Pittsburgh, Pa. – Behind a pair of double-doubles from senior Megan McConnell and graduate student Gabby Hutcherson, the Duquesne women's basketball team captured an 84-72 victory over Saint Louis during Senior Day inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. With the win, the Dukes improved to 17-10 overall and 8-8 in conference action.

POINT OF EMPHASIS
It was a dominant first half for Duquesne, fueled by sharp shooting and strong offensive runs. The Dukes shot an impressive 58.8 percent (17-of-29) from the field and 50.0 percent (8-of-16) from three-point range. They started strong, jumping out to a 6-2 lead on consecutive triples from Gabby Hutcherson and Mackenzie Blackford. Though Saint Louis briefly took the lead with five straight points, Duquesne responded with an 11-0 run, spearheaded by Jerni Kiaku's eight consecutive points and a three-pointer from Megan McConnell, to establish a 17-7 advantage. The Billikens fought back with an 8-5 stretch to close the first quarter, but Duquesne still held a 22-15 lead. The Dukes continued their hot shooting in the second quarter, hitting 60.0 percent (9-of-15) from the field. After trading baskets early, Duquesne put together another strong run, outscoring Saint Louis 11-5 to extend their lead to 39-26 with 4:23 left in the half. McConnell kickstarted the surge with a layup, followed by a three from Blackford. Another triple from McConnell and Hutcherson's third of the half helped push the margin further. Blackford's pair of free throws just before halftime gave Duquesne its largest lead yet, heading into the break with a commanding 50-31 advantage.

QUOTABLE
"Good to be back on the winning track," head coach Dan Burt said. "We led for over 39 minutes today, and really kind of asserted ourselves throughout the game. We would obviously like to close things out a little bit better, and that's something that we'll have to get better at as we close out the season and the regular season. It's a concern, but we're going to focus on the positives, which is that we led for more than 39 minutes and shot the ball really well, out rebounded a really athletic team with better size than us, and had 21 assists on 27 baskets. A lot of really good things there and then today to win on senior day honoring Kiandra, Gabby H, and who I think is the best basketball player I've ever coached and that's Meg McConnell."

SHARING THE ROCK
Duquesne's unselfish play was on full display as they continued their strong passing game, finishing with 20 assists on 27 made field goals. The Dukes set the tone early, dishing out six assists in the first quarter and adding eight more in the second to fuel their dominant first half. The second half opened with both teams exchanging buckets before freshman Faith Walker drove coast to coast for a layup. Moments later, Megan McConnell drained a three, followed by another long ball from Mackenzie Blackford, extending the Dukes' lead to 62-37 with 4:56 left in the third. Though Saint Louis closed the quarter on a 6-2 run, Duquesne still held a commanding 69-46 advantage heading into the final frame. The Billikens made a push in the fourth, stringing together a 7-0 run to trim the deficit to 13 with just over a minute to play. However, McConnell and Jerni Kiaku each knocked down free throws to keep the lead intact. With under 40 seconds remaining, the Dukes secured the 82-67 victory, capping off a strong all-around performance.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP
On Senior Day, Duquesne's veteran leadership took center stage, with standout performances from Megan McConnell and Gabby Hutcherson. McConnell delivered her second consecutive double-double, tallying 22 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds. She was highly efficient, shooting 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc while also tying her career-high with 11 assists and adding three steals. Hutcherson recorded her first career double-double, contributing 19 points and 10 rebounds. She shot 8-of-16 from the floor and knocked down three three-pointers while leading the team with two blocks. Together, the dynamic duo combined for 15-of-26 shooting, seven made threes, and 17 rebounds.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Junior Jerni Kiaku was a third Duke in double figures, finishing with 16 points on an impressive 83.3 percent (5-of-6) from the field. She ended 6-of-9 from the foul line while collecting two rebounds and two assists. Freshman Mackenzie Blackford was the final Duquesne player to net double digits, tallying 11 points and three long balls. As a team, caused 19 turnovers while scoring 17 points off those miscues. Saint Louis featured three players in double figures, paced by Peyton Kennedy. She tallied 19 points and three threes' while Tierra Simon ended with 18 points and nine rebounds.

UP NEXT
Duquesne returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 26, when it welcomes St. Bonaventure to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse for Education Day, beginning at 11:00 a.m.