GAME 16
Duquesne (7-8, 0-4 A-10) at VCU (5-11, 1-3 A-10)
Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 | 2:05 p.m.
Richmond, Va. | Siegel Center (7,500)

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NOTHING BUT NYLON
- The Duquesne women's basketball team travels to Richmond, Va. on Sunday, Jan. 11, to take on VCU inside the Siegel Center for an Atlantic 10 matchup, beginning at 2:00 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

- The Dukes returned to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Nov. 7, dropping a 46-38 decision to St. Bonaventure.

-  A jumper from junior guard Reina Green extended Duquesne's lead to 24-15, but St. Bonaventure (11–5, 2–2 A-10) responded with an 11-5 run to pull within 29-26, shooting 5-of-8 from the field during the stretch. Bordas briefly halted the momentum with a pull-up jumper to restore a six-point cushion with 2:12 remaining in the quarter.

- Brillana Boyd answered with a three-pointer, and after both teams were held scoreless over the final two minutes, Laycee Drake drilled a buzzer-beating triple to tie the game at 32-all heading into the final 10 minutes. The teams traded baskets to open the fourth quarter before Aaliya Parker went 1-of-2 from the free-throw line to give the Bonnies a one-point edge.

- A two-and-a-half-minute scoring drought followed, before Pettinelli knocked down a right-wing three to push St. Bonaventure's lead to four. Parker then converted a pair at the line to extend the advantage to 40-34 with 2:18 remaining. Duquesne attempted to mount a late push with baskets from Moore and Ford, but St. Bonaventure sealed the game by going 4-of-4 at the chalk over the final 51 seconds.

- Alexis Bordas was the lone Duke to finish in double figures, ending with 11 points while connecting on three tripes. She collected three rebounds and totaled a pair of steals.

- Mackenzie Blackford ended with eight points and three rebounds while Reina Green and Nadia Moore each chipped in six points. Green also posted a career-high nine rebounds while Harriet Ford corralled a team-leading 12 boards and a career-high four steals.

GAME DAY LINKS
Watch (CBS Sports Network)
Live Stats
DUQ Game Notes
VCU Game Notes

The Series vs. VCU – Sunday afternoon will be the 20^th meeting between the Dukes and Rams as Duquesne holds a 13-6 lead in the all-time series. The Dukes snapped a two-game skid against VCU a season ago, capturing a 69-59 victory in Pittsburgh. Duquesne opened the second half clicking on all cylinders, connecting on four of its first five shots, including 3-of-3 from behind the arc. Blackford sparked the scoring run with a pair of free-throws, followed by a long ball from senior Kiandra Browne. After a Rams bucket, Blackford tallied another three-pointer before Kiaku buried a triple to extend the Dukes advantage and cap the stint (48-38). Later in the quarter, VCU counted with a 6-0 run to trim the deficit to four, before Blackford stemmed the tide with another long ball. Freshman Nadia Moore registered the Dukes fifth triple of the quarter as Duquesne took a 56-49 lead into the final stanza. Blackford led the Dukes in the quarter, scoring 10 of her 15 points in the third quarter alone. She was 3-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-3 from behind while securing a rebound and an assist. The freshman ended the game with a team-high 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor while connecting on three triples and dishing out three dimes. Three other Dukes joined Blackford in double figures as Jerni Kiaku finished with 12 points while tying her career-high six asssits, with four rebounds and two steals. Megan McConnell ended with 11 points, a team-high seven boards to go along with five steals, two assists, and one block. Nadia Moore chipped in 10 points with a pair of triples while collecting a pair of rebounds. Freshman Faith Walker totaled seven points on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor while dishing out a career-best four assists in the win. Reina Green posted a season-high seven rebounds in the win.

Scouting The Rams – VCU enters Sunday with a 5-11 overall record and a 1-3 mark in Atlantic 10 play, coming off a win that snapped a four-game losing streak. The Rams captured their first conference victory of the season on Wednesday (Jan. 7), topping Saint Louis 50-39 on the road. VCU features two players averaging double figures, led by Mary-Anna Asare and Katarina Kneževic. Asare is putting up more than 17 points per game, along with 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest. She has scored in double figures in six of the seven games she's played this season, including four 20-point performances. Kneževic ranks second on the team with over 11 points per game while leading VCU with 4.8 rebounds and averaging just under two assists. She is second on the team with 24 steals and has reached double figures in six contests. The Rams are guided by long-time head coach Beth O'Boyle, who is in her 12th season at the helm. O'Boyle holds the record for most coaching victories in VCU basketball history, and her teams have earned postseason berths in six of her 11 completed seasons.

St. Bonaventure Remains – The Dukes loss to the Bonnies is the first since 2021 and snapped an eight-game winning streak … After a slow start for both teams, Duquesne seized control early, carrying an 11-3 lead into the first media timeout behind five quick points from freshman guard Alexis Bordas. The Dukes forced five St. Bonaventure turnovers in the opening five minutes and held the Bonnies scoreless for more than three-and-a-half minutes. Olivia DiFranco briefly halted the drought by converting a pair of free throws with 3:19 remaining in the quarter, but neither team scored over the final three minutes. St. Bonaventure opened the second quarter with a 7-3 stint to trim the deficit to 14-12 with 6:57 left, before a pull-up jumper from Mackenzie Pettinelli tied the game at 14-all just over five minutes into the period. Duquesne answered emphatically, scoring eight of the next nine points to reclaim momentum and build a 22-15 advantage. Sophomore guard Mackenzie Blackford ignited the spurt with a pair of free throws, followed by a three-point play from sophomore forward Harriet Ford and a deep three from Bordas. Once again, both teams went cold down the stretch, as the Dukes maintained a 22-15 lead heading into halftime.

Road Warrior Profile – Freshman guard Alexis Bordas has emerged as the Dukes most consistent road scorer this season, entering Sunday's matchup at VCU averaging more than 14.0 points per game away from home while shooting over 35 percent (39-of-110) from the field. She is pulling down just under three rebounds per contest, adding 1.6 steals per game, and has connected on 22 three-pointers. Bordas has been particularly effective at the charity stripe, converting 82.2 percent (15-of-17) of her attempts. The West Virginia native has reached double figures in six of the Dukes eight road games, including two 20-point performances. She erupted for 24 points, highlighted by five three-pointers in her collegiate road debut at Western Michigan (Nov. 9), then followed with 23 points on 50.0 percent shooting (7-of-14) from the floor while knocking down five triples against Liberty (Nov. 29) at the Navy Classic. Bordas has scored in double figures in three consecutive road contests, most recently posting 15 points and two assists while draining three three-pointers at Dayton (Jan. 3).

Powered by Ford – Sophomore forward Harriet Ford has earned her way into Duquesne's starting lineup, drawing the start in each of the Dukes last two contests. A key contributor to Duquesne's Atlantic 10 leading rebounding effort and a unit that ranks seventh nationally at 45.5 rebounds per game, Ford is averaging 9.1 points and 8.9 rebounds while shooting an efficient 46.6 percent from the field (48-of-103). She has been especially dominant on the offensive glass, where she ranks fourth in the nation with 4.5 rebounds per game. The Australian native leads the Dukes with four double-doubles this season and has posted six games with double-digit rebounds. She enters the week riding back-to-back double-figure rebounding performances, pulling down a season-high 15 boards to go with seven points at Dayton (Jan. 3), then following up with 12 rebounds and five points against St. Bonaventure (Jan. 7).

Paint Touches – A key to the Dukes' success this season has been their dominance in the paint. Over the last 15 contests, Duquesne is averaging 32.1 points per game in the paint, scoring at least 30 points in seven games, reaching 50 or more twice, and eclipsing the 60-point mark once. Earlier this season, the Dukes set a program record with 66 points in the paint during a 102-73 victory over West Liberty (Nov. 11). Duquesne is averaging just under 69.0 points per game, ranking sixth in the Atlantic 10, while limiting opponents to 63.6 points per contest. The Dukes have also thrived when getting off to strong starts, posting a 6-3 record when leading after the first quarter and a 6-2 mark when ahead at halftime.

Rainmakers - Duquesne boasts two of the Atlantic 10's premier three-point shooters in freshman Alexis Bordas and sophomore Mackenzie Blackford. Bordas leads the conference and ranks 10th nationally, averaging more than three three-pointers per game, while her 35.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc ranks sixth in the league. The West Virginia native is tied for the most three-pointers made in a single game this season after drilling a season-high 10 triples in an 84-69 victory over Pitt (Dec. 21). Her 46 made three-pointers rank third in the A-10 and 17th nationally, and she has connected on three or more threes in nine contests this season. Blackford is averaging two made three-pointers per game, ranking eighth in the conference, while her 32.7 percent accuracy from long range sits seventh. She ranks second on the team with 29 triples and has knocked down at least two three-pointers in seven games. Together, the duo has combined for 75 three-pointers through the first 15 games, shooting 33.5 percent (75-of-224) from beyond the arc.

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