Duquesne led just over 32 minutes of the game and at one point had a 13-point lead, 34-21 with 18:24 remaining in the game. The Dukes (6-8 1-2 A-10) had a 5-point lead, 58-53 after a Derrick Colter layup with 4:51 left in the game. However, the Rams(11-3 3-0 A-10) showed they were not out of the game and starting with a dunk by Hassan Martin at the 3:16 mark, slowly started to erode the Duke’s lead.
With just 1:14 remaining Rhode Island’s E.C. Matthews hit a three-pointer from the side, giving the Ram’s their first lead, 59-58 since early in the first half. At the 0.21 Micah Mason put the Dukes up 60-59 after making a basket from the paint. It was then with just eight seconds left that Terrell’s attempt at the game-winning basket from 15 feet went off the glass and according to officials, he was pushed in the back by Jones, as both players were going for the loose ball, setting up the game-winning free throws.
The top three-point shooter in the nation, Micah Mason led the Dukes in scoring with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists. Just behind him, Colter racked up 15 buckets, four rebounds and two assists. For the Rams, Matthews scored a game-best 18 points and dished out four rebounds and three assists. The only player to rack up a double-double was Rams’ Hassan Martin who scored 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Duquesne’s head coach Jim Ferry apparently upset over what could be considered a questionable foul by Jones in the final seconds said after Saturday’s game, “I thought both teams played their hearts out, the kids played so heard. It’s a freaking disgrace that a game gets ended on a 50-50 call like that.” Ferry walked out of the post-game conference not taking any questions.
“We knew it was going to be a war and we would be lucky to get out of here with a win,” said Rhode Island head coach Dan Hurly. Commenting on the loose-ball foul coming with .08 that sent Terrell to make the game-winning baskets Hurly said, “He [Terrell] got pushed in the back out of bounds. That’s a great lesson for young players. He missed the shot, he missed the wide-open 15-footer to take the lead, but he didn’t stop playing. He went and made the next play…he get’s shoved in the back into the scorer’s table. I think you probably have to call that.”
The Dukes travel to Saint Louis on Wednesday with an 8 p.m. tipoff and are back home next Saturday where they host VCU in a televised game at the Console Center.
