The Duquesne Dukes women’s basketball team once again trailed Richmond by a 10-2 score, however much like the last meeting overcame this deficit and won its second round WNIT game by a 48-47 score.
Now Duquesne has made the WNIT’s version of the sweet 16. This is the furthest the Dukes have gone in the WNIT since the 2010-11 season.
“That wasn’t what I had anticipated when we were up 40-25,” coach Dan Burt said. “We made some uncharacteristic turnovers and that wasn’t just one player. I thought we were going to get through that and still get the shots that we did. We didn’t but still found a way to tough this one out and that’s the definition of this team.
“We all can say that Amadea Szamosi’s charge at the end of the game was worth, 10, 12, 14 points maybe. That’s a heck of a basketball play and we found a way to win again.”
April Robinson led Duquesne [23-10] with 13 points and eight rebounds. Olivia Bresnahan had eight points and nine rebounds and both Stasia King in addition to Belma Nurkic each also scored eight points.
“Everything Stasia did tonight was big,” said Burt. “I’ve never seen Stasia jump so high in my life. She played as hard as I’ve ever seen her play and she doesn’t want to see her season end, she doesn’t want her career to end.
Richmond [19-14] was led by forward Genevieve Okoro’s 16 points and five rebounds. Guard Lauren Tolson had 15 points.
The Dukes out-rebounded the Spiders 39-29 in the contest.
Early in the first half, the Dukes trailed 10-2 and were shooting 7.7 percent from the field while being outscored 10-0 in the paint at the same time.
When Deva’Nyar Workman made two free throws to cut the lead to 10-4, it was the first time the Dukes had scored 7:08 of game action.
Workman’s free throws however would be part of a 10-0 return run from Duquesne. Robinson made two consecutive three point baskets as part of the run. Robinson, is known as the team’s catalyst, and her scoring and team high six rounds in the first half helped cause the run.
After Richmond rallied back to take a 16-15 lead, the Dukes responded with an 8-0 run which included two Nurkic free throws. Nurkic went to the line because of a technical foul and the 93.6 percent free throw shooter rose to the task of making both.
Richmond outscored Duquesne in the paint 14-6 in the first half, however the Dukes made up that deficit with an 11-6 points off turnovers advantage and a 9-0 bench points lead.
The Dukes struck first in the second half scoring four early points and stretched its lead to double digits for the first time at the opening media timeout of the half. Duquesne led by as many as 15 points as the second media timeout approached however a Tolson three point basket cut the lead to 40-28 with 10:45 to play.
As Duquesne tried to stretch the lead it instead turned the ball over as the Spiders went on a 6-0 run to trail by six heading into the under eight minute media timeout.
Now up four points, Duquesne scored its first basket in 4:22 of game action. On the next Dukes possession, Nurkic missed a catch-and-shoot three point shot, however King had position, grabbed the rebound and put up a shot. The put-back dropped and the Duquesne bench erupted after the score.
After the basket however the Spiders tied the game up at 44 with 3:48 to play. Okoro successfully took the chance to take a lead and complete a three point play. It was the first lead of the game for Richmond since the 5:38 to play mark of the first half.
Down 45-44, King had another big basket for the Dukes giving her team a 46-45 lead with 2:07 to play. Tolson however was fouled after getting a rebound attempt and the 86.5 percent free throw shooter made two to put her team in the lead.
Duquesne then was involved in a potential turnover that required video review with 29.7 seconds to play. The video replay was ruled inconclusive and Richmond kept possession.
On the second Spiders in-bounds play, a bad pass gave the ball back to Duquesne which called a full timeout to set up a play with 28.6 left in regulation. On the in-bounds play, Workman drove to the hoop and was fouled. The 74.3 percent foul shooter made both to put Duquesne in front.
After a three point miss from Liz Brown, Bresnahan grabbed the rebound. Bresnahan missed the one-in-one and after a brief dialogue from the referees ruled Richmond possession. On the Richmond drive, Amadea Szamosi sacrificed her body and drew a charge. Burt and assistant coach Eddie Benton smiled knowing it was Duquesne possession with 0.7 to play.
“The way they were calling charges all night,” said April Robinson of the play. “It was worth a shot.”
Duquesne threw a long in-bounds pass that deflected. As the ball bounced, the final buzzer sounded ending the game.
The Dukes will now travel to Morgantown to face West Virginia Thursday at 7 PM. The Mountaineers won 57-39 over Hampton Tuesday night.
“I said at the beginning of the year that this was going to be a special year and we’ve been proving that and I think we’re going to keep proving it,” Belma Nurkic said.
Photo courtesy: Digital Journal
