Micah Mason scored a career-high 28 points in Duquesne’s 95-75 win over New Orleans at Palumbo Center Monday evening.
The senior guard previously hit six 3-pointers in a game against George Washington last season. Mason’s career 3-point percentage stands at .495 (201-of-406), exceeding the minimum necessary to qualify for the all-time NCAA 3-point shooting percentage list, according to goduquesne.com.
The Dukes (2-0) had 25 assists on 32 baskets.
“Offense will never hurt us,” Mason said. “It’s going to be our defense if we want to win games.”
Mason said the team, guarding at a high-level in the first half, must play tough defense for 40 minutes each game.
Duquesne head coach Jim Ferry praised his team’s unselfish offense.
“I thought we played one of the best first-halves of basketball since I’ve been here,” Ferry said. “I thought we were phenomenal defensively.”
Ferry noted Mason’s offensive capacity.
“With Micah, he’s not just a 3-point shooter. He’s a deadly 3-point shooter,” Ferry said. “This is the way we need Micah to play. It will help us tremendously.”
In addition to Mason’s scoring, senior guard Derrick Colter put up 15 points and Jeremiah Jones contributed 12 for Duquesne.
Colter added seven assists and Mason five.
Junior Darius Lewis earned a game-high 11 rebounds for the Dukes, marking the second time the 6-foot-11-inch center grabbed 11 boards. He averaged 3.1 rpg last season.
Despite Mason’s shooting, the point guard said he isn’t focused on his record-setting 3-point scoring.
“Right now, I haven’t won at Duquesne and that’s the main focus: to come in and play as hard as I can and get wins this year,” Mason said. “If I was focused on 3-point shots then I wouldn’t be giving my team all I have.”
Duquesne hosts Penn State at CONSOL Energy Center on Friday at 7 p.m.
Photo courtesy of goduquesne.com
