In addition to losing its winning streaks, it is almost assured that Duquesne’s (16-2, 4-1, A10) place in the AP Poll of nationally ranked teams will end also. For the first time in program history the Duquesne women were ranked No.25, tied with DePaul, after handing St. Louis an 81-71 loss last week.
Duquesne women’s basketball head coach Dan Burt said after the game he felt confident that the team was ready to play GW (15-3, 5-0, A10), saying, “We had two days of practice before this and I thought we were completely ready.” Both teams going into the game had similar non-conference records and both were thus far undefeated in Atlantic 10 Conference play.
Burt who was given a technical during his discussion with an official over a questionable call, was quite emphatic in voicing his opinion on how poorly the game was officiated.
“But I’m gonna frankly say it. This game was officiated differently than any game we’ve played all year long.” Burt was highly critical of officials permitting repeated touching of opposing players adding, “All year long the game has been called where if you touch a second time, it’s a foul. It was not called that way today.”
While admitting the way officials called fouls was “consistent,” Burt said the way Sunday’s game was officiated took him and the team by surprise saying, ” For the first 17 games of the year that [repeated touching] was called. It wasn’t today. That’s fine if that’s the way it will be officiated, we’ll adapt to that,but to have it change in a big game on national TV, that’s tough. That’s really tough.”
While the Dukes posted the first two points on the board with an Amadea Szamosi jump shot, it didn’t take GW long to catch up.
During the first half GW was able to post an eight point lead, 23-15 at the 7:36 mark, but saw it quickly evaporate, when Duquesne closed to within three, 25-22 with 3:23 left in the half. Going into the locker room GW enjoyed a seven point lead 31-24.
In the first two minutes of the third quarter, GW was able after a series of Duquesne missed baskets and turnovers, to increase its lead to 17, 46-27, and saw its largest lead of the game, 62-29 with 3:30 left in the third quarter.
The closest the Dukes would come to catching GW came with 9:27 left in the game, when the closed to within 13, 54-41.
Duquesne’s Deva’Nyar Workman, who led the Duke’s scoring effort with 21 points, six rebounds and one assist partially blamed the inability to box-out GW’s Jonquel Jones who stands 6′ 6″ and prevent her from grabbing rebounds, as a factor in the disappointing loss.
‘We need to box-out way more than what we did. We usually win the offensive rebounds against teams, I mean all rebounds against teams. Just today, she’s a big girl — we’ve got to learn to box-out, and keep people like that outside of the paint,” Workman said.
Jones ended up with a double-double, 23 points, 18 rebounds and one assist.
Overall, Duquesne came away with making 30 percent from the paint and 32 percent of its three-pointers. GW posted 38 percent from the paint and made 27 percent of its 3-pointers, as well as having four players in double-digit scoring and two with double-doubles — Jones and Hannah Schaible with 14 points, 12 rebounds and one assist.
After a short break, Duquesne will host undefeated St. Bonaventure Saturday.
