Duquesne Women's Basketball
Duquesne WBB’s Fourth Quarter Comeback Not Enough
The Duquesne Women’s Basketball Team has started Atlantic 10 play at 0-2 for the first time since the 2021-22 season, losing a 65-63 contest at VCU Thursday night at the Siegel Center.
Duquesne trailed for 38:50 of game action, holding leads twice, one of which inside of the final minute appeared to be a decisive play and both of which came off Jerni Kiaku’s hands, but it was not to be.
Megan McConnell led Duquesne (9-4) with her 24 points, passing Beth Friday for ninth place on the program’s all-time scoring list. McConnell’s five rebounds also allowed her to surpass Kathy Radilla for second place in program history. Kiaku, also achieved double figures with her 10 points.
Defensively, the Dukes forced 20 Ram turnovers.
VCU (7-7/1-1 A-10) saw Mary-Anna Asare pour in a career high 37 points and teammate Mykel Parham grabbed a personal best 15 rebounds.
The Rams won the rebounding battle by a 42-30 count.
After Kiaku’s basket, VCU went on a 10-0 run, making each of its first four shots from the field. Duquesne’s scoring drought ultimately reached 4:02, but it dug in defensively to do the same for VCU over a 3:55 stretch. In so doing, the Rams lead was reduced to 10-6.
For a 5:36 period, VCU did not make a shot as Mackenzie Blackford provided a spark off the bench with a three-point shot.
When Nadia Moore drove to the basket for a layup, VCU’s lead was reduced to 15-14, which also was the quarter’s end score.
The second quarter had its share of peaks and valleys for both sides. VCU’s biggest lead in the quarter was six points, which occurred on two separate occasions, but McConnell’s ability to turn defense into offense allowed for a steal and score.
VCU led 35-31 at halftime.
The Rams greeted the second half with a 7-1 run, taking its first double-digit lead of the evening, with Asare providing the payoff of a three-point basket off a Parham pass.
McConnell went on a personal 6-0 run, to get Duquesne back into the contest, only for VCU to use an 8-1 run and open an 11-point advantage.
VCU’s largest lead of the night came just prior to the end of the quarter was Grace Hutson converted a jumper off a Dukes turnover. That made the score 59-44 after three quarters.
Duquesne went to work greeting the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run, forcing VCU to call a timeout. The Rams would ultimately shoot 2-for-10 from the field in the final quarter.
After Asare had a second-chance effort off a Dukes turnover, the visitors went back to work, with McConnell burying a layup, Kiandra Browne knocking down a pair of free throws, and Faith Walker grabbing a steal and throwing an outlet pass to Kiaku who finished, to cut the deficit to one point.
Walker with the steal, Kiaku with the bucket‼️
The Dukes are storming back!#GoDukes | @faithwalker_3 | @jernikiaku pic.twitter.com/awSd4vTybp
— Duquesne Women’s Basketball (@DuqWBB) January 3, 2025
The score remained stuck there for nearly four minutes, until Asare split free throws.
With 34 seconds remaining, McConnell found Kiaku for a three-point basket. Kiaku reacted as VCU called a timeout, as Duquesne now led by a point.
DUKES WITH THE LEAD!
Kiaku with ice in her veins🥶#GoDukes | @jernikiaku | @A10WBB pic.twitter.com/QhbEMzqoQv
— Duquesne Women’s Basketball (@DuqWBB) January 3, 2025
On the ensuing VCU possession, Asare made an individual effort, getting a sliver of space and having her layup roll through the rim.
Down one, Duquesne quickly and unsuccessfully fired a three-point shot. Parham had the rebound but held the ball and the Dukes converged getting the jump ball.
McConnell had possession as VCU applied pressure and her toss to the corner went out of bounds with just over two seconds remaining.
VCU successfully got the inbounds pass in, and Asare was not fouled until 0.1 remained. Though the game was already determined, she split free throws once again.
Duquesne will return home to the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse for a Sunday afternoon tip against Fordham on ESPN+.
