Dayton, Ohio – A fourth-quarter surge by the Flyers proved to be the difference as the Duquesne women's basketball team fell, 68-61, at Dayton on Saturday afternoon inside UD Arena in Atlantic 10 action. With the loss, the Dukes slipped to 7-7 (.500) overall and 0-3 in conference play.

POINT OF EMPHASIS
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.

GAME OF RUNS
Dayton (8-6 | 1-2 A-10) opened the game with a 9-4 lead before sophomore guard Mackenzie Blackford buried a triple to cut the deficit to two with just over three-minutes remaining. The Flyers pushed their advantage to 14-9 before Duquesne ended the quarter with eight consecutive points to lead 17-14 after one. Sophomore Nadia Moore connected on a three-pointer, followed by a putback from classmate Harriet Ford and a long ball from junior Reina Green. Duquesne continued its momentum in the second quarter as Moore registered a jumper and Blackford connected on another triple to give the Dukes a 22-14 cushion. Dayton answered with a 15-2 burst over the next five-minutes, shooting 5-of-7 from the field with two three-pointers to reclaim the lead, 29-24, with 2:45 remaining before the half. Walker connected on a pair at the charity stripe to stem the tide as Bordas hit a three-pointer to knot the game at 29-all. After trading baskets, Green buried a pair at the chalk to give Duquesne a 33-32 edge at the half.

THE DUO
A pair of Dukes finished in double figures, led by Nadia Moore and Alexis Bordas. Moore posted a career-high 18 points on 44.4 percent shooting (8-of-18) while adding four rebounds and two assists. The sophomore guard scored 11 of her 18 points in the second half, shooting 5-of-10 (50.0 percent) from the field and pulling down three rebounds after the break. Bordas finished with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting (46.2 percent), knocking down three three-pointers. She scored 10 of her 15 points in the second half, going 4-of-6 from the field with two triples. The performance marked the fifth consecutive game the freshman has reached double figures and the 12th time this season.

NOTES
Harriet Ford finished with a season-high 15 rebounds, including seven points … Dayton featured four players in double figures, led by Molly O'Riordan with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting and 5-of-7 from deep … Nicole Stephens and Olivia Leung each finished with 14 points while Stephens collected eight rebounds … Nayo Lear rounded out the four with 12 points and three steals … Duquesne held a 28-26 edge in points in the paint … Dayton netted 32 points off 21 Duquesne turnovers … The Flyers held a 37-25 lead in bench points … Duquesne won the rebounding battle, 43-32 while collecting 18 offensive rebounds … The game featured 12 lead changes and six ties

UP NEXT
Duquesne returns to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse when it hosts St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, Jan. 7, for an A-10 matchup, with tip-off scheduled for 6:00 p.m.