GAME 26
Duquesne (16-9, 7-7) at Fordham (13-12, 7-7)
Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025 | 7:00 p.m.
Bronx, N.Y. | Rose Hill Gym (3,200)

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NOTHING BUT NYLON
-The Duquesne women's basketball team travels to Bronx, N.Y. to battle Fordham on Wednesday, Feb. 19 for a midweek matchup where it looks to split the season series inside Rose Hill Gym during Atlantic 10 play.

- Despite a fourth quarter surge from the Ramblers, the Dukes held off Loyola Chicago to secure a 75-70 victory on Saturday afternoon in Atlantic 10 play at the Joseph J. Gentile Arena. The win snapped the Dukes' three-game losing streak.

- Four Dukes finished in double figures, led by senior Megan McConnell, who filled the stat sheet with 15 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals, and a block. She scored 10 of her 15 points in the second half, shooting 4-of-9 from the field.

- Freshman Mackenzie Blackford contributed 14 points, three assists, and two rebounds while knocking down three three-pointers. She was especially efficient at the free-throw line, going 5-of-6—all in the second half. Junior Andjela Matic added 13 points, draining three triples and going a perfect 4-of-4 from the line. She also grabbed five rebounds and handed out four assists in the win.

-  Graduate student Gabby Hutcherson rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points, three rebounds, three blocks, and a steal. Together, the quartet combined for 54 points and connected on nine three-pointers.

- Coming out of the break, Duquesne delivered one of its best defensive quarters of the season, holding Loyola Chicago to just four points in the third. The Ramblers managed only 2-of-14 shooting (14.3%) from the field, while the Dukes forced seven turnovers and recorded a pair of steals.

- Duquesne opened the half with an 11-2 run, fueled by three three-pointers, and closed the quarter with eight straight points—all from sophomore Raymi Coueta—to take a commanding 53-29 lead into the final stanza.

- However, Loyola Chicago flipped the script in the fourth, catching fire with a blistering 72.7 percent shooting performance (16-of-22), including four three-pointers. With 7:22 remaining, the Ramblers used a 16-5 run to cut the deficit to 62-50, bringing the margin to just 12 points with under four minutes to play.

- McConnell halted the momentum with a driving layup, but Loyola continued to push, trimming the deficit to single digits (69-60) following a 10-5 spurt. In the final 46 seconds, Duquesne remained composed at the free-throw line, converting 6-of-8 attempts, including three makes from Blackford to seal the victory.

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The Series vs. Fordham – It'll be the 37^th meeting between the Dukes and Rams come Wednesday night as Duquesne holds a 23-13 advantage in the series. Fordham has won eight of the last 10 meetings, including a 64-62 buzzer beater victory earlier this season (Jan. 5). Taylor Donaldson went one-of-two from the line to extend the Rams lead to three (62-59) with 1:13 remaining. After a pair of empty trips from both teams, senior Megan McConnell drove baseline and found freshman Nadia Moore who buried a three-pointer to knot the game at 62, with 42.0 seconds remaining. The Dukes would get a stop on the following possession and have the ball with 22.0 seconds remaining. Fordham would force a jump ball and have the arrow favored in their possession with just 3.0 ticks left. Out of a timeout, the Rams threw it in to Murua who scooped a layup over the front of the rim as time expired to give Fordham the win. senior Megan McConnell posted another 20-point performance and missed a near triple-double. She finished with a game-high 26 points on 9-of-18 (50.0 percent) from the field while collecting nine steals, and eight rebounds. McConnell buried three triples and went 5-of-7 from the charity stripe. Freshman Mackenzie Blackford was the second Duke to finish in double figures, posting 10 points, tying a season-high three steals, while hitting a pair of three pointers. Sophomore Reina Green finished with a season-best nine points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals off the bench.

Scouting The Rams – Fordham comes into Wednesday with a 13-12 overall record and a 7-7 mark in league action. They've lost five of their last six contests, including a 76-57 decision against VCU on Sunday. Irene Murua led the way with 15 points and eight rebounds while Taya Davis and Amiyah Ferguson each finished with 11 and 10 respectively. Taylor Donaldson paces the Rams with 16.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game. Donaldson has netted 18 double figure performances while sitting third in the league in scoring. Murua sits second on the team with 12.0 points per contest while averaging a team-leading 6.3 boards per game. She also leads the squad with a 55.9 percent shooting percentage. Murua has recorded three double-doubles while posting 15 games in double digits.

Loyola Chicago Remains - Loyola Chicago (11-15, 3-12 A-10) jumped out to an early 8-3 lead before Duquesne responded with an 8-0 run to take an 11-8 advantage. Freshman Mackenzie Blackford and junior Andjela Match each connected on a three-pointer, while junior Jerni Kiaku added a basket. Later in the quarter, the Ramblers trimmed the deficit to three, but graduate student Gabby Hutcherson knocked down a triple to extend Duquesne's lead as the Dujes held a 17-14 advantage after the first quarter. Early in the second, Rosalie Mercille tied the game at 17-all with a three-pointer, but Duquesne answered with a dominant 17-5 run over five minutes to seize a 34-22 lead. Kiaku ignited the surge with a three-pointer, followed by five consecutive points from senior Megan McConnell. Blackford added a shot behind before Loyola momentarily halted the momentum with a long-range basket. Hutcherson then took over, scoring six straight points—two of them jumpers—to extend the lead. Jess Finney capped off the half with a three-pointer, as the Dukes held a 34-25 advantage at the break.

Climbing The Record Book – Entering Saturday's contest at Loyola Chicago, senior guard Megan McConnell was on the verge of making history, needing just three steals to move into second place on Duquesne's all-time steals list. The Pittsburgh native delivered, reaching the milestone with her third steal at the 9:03 mark of the fourth quarter. With 335 career takeaways, she surpassed Korie Hlede (334, 1995-98) and now trails only Jocelyn Floyd (366, 2010-13), the program's all-time steals leader. McConnell continues to dominate defensively, leading the nation with 4.12 steals per game and ranking second in NCAA Division I with 103 total takeaways. She has recorded 13 games this season with four or more steals, including two performances with nine steals. Her outstanding defensive play has earned her a spot on the 2025 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year Watch List.

From International Waters – Junior guard Andjela Matic has been a key spark for the Dukes over the last two games, delivering strong performances on both ends of the court. Averaging 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting an impressive 53.8 percent from the field and beyond the arc, she has played a pivotal role in Duquesne's recent success. Against Massachusetts, Matic led the team with 15 points, shooting 4-of-7—all from three-point range—while adding six rebounds and two assists. She came alive in the second half, scoring 13 of her 15 points, draining three triples, and going 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. She carried that momentum into the Loyola Chicago matchup, returning to the starting lineup and contributing 13 points, including three three-pointers, while going a perfect 4-of-4 from the foul line. She also added five rebounds and four assists in the win. Matic ranks third on the team with 33 three-pointers and holds a 34.4 percent shooting mark from beyond the arc. She has recorded nine games this season with multiple three-pointers, including two games where she hit four.

Inside The Conference – Fourteen games into conference play, Duquesne boasts several standout performers among the league's best. Senior Megan McConnell ranks second in scoring with 18.1 points per game while leading the conference in steals (4.1) and sitting fourth in assists (4.3) per contest. Freshman Mackenzie Blackford has been a consistent threat from beyond the arc, tying for fourth in both three-pointers per game (2.4) and total triples (31) against conference opponents. In the paint, graduate student Gabby Hutcherson anchors the defense, ranking sixth in both total blocks (15) and blocks per game (1.1). As a team, the Dukes rank second in the conference with 9.6 three-pointers made per game, tallying 134 total triples. Defensively, they set the pace by forcing a league-best 19.6 turnovers per game, creating 275 total miscues in conference action.

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