Davidson, N.C. – The Duquesne University men's basketball team had its four-game winning streak snapped Saturday, falling to Davidson, 77-71, at John M. Belk Arena. The Dukes slipped to 6-9 (.400) overall with the loss, including 1-1 (.500) in the Atlantic 10.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Duquesne led, 38-34, entering the second half, but the Wildcats opened the final 20 minutes with a 20-6 run that helped Davidson (11-4 | 1-1 Atlantic 10) grab its first double-digit advantage, 54-44, with 13:05 to play. Reed Bailey scored eight points during the burst for the Wildcats, while Zach Laput and Bobby Durkin each contributed five points. Duquesne owned a 22-6 advantage in points in the paint in the opening 20 minutes, but Davidson attacked the rim in the opening salvo of the second half during its deciding run. The Dukes, however, would finish with a 42-28 cushion in points in the paint during the contest.
QUOTABLE
"I thought it was a tough basketball game," head coach
Dru Joyce III said. "We did a great job rebounding the basketball today but could've done a better job in defending one-on-one. For a stretch of the game, (Reed) Bailey really dominated. I'm going to applaud our guys' effort. We had 42 points in the paint. We just have to be a little better. When you're on the road, you pay for some of the mistakes you make."
HOT POCKETS
Trailing, 12-10, after a hook shot from Bailey, Duquesne went to work, using a 17-5 spurt that saw the Dukes go 7-for-8 from the field, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, to open up their biggest advantage of the game, 27-15, at the 8:58 mark of the first half. Sophomore forward
Eli Wilborn ignited the run with a tip-in, guard
Maximus Edwards supplied five points off the bench while
Cam Crawford and
Matúš Hronský each hit three-pointers. The Wildcats got back into it thanks to the triple, as Zach Laput hit a pair and Connor Kochera added another to help close Davidson to within 31-30, but Duquesne weathered the surge. Hronský provided a driving layup, Edwards sprang loose to connect for a jumper and Hronský, who scored all of his seven points in the opening 20 minutes, hit a jumper of his own as the Dukes owned a 38-34 edge at the half.
BREAK OUT
Senior forward
Jahsean Corbett exploded for the Dukes Saturday, scoring a career-high 29 points as the only Duquesne player to score in double figures. He shot 12-for-20 from the field, hitting his only attempt from beyond the arc, while going 4-of-6 at the free-throw line. He also added six rebounds and two assists. Off the bench, Edwards contributed nine points on 4-of-8 shooting from the floor, while Crawford also scored nine points. Davidson held senior guard
Tre Dinkins III, who entered the contest as the leading scorer for the Dukes, scoreless. Dinkins III finished 0-for-7 from the field, including 0-of-5 from beyond the arc, but contributed four rebounds, three assists and a steal.
NOTES
Duquesne used its third different starting lineup in as many games, with forwards
David Dixon and
Chabi Barre each starting for the Dukes … Davidson shot 60 percent (15-for-25) from the field in the second half and 51 percent (26-of-51) overall … Duquesne posted 15 assists on its 29 field goals, with Crawford leading the way with four dimes … Dixon and Barre each recorded a block for the Dukes … The rejection for Dixon pushed his career total to 106, helping him move into seventh place all-time in school history in blocks ... The contest featured two ties and four lead changes … Davidson owned the lead for 20:44 compared to 16:40 for Duquesne.
UP NEXT
Duquesne returns home to the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse Wednesday, Jan. 8, to host Saint Joseph's in a 7:00 p.m. tip.
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