Even with a good record, there have still been questions about just how good Duquesne really is this season.
The Dukes took a big step toward proving how good they are with an impressive comeback victory Saturday afternoon.
Duquesne got off to a horrid start against Indiana State at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse and trailed, 20-4, after only 8 minutes. The Dukes came all the way back and actually led by one at the half, 37-36.
Indiana State regrouped and pulled back ahead by as many as eight in the second half. But Duquesne had an answer once again, and roared back to capture a 92-86 victory.
The Dukes came in with an 8-3 record and at No. 147 in the latest NCAA NET rankings. The Sycamores were 9-2 and ranked 87th in the NET, so this was a quality win all the way around for Duquesne.
The fact that the Dukes kept showing a lot of fight after falling behind made it even bigger.
This was a team effort for Duquesne, which got good balance with five players scoring in double figures.
Tre Williams led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Jimmy Clark III had 17 points. Joe Reece had 16 points, Dae Dae Grant 15 and Kareem Rozier chipped in 10 off the bench.
Indiana State was up 63-55 with 11:29 to play for its largest lead of the second half. The Sycamores were up seven (71-64) with 6:55 to go before the Dukes closed strong. Duquesne outscored the visitors, 28-15, down the stretch to pull out the victory.
Duquesne wraps up its early season nine-game homestand next time out against Winthrop on Wednesday. The Dukes then begin Atlantic 10 play at Dayton on Dec. 28.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Box score
• Standings
• Schedule
• Statistics
