Oxford, Ohio – The Duquesne women's basketball team held off a late rally by Miami (Ohio) on Sunday afternoon, securing a 73-66 victory in the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) at Millett Hall. With the win, the Dukes improved their record to 21-12 on the season.
BEND BUT DON'T BREAK
Entering the final 10 minutes, Duquesne held a 14-point advantage (61-47), but Miami quickly responded with a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 61-53 with 8:47 remaining. Junior
Jerni Kiaku halted the RedHawks' surge with a layup, but Miami answered with four straight points to trim the gap to seven. Both teams then endured a two-minute scoring drought before junior
Andjela Matic sparked a 7-3 run, going a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line to extend Duquesne's lead to 70-59 with just over three minutes left. The RedHawks fought back once again, scoring seven consecutive points to make it a 70-66 game with 1:23 remaining in regulation. After a series of empty possessions, the Dukes turned the ball over with 49 seconds left, giving Miami a chance to close the gap. However, freshman
Faith Walker came up with a crucial block and defensive rebound, securing possession for Duquesne with 33 seconds to go. Matic and Kiaku then sealed the victory at the free-throw line, combining to go 3-of-4 in the final 30 seconds. The Dukes were efficient from the stripe in the fourth quarter, shooting 8-of-9 (88.9 percent) and finishing the game at an impressive 77.8 percent (14-of-18).
QUOTABLE
"Anytime you win in March, and you can say see you tomorrow, you feel really good about it," head coach
Dan Burt said. "We didn't play a great basketball game, and I think some of that had to do with Miami (Ohio). They lead their conference in defense, and we played really well in the first two and a half quarters with only turning the ball over six times but finished with 19. We got settled down later in the fourth quarter with the lineup, and one of the big things we had to figure out is what lineup was best for us tonight. And that took some time to do that, and once we figured that out, we were able to get into a rhythm and score the ball a lot better and take care of the ball a lot better."
POINT OF EMPHASIS
Duquesne jumped out to an early 6-1 lead, fueled by back-to-back three-pointers, but Miami quickly responded with a pair of triples of their own to trim the deficit to 8-7. Senior
Megan McConnell then sparked a 10-2 run, extending the Dukes' lead to 18-9 with 5:05 remaining in the opening quarter. After Miami sank a pair of free throws, freshman
Mackenzie Blackford drilled a long-range shot, followed by McConnell converting a four-point play. Duquesne closed the quarter strong, scoring five of the final nine points to take a 23-13 advantage. The Dukes' defense was dominant in the opening frame, holding the RedHawks to just 23.1 percent shooting (3-of-13) from the field. Miami, however, flipped the script in the second quarter, shooting an impressive 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from the floor. The RedHawks opened the period with five straight points before junior
Jerni Kiaku knocked down a left-wing three to halt their momentum, making it 26-18. The teams traded the next 10 points before Miami closed the half on a 13-8 run, narrowing Duquesne's lead to 41-36 at the break.
ONE OF A KIND
Senior guard
Megan McConnell etched her name in Duquesne history on Sunday afternoon, adding another milestone to her already remarkable career. With six steals in the game, she became the program's all-time leader in takeaways, surpassing Jocelyn Floyd (2010-13), who held the record for over 12 years with 366 steals. McConnell now sits atop the leaderboard with 368. The Pittsburgh native also climbed to second place on Duquesne's all-time scoring list after recording her 13th career 20-point performance. She led all scorers with 24 points on 10-of-23 shooting, including three three-pointers, surpassing Wumi Agunbiade (2011-14) and her 1,776 career points. McConnell now has 1,784. In addition to her scoring feat, she stuffed the stat sheet with nine rebounds, six assists, and six steals in the victory. As she heads into her next game, McConnell is on the verge of yet another historic achievement, needing just two more assists to become Duquesne's all-time leader. She currently trails Shiri Sharon (2001-04), who holds the record with 659 career assists.
EVERYONE EATS
The Dukes had three additional players join McConnell in double figures, showcasing a well-balanced offensive effort.
Jerni Kiaku contributed 17 points on 46.2 percent shooting, adding three rebounds, one steal, and one block while going 4-of-6 from the free-throw line. Off the bench,
Mackenzie Blackford provided a spark with 14 points, shooting an impressive 5-of-6 (83.3 percent) from the field, including a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Andjela Matic rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. She knocked down two three-pointers and was flawless from the free-throw line, going 7-of-7—all in the fourth quarter. Together, the quartet accounted for 68 of Duquesne's total points while combining for 10 made three-pointers. This marks the 12th time this season that the Dukes have had four players finish in double figures, further highlighting their offensive depth.
NOTES
Kiandra Browne finished with eight rebounds and three assists while
Faith Walker finished with three rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal … Miami featured three players in double figures, led by Maya Chandler. She finished with 16 points and four steals while Amber Tretter ended with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocked shots. Tamar Singer was the final RedHawk in double digits with 11 points and 4 assists … Duquesne caused 19 turnovers and collected 11 steals while netting 23 points off 19 Miami miscues … The Dukes held a 14-7 edge in second chance points and a 38-34 lead on the glass.
QUOTABLE
"Congrats to the Dukes on their commanding win over a talented University of Miami, Ohio, team in the second round of the WNIT Tournament," Duquesne University President Ken Gormley said. "A special shout-out to
Megan McConnell who made history as all-time steals leader and the second all-time scorer in the history of the Womens' Basketball program. Next stop -- the Super 16 round of the WNIT later this week against an opponent TBD. This is an exciting year for one of the most impressive and gritty womens' basketball teams in our storied history. Let's show the country what this team is made of! Go Dukes!!!"
UP NEXT
Duquesne advanced to the Super 16 for the second consecutive season and will face the winner of Cleveland State vs. Coppin State on Friday. The game's site and time are yet to be determined.
