Ypsilanti, Mich. – A late layup from Sisi Eleko with 11.0 seconds left proved to be the decisive blow, as the Duquesne women's basketball team fell in a heartbreaking 74-72 finish at Eastern Michigan on Tuesday afternoon inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. With the loss, the Dukes fall to 6-4 (.600) on the year.
POINT OF EMPHASIS
After trailing by 11 with 2:10 remaining in the third quarter, Duquesne ended the quarter with 11 unanswered points to grab its first lead of the contest, 59-58. Redshirt
Gabby Grantham-Medley sparked the run with a triple and an old fashioned three-point play before sophomore
Mackenzie Blackford connected on a three-pointer and classmate
Maja Rohkohl buried a pair at the charity stripe to end the quarter. Freshman
Alexis Bordas gave the Dukes its largest lead of the contest with a long ball, 62-58, before Eastern Michigan rattled off nine straight points to regain the lead. Later in the quarter, a layup from Fernanda Ovalle gave the Eagles a 71-63 cushion before a pull-up jumper from sophomore
Faith Walker and a long ball from Bordas cut the deficit to three with under five minutes remaining. Sisi Eleko would go one-of-two from the foul line to push the lead to 72-68 until both teams went on a three-minute scoring drought. Grantham-Medley and junior
Reina Green would each split a pair at the chalk to cut the deficit to two until a rejection from freshman
Raevin Washington led to a fastbreak layup for Green which knotted the score at 72-all with 37 seconds remaining. Out of an Eastern Michigan timeout, Eleko banked in a tough shot over two defenders to put the Eagles ahead by two with 11 seconds remaining. Duquesne had one final chance to respond, but the Dukes turned it over in the closing moments.
BATTLE TESTED
Eastern Michigan (6-3) came out blazing in the opening quarter, shooting a blistering 75.0 percent from the floor (9-of-12) and 7-of-9 at the foul line. The Eagles held a narrow 9-6 edge early before closing the quarter on a dominant 17-4 run, building a 26-10 cushion after 10 minutes. Duquesne answered with authority to start the second quarter, ripping off an 11-2 burst to trim the deficit to 28-21. Bordas jump-started the surge with a three-pointer, and after an Eagles bucket, Walker and Bordas drilled back-to-back pull-up jumpers. A brief scoring lull followed, but Green knocked down a jumper from the right corner, and Walker capped the run with two free-throws. Brooklyn Thrash momentarily slowed the Dukes with a layup, but Grantham-Medley struck right back with consecutive baskets to pull Duquesne within 30-25. Eastern Michigan, however, countered with a strong finish, closing the half on a 10-3 run to take a 40-28 advantage into the break.
SHARING THE WEALTH
A trio of Dukes finished in double figures, led by
Gabby Grantham-Medley. She tied her career-high with 17 points while collecting four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Grantham-Medley ended 6-of-7 from the charity stripe while pacing Duquesne in scoring for the second straight game.
Alexis Bordas chipped in 11 points, knocking down three triples while also recording two rebounds, two assists, and a steal. It marked her seventh double-digit outing of the season.
Reina Green rounded out the trio with 10 points on an efficient 4-of-8 shooting day, along with two assists and a steal. It's her second consecutive double-figure performance and her third this season. This outing also marked the sixth time this year and the third straight game that Duquesne has had three players score in double figures.
NOTES
Mackenzie Blackford finished with nine points and a career-best five steals … Duquesne held a 36-30 edge in the rebounding battle while collecting 17 offensive rebounds … Eastern Michigan shot 54.2 percent (26-of-48) from the field, featuring three players in double figures … Sisi Eleko recorded a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds on 10-of-18 shooting … Fernanda Ovalle and Brooklyn Thrash each finished with 14 and 12 points respectfully, with both shooting over 50.0 percent for the game … Each team committed 16 turnovers while Duquesne held a 13-8 lead in steals … Eastern Michigan held a 40-22 in points in the paint
UP NEXT
Duquesne wraps up its road swing on Sunday, Dec. 14, heading to New York for a non-conference showdown at Stony Brook. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
