GAME 27
VCU (8-19, 4-11 A-10) vs. Duquesne  (9-17, 2-13 A-10)
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 | 2:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh, Pa. | UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (3,500)

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NOTHING BUT NYLON
- The Duquesne women's basketball team returns to Pittsburgh, when it welcomes VCU on Saturday, Feb. 21, inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse for its annual Pink Game, beginning at 2:00 p.m.

- The Dukes wrapped up its two-game road swing on Wednesday night, dropping a 61- 46 decision at Saint Joseph's during Atlantic 10 action, inside the Michael J. Hagan '85 Arena.

- The Hawks came out firing, knocking down four of their first five shots to jump out to a 9-0 lead. Freshman Raevin Washington put the Dukes on the board with a jumper in the paint and later ignited a 9-4 run to close the opening quarter.

- Washington added another mid-range bucket, followed by a score from sophomore Mackenzie Blackford. After a layup from Saint Joe's, Blackford drained a triple to trim the deficit to 13-9 with 3:54 left in the period.

- The Hawks answered with a basket of their own before both teams endured a scoring drought of more than three and a half minutes. Sophomore Fatou Sane snapped the lull with a corner jumper at the buzzer, pulling the Dukes within four, 15-11, at the end of one.

- Junior Reina Green opened the second quarter with a layup and a triple, giving Duquesne its first lead of the game. Saint Joseph's responded with an 8-3 run to reclaim a 23-19 advantage with just over four minutes left in the half.

- After a layup from sophomore Harriet Ford pulled the Dukes within two, the Hawks closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 29-21 lead into the break.

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The Series vs. VCU – It'll be the 21^st meeting come Saturday afternoon between the Dukes and Rams as Duquesne holds a 13-7 lead in the all-time series. VCU has won five of the last seven meetings, including a come from behind victory earlier this January, 61-54 in Richmond, Va. Ty Williams knocked down a three-pointer with 3:21 remaining in the third quarter to trim Duquesne's lead to 45-39, but the Dukes closed the period strong, converting 5-of-6 from the free-throw line to take a 50-43 advantage into the final 10 minutes. Makennah White opened the fourth quarter with a triple to cut the deficit to four before both teams went more than three minutes without a field goal. Junior Reina Green snapped the drought by splitting a pair at the chalk, extending Duquesne's cushion to 51-46 with 6:16 remaining. Later in the quarter, Cyriah Griffin tied the game at 51-all with a triple as another extended scoring lull followed before White buried a top-of-the-key three to give VCU a 54-51 lead with 1:13 left. The Rams pushed their advantage to six before freshman guard Alexis Bordas answered with a three-pointer with 32 seconds remaining. That would be as close as the Dukes would get, as VCU sealed the win by going a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe down the stretch.

Scouting The Rams – VCU comes to Pittsburgh with an 8-19 overall record and a 4-11 mark in conference action. The Rams have currently lost their last five meetings, most recently a 66-39 defeat vs. Davidson on Wednesday (Feb. 18). VCU is led by Katarina Kneževic, who's posting a team-leading 10.2 points per game while collecting 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. She's posted 12 games in double figures, including five of her last six contests while leading the team with 27 made triples. Cyriah Griffin and Makennah White are averaging over 7.0 points per game while Griffin is shooting over 37.0 percent from the field. White is collecting 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting over 36.0 percent from the floor. As a team, VCU is getting over 26.0 points from its bench, which leads the Atlantic 10 while ranking 23^rd in NCAA Division I. They're also collecting just under nine steals per outing, the fifth best in the league.

Saint Joseph's Remains - Saint Joseph's (18-8, 9-6 A-10) stretched its lead to 12 early in the second half before Duquesne responded. Freshman Alexis Bordas and Washington scored on back-to-back possessions to trim the deficit to 33-25 with just under seven minutes remaining in the third quarter. That would be as close as the Dukes would get as the Hawks answered with a 9-0 run later in the period, extending their advantage to 44-27 as Duquesne went scoreless for more than three minutes and committed three turnovers during the stretch. Blackford stopped the run with a layup and later knocked down a three-pointer, but Saint Joseph's carried a 46-33 lead into the fourth. Defensively, the Dukes were solid in the third, limiting Saint Joseph's to 4-of-11 shooting from the field. However, the Hawks made their opportunities count at the charity stripe, going 7-of-8 in the quarter and 14-of-16 (87.5 percent) for the game.

Unleash The Mack – Continuing to be one of the most consistent scorers for the Dukes over the past month, sophomore guard Mackenzie Blackford has delivered outstanding efficiency from the field. Over her last nine games, she is shooting a team-best 46.5 percent (47-of-101) overall and an impressive 49.3 percent (35-of-71) from beyond the arc. During that stretch, Blackford has reached double figures six times and led the Dukes in scoring in four contests. The Ohio native is averaging 15.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game across the nine-game span. She is coming off her fifth consecutive double-figure performance, finishing with a team-high 16 points and four three-pointers at Saint Joseph's. For the season, Blackford ranks second on the team with 10.8 points per game while adding 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest. One of the conference's top long-range threats, she currently ranks fourth in both total three-pointers made (66) and triples per game (2.54). Over her last five outings, Blackford has knocked down four or more triples in each game, shooting a scorching 48.1 percent (25-of-52) from deep.

Weekly Winner - For the fourth time this season, freshman guard Alexis Bordas has been named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week, continuing her standout debut campaign. Bordas was instrumental in leading Duquesne to a pair of conference victories, helping the Dukes snap an 11-game skid in the process. Over the two wins, she averaged 16.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game while shooting 40.0 percent (12-of-30) from the field and 37.5 percent (6-of-16) from three-point range. Bordas opened the week with a team-high 19 points in a 67-55 victory over Loyola Chicago, connecting on 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) from the floor and 3-of-7 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc, while adding three rebounds. She followed with 13 points in an 80-67 road win at Fordham, knocking down three more triples and contributing three rebounds and two assists. The West Virginia native has made an immediate impact in her first season on the Bluff, leading the Dukes and ranking fifth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring at 15.2 points per game. She has reached double figures 21 times this season and has paced Duquesne in scoring on 12 occasions. Bordas also ranks among the nation's elite three-point shooters, sitting 11th in NCAA Division I with 3.0 made three-pointers per game, while her 78 total triples rank 14th nationally.

That's So Raevin – After recording her first career double-double, freshman forward Washington followed with her second consecutive double-figure performance in Philadelphia. She totaled 10 points on an efficient 5-of-7 (71.4 percent) shooting from the field, while adding six rebounds and a block. It marked the fifth time this season she has scored in double figures and the ninth time she has secured five or more rebounds in a game. The Virginia native previously notched her first career double-double in a road win at Fordham, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 5-of-9 (55.6 percent) from the floor. Washington scored all 12 of her points in the second half, going 5-of-7 from the field, and pulled down seven rebounds after the break, including three on the offensive glass. She has also developed into one of the conference's top rim protectors, ranking fourth in the league with 37 total blocks and fourth in blocks per game (1.5). Washington has recorded at least two blocks in 10 contests, including four games with three or more rejections. On the season, she is averaging just under five points per game while grabbing 4.1 rebounds per contest, the third-highest total on the team.

International Flavor - Duquesne continues to receive key contributions from its bench, most recently from sophomore guard Fatou Sane and sophomore forward Harriet Ford. Sane is coming off a career-high 11-point performance, shooting an efficient 4-of-7 from the field while adding six rebounds and a career-best four assists at Fordham. The outing marked the first double-figure scoring game of her career and the fourth time she has pulled down five or more rebounds in a contest. Ford, meanwhile, posted her ninth double-digit scoring effort of the season with 10 points, seven rebounds, and three assists against the Rams. She remains one of the conference's top rebounders, averaging 7.7 boards per game, fourth in the league and has recorded a team-best nine games with double-figure rebounds. Ford ranks third on the team in scoring at 7.3 points per game and is shooting an efficient 47.0 percent from the field.

Let It Fly - The Dukes enter Saturday's contest having made at least one three-pointer in 453 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 832 straight games featuring a made three-pointer.

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