GAME 19
Dayton (9-9, 2-5 A-10) vs. Duquesne (7-11, 0-7 A-10)
Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026 | 6:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh, Pa. | UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (3,500)

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NOTHING BUT NYLON
- The Duquesne women's basketball team opens a two-game homestand on Wednesday, Jan. 21 when it welcomes Dayton for an Atlantic 10 matchup inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

- The Dukes traveled to Rhode Island on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 18) and suffered a 70-50 setback in Atlantic 10 action at the Thomas M. Ryan Center. With the loss, the Dukes fall to 7-11 overall (.389) and 0-7 in conference play.

- Rhode Island jumped out to an early 8-5 advantage before sophomore guard Fatou Sane knocked down a right-wing three-pointer to even the score with just over five minutes remaining in the first quarter.

- After a two-minute scoring drought, the Dukes strung together a 7-2 run to take a 15-10 lead. The spurt was highlighted by a triple from freshman guard Alexis Bordas, followed by a jumper from junior Reina Green and a layup by freshman Raevin Washington.

- The Rams responded with three consecutive points, trimming Duquesne's lead to 15-13 at the end of the opening quarter. The Dukes carried that momentum into the second quarter, extending their advantage to 19-13 after baskets from redshirt sophomore Gabby Grantham-Medley and Washington.

- Following another scoring drought of two-and-a-half minutes, Rhode Island put together a 13-2 run over a five-minute stretch to reclaim a 26-21 lead with just over one minute remaining in the half. Washington connected on a jumper to stop the run, but Duquesne headed into the break trailing 26-23.

- Mackenzie Blackford was the lone Duke to reach double figures, finishing with 11 points on three made three-pointers. She added three assists, two rebounds, and one steal while shooting 4-of-9 (44.4%) from the field.

- Fatou Sane followed with nine points, six rebounds, and two steals. Raevin Washington contributed eight points on an efficient 4-of-5 (80.0%) shooting performance, along with two rebounds, one block, and one steal. Reina Green and Gabby Grantham-Medley each chipped in seven points, with Green also pulling down six rebounds.

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The Series vs. Dayton – It'll be the 52^nd meeting when the Dukes and Flyers take the floor on Wednesday night and the second meeting this season. Dayton holds a 27-24 edge in the all-time series while winning the last two meetings, including a 68-61 victory earlier this month (Jan. 3). The fourth quarter featured five lead changes, with Duquesne holding a 49-44 advantage entering the final 10 minutes. Dayton opened the period on an 8-3 run, knocking down three of its first four shots to tie the game at 52-52. Sophomore guard Faith Walker answered with a driving layup to put the Dukes back in front, and freshman guard Alexis Bordas followed with a top-of-the-key triple to give Duquesne a 57-52 cushion with 6:58 remaining. Dayton responded behind Molly O'Riordan, who drained consecutive three-pointers to push the Flyers ahead, 58-57. After a defensive stop, Walker converted a transition layup to reclaim the lead for Duquesne with 4:24 left in regulation. However, Dayton closed the game on a 10-2 burst over the final three minutes, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field while forcing three Duquesne turnovers. The Flyers shot 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the field in the fourth quarter while going a perfect 5-of-5 from behind the arc.

Scouting The Flyer – Dayton comes to Pittsburgh with a 9-9 overall record and a 2-5 mark in Atlantic 10 play, having dropped its last two contests. The Flyers most recently fell 62-58 at Saint Louis on Sunday (Jan. 18). Dayton is led by Nayo Lear, who ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 with 16.2 points per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field—third best in the league. Lear has scored in double figures in 15 games this season, including four 20-point performances and a 30-point outing. Nicole Stephens is second on the team in scoring at 9.6 points per game and leads the Flyers with 3.5 assists per contest, ranking fifth in the A-10. Her 1.40 assist-to-turnover ratio is fourth in the league, and she has reached double figures in five consecutive games. Fatima Ibrahim anchors the Flyers in the paint, leading the team with 6.5 rebounds per game while averaging 7.4 points and 2.2 blocks. Her block average ranks second in the conference and 19th nationally. Ibrahim has recorded 39 blocks this season, 18th in Division I and has posted 10 games with two or more rejections. As a team, Dayton is shooting 43.0 percent from the field, the third-best mark in the Atlantic 10.

Rhode Island Remains - Rhode Island (16-2, 7-0 A-10) increased its defensive pressure in the second half, forcing 12 turnovers over the final 20 minutes, including 10 in the third quarter alone. The Rams opened the half on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to double digits before Grantham-Medley stemmed the tide with a jumper, cutting the deficit to 33-25. Rhode Island answered with an 8-3 run to push its advantage to 41-28 with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Grantham-Medley later knocked down a three-pointer, and sophomore guard Faith Walker added a jumper, but the Rams carried a 45-33 lead into the fourth quarter. Despite committing just two turnovers in the final period, Duquesne was outscored in points off turnovers, as Rhode Island converted 12 Dukes miscues into 13 points in the second half while recording seven steals.

Chin It - Duquesne continues to limit opponents to one shot per possession, fueled by its dominance on the glass. The Dukes rank ninth nationally with more than 44 rebounds per game and sit 15th in Division I with over 15 offensive rebounds per contest. That rebounding edge has led to 11 games with 40 or more rebounds this season, including four outings with 50-plus boards. Sophomore forward Harriet Ford has been the catalyst behind that success, averaging a team-best 8.3 rebounds per game to rank third in Atlantic 10. Her 4.0 offensive rebounds per contest rank 15th nationally. Ford has recorded seven double-digit rebounding performances this season and enters the week collecting 10 or more in three of the last five games. Redshirt sophomore guard Gabby Grantham-Medley and freshman forward Raevin Washington also provide a strong presence on the glass. Grantham-Medley ranks second on the team with just under five rebounds per game, while Washington is averaging 4.2 boards per outing.

Mack Attack – Sophomore guard Mackenzie Blackford continues to be a steady presence for the Dukes this season. She is coming off her sixth double-digit scoring performance of the year after recording 11 points at Saint Louis, shooting 4-of-9 (.444) from the field and 3-of-6 (.500) from beyond the arc. Blackford also added three assists, two rebounds, and a steal in Sunday's contest. The Ohio native has led the Dukes in scoring four times this season and has connected on three or more triples in four games. In her career, Blackford has produced 20 games with 10 or more points and 17 outings with at least three made three-pointers. On the season, Blackford is averaging 8.7 points per game, ranking fourth on the team, while pulling down over three rebounds per contest and adding 1.4 steals per game. She sits second on the team with 26 total takeaways and has recorded a steal in 13 games this season, including in five of the last six contests.

Rim Protection - As Duquesne continues to lead the conference in field goal percentage defense, allowing just 36.8 percent per game, one of the team's greatest strengths this season has been its ability to protect the rim. Freshman forward Raevin Washington has led the way, pacing the Dukes and ranking fourth in the Atlantic 10 with 29 blocked shots. Her 1.61 blocks per game also rank fourth in the conference and 61st nationally. The Virginia native has recorded at least one block in 14 games this season, including six performances with two or more rejections. Washington leads the team with four games of three or more blocks and set a season high with five blocks in a win over Kent State (Nov. 24). Offensively, the freshman is averaging just under five points per game and ranks third on the team with 4.2 rebounds per contest. She is shooting 46.9 percent (38-of-81) from the field and has reached double figures twice this season. Washington is coming off an efficient outing at Saint Louis, where she finished with eight points on 4-of-5 (.800) shooting while adding two rebounds, one steal, and one block.

Let It Fly - The Dukes enter Wednesday's contest having made at least one three-pointer in 445 consecutive games, a streak spanning 15 years. The last time Duquesne failed to connect from beyond the arc was on December 21, 2011, when the Dukes went 0-for-19 from long range against Florida in the championship game of the Gator Holiday Classic. Just last season, the NCAA Division I women's record for consecutive games with a made three-pointer was broken. Iowa State had previously held the mark with an astounding 945-game streak dating back to February 19, 1995, when the Cyclones competed in the Big Eight Conference. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga now owns the longest active streak in Division I women's basketball, with 824 straight games featuring a made three-pointer.

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