Duquesne found themselves facing a daunting second-half deficit Tuesday night in Loretto, Pa. But the Dukes (4-5), led by transfer senior transfer Ovie Soko, overcame a ten point St. Francis lead to snag a 78-71 victory.
The win was a much-needed one for the Dukes, who had previously lost back-to-back games to Penn State and Robert Morris.
The Red Flash (2-8) used a 16-4 first half run to gain a 37-27 halftime advantage. Ben Millaud-Meunier was lights out in the opening period for the Flash, converting three 3-point field goals. Millaud-Meunier finished with 18 points on 5 of 11 from the field. Earl Brown led St. Francis with 21 points on 9 of 10 from the field.
Soko finished with 23 points (leading all scorers) and 12 rebounds. 15 of those points came at crucial moments in the second half. Tra’Vaughn White finished with 16 points, while Desmond Ridenour added 11.
Duquesne’s first lead of the game did not come until 13:18 of the second half, when Ridenour converted a layup. The Dukes were able to stretch their lead to ten points, but St. Francis regained the advantage, 63-61, with 6:23 left to play. Luckily, Derrick Colter knocked down a 3-pointer on the next possession to put Duquesne back ahead – and that is where they stayed.
St. Francis was able to hang around due to their exceptional 3-point shooting throughout most of the game. Out of 31 attempts, the Red Flash converted 11 3-pointers. Duquesne, a team that often lived and died by the three last season, only attempted 13 shots from behind the arc. Both teams shot over 80 percent from the free throw line.
The game was Duquesne’s first road win of the season and the first in a string of holiday road matchups for the Dukes. They travel next to Lowell, Massachusetts on December 21st to take on UMass-Lowell. On the 29th, they will head down to Edinburg, Texas to play Texas-Pan American. Although the competition in these next two games may not be the stiffest, a good road trip would be a great confidence booster, given the team’s road woes around this time last season. Duquesne went 2-12 on the road last year.
Photo Credit: Duquesne Athletics
