Duquesne (5-1) defeated Western Kentucky (3-3) 81-73 in the fifth-place game of the Gulf Coast Showcase at Estero, Fla. this afternoon.
Senior guard Derrick Colter scored a game-high 24 points in the win. Senior forward Jeremiah Jones contributed a career-high 17. Senior guard Micah Mason and sophomore forward TySean Powell also figured into the double digits for the Dukes, adding 14 and 10 points, respectively. Mason netted four 3-pointers and led the court with five assists and three steals.
Duquesne finished the three-day tournament 2-1, bringing the team to its best start since 2009-10 (5-1) and best under head coach Jim Ferry.
Sophomore forward Justin Johnson led the Hilltoppers with 21 points.
The Dukes began the contest on a 14-0 lead, hitting six of their first nine shots and holding Western Kentucky scoreless for nearly six minutes.
This pattern reversed when the Hilltoppers sank nine of their first 11 shots in the second half, including five 3-pointers, to bring the game within nine with 11:22 remaining.
Duquesne shot 48.4 percent, including 11-of-29 from the 3-point arc, according to goduquesne.com.
The Dukes host Mississippi Valley State (0-4) on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 7:00 p.m. at Palumbo Center.
Photo courtesy of goduquesne.com
