Pittsburgh, Pa. – Junior
Kerem Konan scored at the rim with 12 seconds to play and converted the and one opportunity after being fouled in the act to help lift the Duquesne University men's basketball team to a 72-71 victory over Washington State Tuesday at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The Dukes, who improved to 3-0 for the second consecutive year, tightened up defensively in the final seconds, as a jumper from Lazerek Houston at the buzzer was strong.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Washington State matched its biggest lead of the contest, 62-51, after a layup from Jaylen Harrell with 8:37 to play, but Duquesne responded with a 16-4 run that was capped by a dunk from redshirt freshman guard
Arness Lawson to jump in front, 67-66, with just over three minutes to go. The Cougars (0-3), who finished 11-for-25 (44%) from beyond the arc, answered with a three-pointer from Houston to jump back on top, 69-67. The triple set up a frantic final two-and-a-half minutes, with Lawson tying the game for the fourth time with a layup off an offensive rebound before Sebastian Akins found space in the paint on the following possession to convert to again give Washington State the lead, 71-69, with 32 seconds to play. Out a timeout by the Dukes, senior
Yoav Berman found a streaking Konan, who dashed down the paint and scored while drawing a foul by Mohamed Sankhe. Konan would push the Dukes on top for good with his free throw.
QUOTABLE
"We talk about the last four minutes as the championship round," Joyce said. "How do we respond in that round? You have to start punching and put on display and persuade the judges that you may be winning the fight. We showed great poise and continue to shine defensively in those moments. Most of our finishes came in the fast break. The balance of the whole team, though, we really channeled our defensive mindset late in that second half. We had some struggles at times. They were making shots, they were physical. We stayed the course, we were pretty resilient and when we had our moment, we seized it."
EYE SEE YOU
Konan, who missed his first career-double in the 2026-27 season opener against Purdue Fort Wayne by a rebound, fell just shy again Tuesday against the Cougars, but this time by handing out a career-high nine assists. He was one of five Dukes to score in double figures in the victory by tying for team-high honors with 13 points while also notching five rebounds and a pair of steals. Off the bench, senior guard
Josh Smith added 13 points, while Lawson scored eight of his career-high 12 points in the second half, including six consecutive that pushed Duquesne on top. Berman added 10 points and a game-high seven boards, while senior forward
Stephen Olowoniyi recorded 10 points and three rebounds off the bench.
QUOTABLE
"(Konan), when he came to us, he was always passing, and we had to convince him that he had to start taking some of those shots," head coach
Dru Joyce III said. "Like that drive he had at the end. He's been unselfish since day one. It's part of his DNA as a player. Tonight you got to see it on full display, with him being able to read and see the floor. We weren't expecting him to get nine assists, but when we're able to play through him, through the post or the high-post area, he just showed his versatility. I've had to convince him to stay aggressive and see if he can score some of those around the basket. He's done a good job of finding that balance."
PAC-MAN
The victory for Duquesne was its first against a member of the Pac-12 Conference since a 78-74 win over Oregon in Portland, Ore., as part of the Far West Classic Dec. 26, 1975, a span of almost 51 years. The Dukes also improved to 9-1 (.900) all-time against Pac-12 members at home, as each of the previous nine contests were played between 1940 and 1974. In the championship game of the Steel Bowl Dec. 7, 1974, Oregon earned a 90-82 victory over Duquesne in the last time the Dukes took on a Pac-12 foe in the Steel City. Tuesday marked the first-ever meeting in school history with Washington State, which is one of two holdovers from the previous incarnation of the Pac-12 (along with Oregon State) in a conference that now includes Gonzaga, Boise State, Utah State and San Diego State, among others.
NOTES
Duquesne has won four consecutive games at home dating back to last season and has trailed in each contest, including by six (Purdue Fort Wayne) points, nine (Central State), 11 (Washington State) and 30 (Richmond) … During the 16-4 run that pushed the Dukes back in the lead, Washington State was 1-for-5 from the field with a pair of turnovers … Duquesne shot 51.1 percent (24-for-47) from the field but dominated at the rim, outscoring the Cougars, 40-20 … Through the first three games of the 2026-27 season the Dukes have averaged 40.0 points in the paint … Center
Ege Demir finished with seven points and a rebound in just under 20 minutes of action and had the best plus/minus (+7) by a Duquesne student-athlete … Washington State led for 34:38 … Both teams received 25 points from the bench, while the Dukes held a 12-2 cushion in points on the break … Harell led all scorers in the game for the Cougars with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, including 3-for-5 from deep, and also handed out five assists and grabbed four rebounds.
UP NEXT
Duquesne continues its five-game homestand to open the 2026-27 campaign Saturday, Nov. 14, with a 7:30 p.m. tip against Binghamton at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
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