The Duquesne University women’s basketball team believed that they were deserving of an NCAA tournament bid. On selection Sunday, they were frustrating left out of the field of 64 and had to accept a bid in the Women’s NIT.
On Thursday, they took out that frustration on Youngstown State, dominating the Penguins to the tune of a 72-54 victory in the WNIT first round.
The Lady Dukes took a 9-7 lead on an Olivia Bresnahan three-point play with 14:29 remaining in the first half and never looked back, leading for the remainder of the game.
Bresnahan finished 5-of-10 from the field and for 11 points to go along with six assists, but it was the Duke’s frontcourt that stole the show.
Sophomore forward Amandea Szamosi was 6-of-9 from the field for 12 points and added five rebounds, while senior center Jose-Ann Johnson had 12 points and six rebounds while only playing 19 minutes due to some early foul trouble.
In the second round, Duquesne will play the winner of Friday’s first-round game between the Stetson Hatters and Richmond Spiders. The Spiders, also members of the Atlantic-10, gave the Dukes one of their best games of the regular season in February. Duquesne prevailed 58-51 in overtime in that contest.
Regardless of whom they play, Duquesne will host their second-round matchup on campus at the A.J. Palumbo Center on Tuesday, March 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Photo credit: YSU Sports
