GAME 29
Duquesne (18-10, 9-8) at George Mason (23-5, 13-5)
Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025 | 3:00 p.m.
Fairfax, Va. | EagleBank Arena (10,000)

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NOTHING BUT NYLON
-The Duquesne women's basketball team concludes its regular season on Saturday, March 1, when it travels to Fairfax, Va. to battle George Mason in side EagleBank Arena during Atlantic 10 action, with tip-off scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

- In front of a record-setting crowd of 3,100 fans, the Dukes closed out its home schedule in dominant fashion, rolling to a 74-48 victory over St. Bonaventure on Wednesday morning during Education Day at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

- Senior Megan McConnell led the Dukes with her second consecutive 20-point performance, finishing with 25 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and three steals. The Pittsburgh native shot an efficient 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) from the field, including five three-pointers.

- Gabby Hutcherson delivered a strong performance, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Jerni Kiaku added 10 points and four boards. Senior Kiandra Browne contributed nine points, three rebounds, and two assists. Duquesne dominated inside, scoring 32 points in the paint and outpacing St. Bonaventure 14-3 in fast-break points.

- Duquesne came out firing from behind the arc, draining three triples to jump out to an early 9-3 lead. St. Bonaventure (6-22 | 2-15 A-10) responded with a 10-2 run, seizing a 13-11 advantage with four minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

- However, the Dukes closed the period on a 7-0 surge, reclaiming control at 18-13. Junior Andjela Matic ignited the run with a three-pointer, followed by a driving layup from senior Megan McConnell and a strong finish from junior Jerni Kiaku. The second quarter opened with back-and-forth action before Duquesne found its rhythm again, unleashing an 11-2 run to extend its lead to 35-20.

- Kiaku sparked the stretch with consecutive layups, and after a pair of free throws from the Bonnies, senior Kiandra Browne and McConnell added back-to-back buckets. Matic capped the surge with another deep three. St. Bonaventure managed to score five of the final nine points of the half, but Duquesne remained in control, taking a 39-25 lead into the break.

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George Mason Game Notes

The Series vs. George Mason – Saturday's matchup will mark just the 17th meeting between Duquesne and George Mason, with the Dukes holding a 13-4 advantage in the all-time series. The teams faced off twice last season, splitting the series, with Duquesne securing a dramatic 63-62 victory in the Atlantic 10 Championship quarterfinals. In the closing moments of that postseason battle, Sonia Smith went 1-of-2 from the free-throw line for George Mason, cutting Duquesne's lead to 63-62 with 39 seconds left. Following a Duquesne timeout, sophomore Jerni Kiaku grabbed her own missed layup, giving the Dukes possession with eight seconds remaining. However, Duquesne turned the ball over on the next play, prompting George Mason to call a timeout and advance the ball. After a series of fouls by Duquesne, the Patriots had one final opportunity with 1.2 seconds left. They lobbed a pass inside to Zahirah Walton, but her contested layup in the paint—defended by Kiaku and junior Tess Myers—fell short, sealing the Dukes' win. Myers led Duquesne with 12 points, shooting 4-of-9 from beyond the arc while adding four rebounds and two assists. Precious Johnson contributed 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, along with six rebounds and a block. Senior Amaya Hamilton tallied nine points, five rebounds, and a team-high four blocks, while Megan McConnell stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in the victory.

Scouting The Patriots – George Mason enters Saturday's matchup sitting second in the A-10 standings with a 23-5 overall record and a 13-4 mark in conference play. However, the Patriots are looking to bounce back after back-to-back losses, most recently falling 83-69 at Saint Joseph's on Feb. 23. Offensively, George Mason boasts a balanced attack, with three players averaging double figures while all shooting over 40 percent from the field. Zahirah Walton leads the way with 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, shooting 43.4 percent from the floor while also averaging 1.0 block per contest. Kennedy Harris follows closely, contributing 14.2 points per game while shooting 41.6 percent from the field and an efficient 40.0 percent from three-point range. Rounding out the trio, Paula Suárez adds 11.5 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.

St. Bonaventure Remains - Duquesne delivered its second-best shooting performance of the season on Wednesday, finishing at an impressive 51.8 percent (29-of-56) from the field. The Dukes shot 53.6 percent (15-of-28) in the first half before maintaining efficiency in the second, hitting 50.0 percent (14-of-28) of their attempts. From beyond the arc, Duquesne connected on 12-of-28 three-pointers, marking the 16th time this season they recorded double-digit triples. Their most efficient stretch from deep came in the third quarter, where they hit 4-of-6 attempts. After the teams traded the first 12 points of the second half, Duquesne broke away with an 11-6 run, fueled by three triples. Graduate student Gabby Hutcherson sparked the surge with a three-pointer, followed by a layup from Megan McConnell. After a Zoe Shaw pull-up jumper, McConnell knocked down back-to-back threes to cap the run. The Dukes added another long-range shot before closing the quarter with a commanding 59-40 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

Scaling New Records – Senior guard Megan McConnell continues to etch her name into Duquesne's record books with each game. She wasted no time making history in her latest outing, drilling a right-wing three on her first shot to surpass Candace Futrell (2001–04) for fourth place on the program's all-time scoring list with 1,668 career points. McConnell also reached another milestone, moving into third place for the most steals in a single season by surpassing Korie Hlede's 1995 total of 110 takeaways. The Pittsburgh native now sits at 1,691 career points, closing in on Chassidy Omogrosso (2016–19), who ranks third in program history with 1,703. Defensively, McConnell is already second in school history with 344 career steals, trailing only Jocelyn Floyd, who set the single-season record with 121 in 2012. McConnell's all-around dominance is unmatched, as she remains the only player in women's college basketball this season to record 500+ points, 200+ rebounds, 100+ assists, and 100+ steals.

Peaking When It Matters Most – Since rejoining the starting lineup in mid-February, graduate student Gabby Hutcherson has been a consistent force on both ends of the floor. Over the past four games, she has averaged 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per contest while shooting 47.1 percent (24-of-51) from the field and 40.7 percent (11-of-27) from three-point range. Hutcherson's impact has been evident in key matchups. In a win at Loyola, she contributed 12 points, three rebounds, and a season-high three blocks. She followed that performance with 13 points, four rebounds, and a block at Fordham. On senior day, she delivered her first career double-double, posting 19 points, 10 rebounds, three three-pointers, and two blocks. Most recently, the Ohio native tallied 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three made threes in a victory over St. Bonaventure. Currently, Hutcherson ranks third on the team in scoring at 8.8 points per game while adding 4.5 rebounds per contest. Defensively, she has recorded 31 total blocks and averages 1.15 blocks per game, placing her fifth in the Atlantic 10.

Splash Mob – Duquesne has thrived this season when connecting from beyond the arc, a strength reflected in the team's impressive statistics. The Dukes lead the Atlantic 10 and rank fourth nationally in three-pointers per game (10.1), while also sitting fifth in NCAA Division I in three-point attempts per game (31.7). Their ability to hit from deep has been a key factor in their success, as they boast a 14-2 record when making 10 or more threes, including seven games with at least 13 made triples. Seven different players have reached double figures in made threes this season, with senior Megan McConnell leading the way at 62, ranking fifth in the conference. Freshman Mackenzie Blackford follows with 54 triples, placing 10th in the A-10 while averaging two per game. Junior Andjela Matic has contributed 37 from long range, while graduate student Gabby Hutcherson is close behind with 36. The Dukes have been particularly sharp from deep in recent matchups, averaging 11.0 three-pointers per game over their last four contests, resulting in a 3-1 record during that span.

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