Inside the Dukes: Jetting To The Second Round

For as long as she can remember Jerni Kiaku was shooting all over North Carolina basketball courts, ball in her hand and the game on the line, but Thursday night that dream became a reality in the team’s first-round WNIT contest against Longwood.

During a timeout, Duquesne’s offensive coordinator Vanessa Abel drew up a play and it saw Kiaku getting the ball.

True to form, Megan McConnell had the ball in hand with the game clock draining down. McConnell drew a crowd of Longwood defenders when Kiaku took the handoff and used her ballhandling to create separation.

“When she initially got it, I was hoping she would be able to get downhill because she is such a good finisher at the rim,” Duquesne coach Dan Burt observed. “There’s always the possibility of getting a foul called. She gets into a rhythm and when she does that little step back with the hands, which is almost an AND1 Mixtape playground type of move, that gives her great rhythm and she shot it very well in shootaround and today in practice. As soon as she went into that I knew the step back was coming, and I was like ‘it’s in.’”

Kiaku prepared to step back as the Lancers defender bit for the shot she maneuvered for space and fired a long two-point shot on one foot.

A UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse crowd of 1,119 all stood, time standing still as the ball looked for a home, settling through the bottom of the net.

“Honestly, I was just thinking ‘do not let the whole team down,'” laughed Kiaku. “Really for them to trust me in that situation means a whole lot for Coach V to draw that up for me as much junk as she talks, that means a lot. I just appreciate the trust of everyone on the staff as well as my teammates. It’s meant a lot. From last year to this year my role has definitely increased and just walking into that has been a challenge. Every day they’ve had my back and felt nothing but comfortable with stepping into that new role.”

After the shot fell, Kiaku was surrounded by a pair of seniors in McConnell and Kiandra Browne, who now lived to play another game as a direct result of that shot.

Moments later, Duquesne’s 70-68 victory was secure as the Dukes advanced into the second round of the WNIT.

“I’m at a loss for words just because I don’t want my time here at Duquesne to be done,” McConnell beamed. “You couldn’t go out any better way on your home floor with a buzzer-beater win. I’m really happy to play with this group at least one more time.”

Kiaku earned her 31 minutes not necessarily because of her scoring, though she finished with 17 points, but rather because of her 12 rebounds.

It was imperative to Kiaku to find a way to contribute with scoring slow to develop early on, and that came on the boards, where her 12 rebounds were a career-high leading to her first ever double-double, while providing energy to her teammates.

“It’s something she’s capable of doing all season long but it’s not something that’s been consistent and it’s not something that she’s done in her career,” determined Burt. “It’s something she’s capable of doing because of her athleticism. I have a lot of confidence with her rebounding the ball and if you’re an opponent you’re going to put someone that’s going to box her out hard every single time now. When you look at us, two of your guards have 20 rebounds, that’s a very hard thing to prepare for when you’re the opponent.”

After the handshake line, the team tends to go to halfcourt and celebrate together by dancing but instead lifted Kiaku up and as she was let back down, the game-winning shot was replayed on the jumbotron.

“That’s probably number one,” Kiaku said of the sequence. “That’s really stuff you dream about as a kid, so that was a really good moment.”

A BREAKTHROUGH

Kiaku’s basket was not only big in terms of winning the game, but even more so closing a tight game, something Duquesne has had its share of troubles with this season.

Of course, both Fordham games come to mind there, the first of which caused McConnell to leave the court in tears, but there were many close calls which did not go Duquesne’s way.

Seven conference games this season were lost by single digits, including the contest to Richmond during the Atlantic 10 Championship.

“We’ve been in this position how many times,” McConnell asked. “I feel like every close game we’ve come up short, so I just think this postseason there’s a different outcome and we’ve started to work on end-of-game scenarios. I think it’s really paying off, obviously we came away with a win. It finally landed on our side today and I’m really happy.”

Duquesne knew it was going up against a Longwood opponent which forces the most turnovers of any team in DI basketball. The Dukes had 20 turnovers, but even more so had a next-play mentality that served it well, especially when trailing by 12 points in the third quarter.

While Gabby Hutcherson was unavailable for this game, though she will be able to play Sunday, several calls helped Duquesne navigate through an 11-point third quarter.

Down the stretch of the period, Abel went to Burt telling him her belief that the team needed energy and that subbing in Kellie McConnell was the play.

“People don’t recognize Kellie because she doesn’t play a lot for us but she is a true leader as a freshman,” Burt analyzed. “She’s a vocal leader and is a kid much like Raymi who comes to practice every single day, brings great energy and never has bad body language. Always positive with her leadership and words. Sometimes you have to go with her and see what happens.”

Down the stretch of the fourth quarter as Duquesne was coming back, Raymi Coueta came in and her cuts allowed her to get open as Kiaku drew multiple defenders on her. Coueta’s layups first tied the game and then took the lead.

“Raymi is a really smart basketball player, and I don’t think she gets enough credit,” said McConnell. “When Jerni gets the ball, in transition all eyes were on her and I think Raymi just had that heads-up play where she made those two cuts and Jerni found her. That’s what is really special about this team, we’re not selfish. Jerni saw the open pass and she made it and I think that’s we came up with the win tonight.”

20 minutes after the game ended, Burt held court in Aloe Suite joking that the season has shaved a year or two of his life, likening himself to Paulie Walnuts of Sopranos fame after winning this contest.

Still, Duquesne’s season continues for another game which comes Sunday at 1 p.m. against Miami (Ohio)

“I can’t be prouder of our program than tonight,” Burt concluded. “We didn’t play necessarily a great basketball game at times, but we found a way to win. It’s been a good year, but we’re not done.”