gabby Hutcherson registered a pair of takeaways for Duquesne.

I Have A Hutch – Graduate student guard Gabby Hutcherson joined the Dukes this season and has provided a lift in her first season in the red and blue. Hutcherson posted a career-high 22 points on a career-best 10-of-12 shooting from the floor against the Red Flash on Sunday afternoon. Her 22-point performance in her first 20-point game of her career while being the third Duke this season to produce a 20-point effort. The Ohio native is one of three players averaging double figures, chipping in 10.2 points per game while shooting at a .510 percent clip. It's the third contest this season where Hutcherson has recorded double digit scoring. She tallied 16 points on four triples at Penn State earlier this season before posting 10 points and three boards against Niagara the very next game.

Depth Chart – With the new and up-tempo style of play Duquesne is playing this season, the Dukes have looked to its bench for a spark and they have produced. As a team, Duquesne leads the Atlantic 10 in bench points at 26.3 points per game while playing an average of 13 players each game. Freshmen Nadia Moore and Mackenzie Blackford have led the charge in the early going as Moore is averaging 9.0 points while shooting .600 percent from behind the arc. She carded a season-high 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from long range in a victory over Robert Morris this season. Blackford is posting 6.7 points while ranking second on the team in three-pointers made (10). She most recently recorded her second double digit scoring game after posting 10 points with two triples and three steals in a win over Saint Francis. Blackford scored a season-high 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor, with three long balls in a victory over Niagara earlier this season. Duquesne has produced 20+ bench points in five of its first six contests, including a season-high 44 against Niagara.

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