Henrico, Va. – The No. 9 seeded Duquesne women's basketball team opened play at the Atlantic 10 Championships on Thursday morning, capturing a 79-63 victory over the No. 8 seed Fordham inside the Henrico Sports & Events Center. With the win, the Dukes improved to 19-11 overall this season and advanced to the quarterfinals.
POINT OF EMPHASIS
Duquesne came out firing in the opening quarter, quickly establishing a 15-4 lead by the first media timeout. The Dukes connected on six of their first 10 shots while forcing four Ram turnovers and holding Fordham to just 2-of-7 from the field. Out of the break, Duquesne continued its dominance with a 13-3 run, closing the quarter with a commanding 28-7 advantage. Senior
Megan McConnell ignited the surge with a layup, followed by back-to-back three-pointers from graduate student
Gabby Hutcherson and junior
Andjela Matic. After Fordham managed a single free throw, senior
Kiandra Browne drained a shot from beyond the arc, and junior
Jerni Kiaku capped the run with a driving layup. The teams exchanged baskets early in the second quarter before Duquesne took control once again, outscoring Fordham 12-5 to extend the lead to 42-17 with 4:25 left in the half. McConnell connected on a pair at the chalk, while Kiaku scored five straight points to fuel the push. Following a Fordham basket, McConnell added a layup before Matic knocked down another three-pointer. The Rams responded with a 9-3 run to close the half, but Duquesne still held a comfortable 48-28 advantage heading into the break.
QUOTABLE
"I feel really good about today's win," head coach
Dan Burt said. "I felt like it was a total team effort. We had three people in double figures, but we got many, many contributions, some of those that don't show up in the box score. How we defended, how we cut, how hard we played,
Raymi Coueta in particular. She kept possessions alive with being so aggressive. Fordham is an outstanding rebounding team, and today, to be within three of them with our size and the difference in size, really shows the fight that our team has. Really happy about the win today, and how we started with shooting the ball and shooting it with great confidence."
DEFENSIVELY STOUT
Duquesne delivered one of its strongest defensive performances of the season, limiting Fordham to single-digit scoring in two quarters. The Dukes stifled the Rams' offense early, holding them to just 15.0 percent shooting (3-of-20) in the opening quarter. Their defensive dominance continued in the second half, as Fordham managed only seven points on 2-of-12 shooting (16.7 percent) to start the third quarter. It was a slow start after halftime, with both teams struggling offensively, combining for just one made field goal in the first nine attempts. However, following the media timeout, Duquesne found its rhythm, stringing together eight straight points to extend the lead to 56-28. McConnell and freshman
Mackenzie Blackford each contributed three points during the run, while Kiaku added a layup. The teams then traded the next 10 points before Duquesne closed the quarter with a commanding 64-35 lead. The Dukes' defensive pressure remained relentless throughout the game, holding Fordham to just 31.9 percent shooting (23-of-72) from the field and 26.9 percent (7-of-26) from beyond the arc while forcing 12 turnovers.
CONSISTENT SHOOTING
The Dukes showcased a well-balanced offensive attack, with three players scoring in double figures, led by junior
Jerni Kiaku. She posted a game-high 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting (56.3 percent) while adding four rebounds and one assist. Kiaku was particularly effective in the first half, scoring 11 of her 21 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including one three-pointer while registering her fourth 20-point performance this season. Senior
Megan McConnell filled the stat sheet with 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and four steals, converting 7-of-9 from the free-throw line. She was a playmaker early, dishing out five assists in the first half, and a defensive force late, recording three steals in the final 20 minutes. Junior
Andjela Matic rounded out the Dukes' double-digit scorers, contributing 15 points—all from beyond the arc. She knocked down five three-pointers on 5-of-8 shooting while also recording an assist and a steal. As a team, Duquesne shot an efficient 47.5 percent (28-of-59) from the field and 40.0 percent (12-of-30) from three-point range. It marked the 17th time this season that the Dukes have reached double figures in made threes.
NOTES
Graduate student
Gabby Hutcherson ended with nine points and six rebounds while connecting on three triples … Senior
Kiandra Browne chipped in eight points, two rebounds, one steal, one assists, and one block … Fordham featured a pair in double figures, led by Irene Murua, who finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds … Taylor Donaldson finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, and five steals … Fordham held a 44-41 lead on the glass while collecting 22 offensive boards … The Rams held a 30-26 advantage in points in the paint while leading 25-16 in second change points.
UP NEXT
Duquesne advanced to the quarterfinals, where it will face defending champion and No. 1 seed Richmond at the Henrico Sports & Events Center. Tip-off is set for 11:00 a.m.
