This time, the Dukes pulled it out – on the road. Just weeks after losing a heartbreaker to the Billikens at home, a game that came down to the final minutes, Duquesne stunned Saint Louis 71-64 on the Billikens’ home court.
The win was Duquesne’s first road win over a top 10 team since 1962 and their first win over a top 10 opponent since beating No. 9 Xavier in 2009. Micah Mason led his team with 22 points, while Jerry Jones came off the bench to score a season high 19.
Mason hit his first two 3-pointers, giving Duquesne a good start, although he had to leave the game due to foul trouble early. He would return, however, and proved an instrumental part of Duquesne’s win, shooting 4 of 5 from 3-point range.
The win prevented the Billikens from clinching the Atlantic 10 regular season title, if only temporarily. They stand at 25-3, 12-1 in the conference. It was the first loss since a December 1st loss to Wichita State.
For the Billikens, Mike McCall scored 18 points, while Jordair Jett had 13. Rob Loe added 12, while Dwayne Evans had 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Saint Louis gained a false sense of security, thanks to a seven point lead with 13:44 remaining. At that point they looked to be in good shape, but Duquesne would later climb back into the game. The Dukes would go on an ensuing 18-2 run that made the score 53-44 with just under eight minutes to play. Still, Saint Louis wouldn’t go away and had a chance to make things close with under a minute to go. Loe, however, missed a crucial free throw that resulted in a Jerry Jones layup to put Duquesne up by six.
The game featured nine lead changes, Duquesne’s largest lead being right at the end, 69-59, with 16 seconds to play.
Duquesne’s final home game is next Wednesday, when they host Massachusetts. The game will be televised on the Atlantic 10 Digital Network.
Photo Credit: Duquesne Athletics
