When Princeton’s Parker Hill scored with 28.6 seconds to play in Monday afternoon’s season opener, it was the Tigers lone field goal of the quarter, a signal of Duquesne’s defensive disposition in the game’s final 10 minutes.
Duquesne’s 76-66 victory got the season off to the right foot and exacted some revenge from last season’s fourth quarter setback when the teams met a season ago.
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Megan McConnell set a career high with her 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Both Jerni Kiaku and Nadia Moore each earned 10 points. A total of 12 Dukes saw the floor in Monday’s contest.
Duquesne (1-0) forced 18 turnovers, scoring 25 points off those miscues.
Princeton (0-1) saw Madison St. Rose notch a double-double consisting of 22 points and 12 rebounds. Skye Belker added 14 points for the Tigers. Princeton owned a 46-31 rebounding edge and were 16-6 victors in second chances points.
There was a lot of mystery surrounding Duquesne’s new style of play, but its fast pace on both ends of the ball, saw 11 players see the floor.
Routinely the Dukes would substitute players off the court to keep everyone fresh for its fast pace.
At quarter’s end, Chea hit a buzzer beater, giving Princeton a 21-16 lead, as the Dukes looked to regroup.
An 8-0 Duquesne run saw the Dukes claim control of the contest, with it being capped off by Megan McConnell finding Ammons for a three-point basket. Ammons reacted enthusiastically to the make and the crowd followed suit.
When Mackenzie Blackford drained a three-point shot of her own, the first points of her collegiate career, Duquesne led by five points.
Princeton had a response at the ready, an 8-0 run, mirroring the Dukes effort earlier in the quarter. This gave the Tigers an advantage once more, albeit a short-lived one.
Megan McConnell used a post entry pass to find Kiandra Browne to where she could convert a high-percentage, layup, sparking a 7-0 Duquesne run.
The Tigers drew closer to the lead on a Madison St. Rose triple, but Megan McConnell beat an attempted double team, finding space to bury an open jumper, prior to the halftime buzzer sounding, allowing the Dukes to take a 40-36 halftime advantage.
Duquesne continued to use its numbers in the first half as 12 players saw the court. Each of the dozen made a positive contribution towards the Dukes cause. Duquesne shot 52.9% from the field in the second quarter.
As both sides tried to create separation, Raymi Coueta’s individual effort off an Ammons top-of-the-key three-point miss, she grabbed a rebound and contorted her body towards the basket, for a layup. This handed the Dukes a three-point advantage heading into the third quarter media timeout.
Princeton would take the lead on an and-one play as St. Rose finished through contact, this started an 8-0 run. Duquesne had nine fouls in the third quarter to the Tigers five.
The Tigers led by as many as seven points in the third quarter. A Browne three-point basket cut Duquesne’s deficit to three, but for the third time in as many quarters, there was a buzzer beater, this time, St. Rose converted from beyond the arc, allowing Princeton to have a 62-56 third quarter lead.
Browne gave Duquesne a boost in the fourth quarter when she got a steal and from the floor found Megan McConnell, who passed to Kiaku for a layup. Following a Princeton turnover, it was a jumper for the senior captain, which again brought the noise from the home faithful. When Megan McConnell found an open three-point shot, Duquesne was back in front, enjoying another 8-0 run.
Duquesne’s defense continued to frustrate Princeton in the final quarter as it opened the run up to 14-0, taking an eight-point advantage into the final media timeout. One of those made baskets came off Moore’s hands with her corner three-point field goal, while the other came from a driving Megan McConnell who powered through multiple defenders once more, driving to the basket for a contested layup.
Down the stretch, Coueta’s hustle to grab a rebound and convert an and-one play secured Duquesne’s victory.
The Dukes season continues Sunday when it faces Penn State, a game scheduled for a 1 p.m. tipoff on B1G+.