GAME 30
2025 Atlantic 10 Championship
#9 Duquesne (18-11) vs. #8 Fordham (15-14)
Thursday, March. 6, 2025 | 11:00 a.m.
Henrico, Va. | Henrico Sports & Events Center (3,500)
Stream: ESPN+ with Leah Secondo (pxp) & Fallon Stokes (color)

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NOTHING BUT NYLON
- The Duquesne women's basketball team opens play at the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championships Thursday, March 6, with an 11:00 a.m. tip in the second round against No. 8 Fordham in Henrico, Va., inside the Henrico Sports & Events Center.

- The Dukes concluded its 2024-25 regular season on Saturday, dropping an 86-63 decision at George Mason inside EagleBank Arena. Three Dukes finished in double figures, led by senior Megan McConnell.

- She delivered a team-high 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting (53.3 percent), including three made three-pointers. She also contributed three rebounds, three steals, and two assists while going 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. This marked her 11th game of the season with at least 20 points and her 11th contest with three or more triples.

- Junior Jerni Kiaku added 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting (43.8 percent), along with two rebounds, two assists, and two steals. She was particularly effective in the second half, scoring 12 of her 16 points while shooting 50.0 percent from the field.

- Freshman Mackenzie Blackford rounded out the Dukes' double-figure scorers, tallying 11 points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting (66.7 percent), including three three-pointers. She also grabbed two rebounds and recorded her 11th game of the season with three or more made triples.

- Efficient shooting propelled the Patriots to an early 7-0 lead as they hit three of their first four attempts. The Dukes responded with freshman Mackenzie Blackford sinking a three-pointer, followed by senior Megan McConnell connecting from deep on the next possession to trim the deficit to one.

- However, George Mason answered with a 12-4 run over the next three minutes to extend their lead to 19-10. The teams exchanged baskets late in the quarter, but the Patriots maintained control, closing the period with a 28-15 advantage. Struggles on offense hurt the Dukes in the second quarter, as they managed just 3-of-14 shooting from the field.

- Meanwhile, George Mason continued their efficient play, shooting 58.3 percent (7-of-12) in the quarter to widen the gap. The Patriots' hot hand from beyond the arc proved crucial, as they connected on 10-of-19 three-pointers in the opening half while shooting an impressive 56.7 percent overall. Their first-half performance sent them into the break with a commanding 52-28 lead.

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Fordham Game Notes

The Series vs. Fordham – It'll be the third meeting this season between the Dukes and Rams and the 38^th meeting in the all-time series. The two squads will meet in the post season for the sixth time, with Fordham holding a 3-2 record in those matchups. The Rams have won both meetings over Duquesne this season by a combined five points, most recently a 56-53 win in New York. Entering the fourth quarter tied at 41, the Rams surged ahead with a 6-2 run, claiming a 47-43 lead with just over seven minutes to play. Graduate student Gabby Hutcherson halted the momentum with a three-pointer, followed by senior Megan McConnell's right-wing triple to put the Dukes up 49-47 at the 5:39 mark. Duquesne held a slim 51-50 edge before Camila De Pool's layup swung the lead back to Fordham with under three and a half minutes remaining. After a series of empty possessions, McConnell sank two clutch free throws to put the Dukes back in front. However, a pull-up jumper from Chaé Harris quickly reclaimed the lead for the Rams (54-53) with a minute left. Following a scoreless trip for Duquesne, Irene Murua knocked down both free throws, extending Fordham's lead to three with 17 seconds to play. The Dukes had three chances to tie it in the closing moments but unfortunately couldn't convert.

Scouting The Rams – Fordham comes into the Championships as the No. 8 seed after finishing the regular season with a 15-14 overall record and a 9-9 mark in conference play. The Rams ended the regular season dropping a 64-52 decision at Davidson. Taylor Donaldson paces Fordham, averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. Donaldson has netted 19 double figure performances while sitting fourth in the league in scoring. Irene Murua sits second on the team at 12.2 points per game while pacing the Rams with 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists. She's posted three double-doubles on the year while netting double figures 18 times. Irene ranks second in the league in field goal percentage, shooting at a 55.1 percent clip while Donaldson leads the conference in triples per game (2.6).

George Mason Remains - Duquesne came out strong to start the second half, scoring the first four points on a three-pointer from freshman Nadia Moore and a free throw from graduate student Gabby Hutcherson. Midway through the quarter, the Dukes found their rhythm, putting together their best offensive stretch of the game—a 17-4 run over five minutes—to cut the deficit to 65-51 with just over a minute remaining. Senior Kiandra Browne ignited the surge with a three-pointer, followed by a layup and another triple from junior Jerni Kiaku. After the Patriots responded with four straight points, Megan McConnell added a bucket, and Hutcherson went 1-of-2 from the free-throw line. Kiaku continued her strong play, converting a transition layup off a steal before sinking another free throw to bring the score to 65-48. Blackford capped the run with her second three-pointer of the afternoon, leaving Duquesne trailing 65-41 heading into the final quarter. The Dukes were highly efficient during this stretch, shooting 6-of-7 from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.

500/200/100/100 - Entering the Atlantic 10 Tournament, senior Megan McConnell remains the driving force behind the Dukes' success this season. She is the only women's college basketball player in the country to have surpassed 500 points, 200 rebounds, 100 assists, and 100 steals this season. Leading the Atlantic 10 in scoring (18.8 ppg), triple-doubles (2), total assists (150), and assists per game (5.2), she also ranks second in the nation in total steals (115) and steals per game (3.97). McConnell averages 7.1 rebounds per contest, placing her ninth in the league. With her 11th 20-point performance at George Mason, the Pittsburgh native climbed to third on Duquesne's all-time scoring list with 1,713 points, surpassing Chassidy Omogrosso (2016-19 | 1,703). At last season's A-10 Championships, McConnell delivered a well-rounded performance, averaging 12.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.0 steals while shooting an impressive 54.0 percent (15-of-28) from the field and 55.0 percent (5-of-9) from three-point range.

Depth Delivers - Duquesne continues to excel, fueled by strong contributions from its bench, which leads the Atlantic 10 in bench scoring at 23.2 points per game—ranking 47th nationally. The Dukes have recorded 20 or more bench points in 19 games this season, posting an impressive 14-5 record in those matchups. In February, Duquesne's reserves maintained their impact, averaging 22.9 points per game and surpassing the 20-point mark in five contests. The team delivered its third-highest bench output of the season on Feb. 2, scoring 42 points in an 80-46 win at St. Bonaventure. Earlier in the season, the Dukes put up 44 bench points in a commanding 100-65 season-opening victory over Niagara (Nov. 16) and set a season-high with 47 points in a dominant 97-55 win at George Washington (Jan. 11).

Let It Fly - Duquesne has found success this season through its strong three-point shooting, a strength reflected in the team's impressive statistics. The Dukes lead the Atlantic 10 and rank third nationally in three-pointers per game (10.2), while also sitting second in NCAA Division I in three-point attempts per game (31.5). Their ability to connect from beyond the arc has been a key factor in their success, as they hold 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 digits in made threes this season, with senior Megan McConnell leading the team with 65, ranking fifth in the conference. Freshman Mackenzie Blackford follows with 57 triples, placing 10th in the A-10 while averaging two per game. Junior Andjela Matic has added 37 from long range, while graduate student Gabby Hutcherson is close behind with 36. The Dukes were especially sharp from deep in February, averaging 10.3 three-pointers per game over eight contests.

Did You Know? – Duquesne's success this season has been driven by strong defensive performances and efficient scoring. The Dukes hold a 16-4 record when limiting opponents to under 70 points and are 13-2 when scoring 71 or more. Defensively, they thrive on disrupting opponents, posting a 15-5 record when holding teams below 40.0 percent shooting. Their dominance on the boards has also been a key factor, as they remain undefeated at 8-0 when outrebounding their opponent. Offensively, Duquesne has shot over 40.0 percent in 15 games, boasting a 13-2 record in those matchups. The Dukes also lead the Atlantic 10 and rank 33rd nationally in steals per game (10.7), while sitting 23rd in NCAA Division I in turnovers forced (20.9). They have forced double-digit turnovers in all but one game this season and have recorded 10 or more steals in 17 contests.

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