GAME 14
Fordham (7-6, 1-1) vs Duquesne (9-4, 0-2)
Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 | 2:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh, Pa. | UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (3,500)

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NOTHING BUT NYLON
- The Duquesne women's basketball team returns to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse when it welcomes Fordham on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 2:00 p.m. for an Atlantic 10 contest.

- A remarkable fourth quarter comeback fell short as the Dukes dropped a 65-63 decision at VCU on Thursday night during Atlantic 10 action, inside the Stuart C. Siegal Center. Senior Megan McConnell and junior Jerni Kiaku were the lone Dukes in double figures.

- McConnell paced Duquesne with her second straight and fifth 20-point game of the season, ending with 24 points. She finished 7-of-14 (50.0 percent) from the floor while going 8-of-10 (80.0 percent) from the charity stripe and tallied five rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

- Jerni Kiaku was the second Duke in double figures, netting 10 points, two rebounds, and a steal. Mackenzie Blackford posted eight points while Gabby Hutcherson registered a career-high 10 rebounds to go with four points and three blocks.

- Faith Walker played a season-high 16 minutes while collecting two steals as classmate Nadia Moore registered a pair of takeaways.

- Trailing 59-44 heading into the final quarter, Duquesne orchestrated its largest comeback of the season. A driving layup by graduate student Gabby Hutcherson, followed by a steal and layup from freshman Faith Walker, ignited the surge to start the fourth. After a VCU turnover, Hutcherson sank a jumper, and senior Megan McConnell hit a pair at the charity stripe to narrow the gap to 59-52 with 8:31 left.

- On the ensuing possession, freshman Nadia Moore came up with a steal that led to a layup by classmate Mackenzie Blackford, forcing a VCU timeout. The Rams managed their first field goal of the quarter at the 7:10 mark, a jumper by Mary-Anna Asare, to push their lead to 61-54.

- McConnell answered with a driving layup, and senior Kiandra Browne followed with a pair at the chalk. Walker then notched another steal, setting up junior Jerni Kiaku for a layup to bring Duquesne within one, 61-60, with 4:34 remaining.

- Both teams went scoreless for nearly four minutes before Asare hit one of two free-throws, extending VCU's lead to 62-60 with 44 seconds left. Out of a timeout, Kiaku drilled a clutch three-pointer from the right-wing to give Duquesne a 63-62 edge.

- However, Asare responded with a running layup to reclaim the lead for VCU. The Rams forced a jump ball on Duquesne's next possession and sealed the game at the free-throw line.

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The Series vs. Fordham – It'll be the 36^th meeting between the Dukes and Rams come Sunday afternoon as Duquesne holds a 23-12 record in the all-time series. The Dukes snapped a three-game losing streak against Fordham last season, capturing a 75-73 overtime victory in Pittsburgh. Duquesne entered the fourth quarter with a 53-37 advantage, until Fordham erased a 16-point deficit by shooting 11-for-15 (73.3 percent) from the field and 3-of-4 from behind the arc in the final frame to force overtime. In OT, the Rams secured the first basket before Jerni Kiaku knotted the score at 67-all with a driving layup. Fordham would string together a 3-0 run before a triple by guard Tess Myers tied it with 2:00 minutes remaining. The two teams traded possessions before a layup by Kiandra Browne gave the Dukes its first lead in extra minutes. After forcing a contested three on the following possession, Browne found Myers on a backdoor cut to give Duquesne a 74-70 lead with 23 seconds remaining. Mandy McGurk would be fouled on a three-point attempt, where she connected on all three. After a pair of missed free-throws by the Dukes, an offensive rebound was secured by Amaya Hamilton to give Duquesne another opportunity as Nae Bernard went one-of-two from the line.

Scouting The Rams – Fordham enters Sunday's contest snapping a three-game losing streak, boasting a 7-6 overall record and a 1-1 mark in Atlantic 10 play. The Rams secured a thrilling 80-78 victory over Richmond on Thursday night in the Bronx, N.Y. Four Rams scored in double figures during the upset. Irene Murua led the charge, scoring 24 points on an efficient 11-of-16 shooting. Taylor Donaldson contributed 18 points and four rebounds, while Taya Davis added 16 points and a team-high eight assists. Chae Harris rounded out the group with 11 points, including three crucial three-pointers. On the season, Donaldson has been the team's standout, averaging 18.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game. Murua provides a strong complementary presence, contributing 12.4 points and a team-leading 6.5 rebounds per contest.

VCU Remains - After an opening tip layup from Kiaku, it was a stagnant start for Duquesne early on as the Rams claimed a 10-2 lead with 7:45 remaining in the opening quarter. The two teams would go scoreless over the next two minutes before a driving layup from sophomore Reina Green and a second chance bucket from McConnell cut the deficit to four, 10-6, heading into the media timeout. Later in the quarter, freshman Mackenzie Blackford connected on a shot from behind the arc before McConnell drilled a three-pointer to trail 14-12. VCU would take a 15-14 advantage after one. In the second quarter, a long ball from Blackford cut the deficit to two (23-21) before both teams traded the next 12 points. With 3:02 to go, VCU would end the half on a 6-4 stint to take a 35-31 lead into the break.

Miss Consistent – Senior guard Megan McConnell has been a cornerstone for the Dukes, delivering consistent and stellar performances game after game. She leads the Atlantic 10 in seven statistical categories and ranks in the top 35 across multiple categories in NCAA Division I. McConnell is averaging an impressive 19.8 points per game, along with 7.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists per contest. A defensive menace, McConnell has tallied 49 steals this season, averaging 3.77 takeaways per game. The Pittsburgh native has recorded five 20-point outings and has scored in double figures in all 13 games this season. The 5'7" guard recently etched her name deeper into Duquesne's history books, moving into the program's top 10 for career scoring. With a remarkable 29-point performance against Davidson in the Atlantic 10 opener, McConnell climbed to ninth all-time on the Dukes' scoring list, surpassing Beth Friday (2000–03, 1,410 points). Heading into Sunday's contest, McConnell has amassed 1,427 career points and is just 10 points shy of overtaking Samantha Pollino (2007–11, 1,437 points) for eighth place on the all-time scoring list.

Reserves Rising – A key factor in the Dukes' early-season success has been the contributions from their bench. Freshmen Nadia Moore and Mackenzie Blackford have made the most of their opportunities, providing consistent production. Moore is averaging 6.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game, while Blackford adds 6.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per contest. Blackford has emerged as a reliable threat from beyond the arc, ranking second on the team with 21 three-pointers. She's shooting an impressive 35.0 percent from long range and has made two or more triples in six games this season. Sophomores Reina Green and Raymi Coueta are each averaging just over 3.0 points per game but have become defensive anchors, regularly tasked with guarding the opposing team's top players. Freshman Faith Walker also showcased her potential in a recent matchup against VCU, logging a collegiate-high 16 minutes. Positioned at the top of the Dukes' press, Walker helped fuel a dramatic comeback from a 15-point deficit, collecting a season-high two steals as the team surged to take the lead in the fourth quarter.

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