Women’s basketball: Kiaku guides Dukes to comeback win
After overcoming a 12-point second-half deficit, junior Jerni Kiaku sank a one-footed jumper to propel the Duquesne women's basketball team to a thrilling 70-68 victory over Longwood in the opening round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) on Thursday night at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
With 1:15 remaining, Longwood's Kiki McIntyre buried a right-wing three to tie the game at 66-66. Moments later, senior Megan McConnell sank two clutch free-throws, putting Duquesne ahead 68-66 with 40 seconds left. Following a Lancers timeout, FrancesUlysse grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled on the putback attempt, calmly sinking both free throws to even the score at 68-all with 24 ticks remaining. The Dukes then called timeout, advancing the ball to the 28-foot mark for one final possession. After the inbound to McConnell, Kiaku took a handoff and drilled a step-back, one-footed jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining. Longwood had one last opportunity but couldn't get a shot off in time, sealing the victory for Duquesne.
“Honestly, I was just thinking, do not let the whole team down," Kiaku said laughingly. "But really, for them to trust me in that situation means a lot and for Coach V (Vanessa Abel) to draw that up for me, as much as junk as she talks, that means a lot, and I just appreciate the trust of everybody on the staff and as well as the players."
McConnell and Kiaku have established themselves as one of the nation's top backcourts, and they delivered another standout performance tonight. McConnell led all scorers with 25 points, adding eight rebounds, seven steals, and three assists. She knocked down five three-pointers while shooting 42.9% from the field, including 15 first-half points on 6-of-12 shooting with three triples. Kiaku recorded her first career double-double, contributing 17 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. She shot 41.2% from the floor, dished out five assists, and collected two steals. The junior guard came alive in the second half, scoring 13 of her 17 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. She shot an efficient 6-of-10 from the field over the final 20 minutes while grabbing seven rebounds. Together, McConnell and Kiaku combined for 42 points, 20 rebounds, eight assists, and nine steals in the victory. The dynamic duo has reached double figures in the same game 25 times this season.
Duquesne advances to the second round of the WNIT and will travel to Miami (Ohio) on Sunday with tip-off scheduled for 1 p.m.
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Duquesne
2:34 am - 03.21.2025UptownWomen’s basketball: Kiaku guides Dukes to comeback win
After overcoming a 12-point second-half deficit, junior Jerni Kiaku sank a one-footed jumper to propel the Duquesne women's basketball team to a thrilling 70-68 victory over Longwood in the opening round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) on Thursday night at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
With 1:15 remaining, Longwood's Kiki McIntyre buried a right-wing three to tie the game at 66-66. Moments later, senior Megan McConnell sank two clutch free-throws, putting Duquesne ahead 68-66 with 40 seconds left. Following a Lancers timeout, Frances Ulysse grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled on the putback attempt, calmly sinking both free throws to even the score at 68-all with 24 ticks remaining. The Dukes then called timeout, advancing the ball to the 28-foot mark for one final possession. After the inbound to McConnell, Kiaku took a handoff and drilled a step-back, one-footed jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining. Longwood had one last opportunity but couldn't get a shot off in time, sealing the victory for Duquesne.
“Honestly, I was just thinking, do not let the whole team down," Kiaku said laughingly. "But really, for them to trust me in that situation means a lot and for Coach V (Vanessa Abel) to draw that up for me, as much as junk as she talks, that means a lot, and I just appreciate the trust of everybody on the staff and as well as the players."
McConnell and Kiaku have established themselves as one of the nation's top backcourts, and they delivered another standout performance tonight. McConnell led all scorers with 25 points, adding eight rebounds, seven steals, and three assists. She knocked down five three-pointers while shooting 42.9% from the field, including 15 first-half points on 6-of-12 shooting with three triples. Kiaku recorded her first career double-double, contributing 17 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. She shot 41.2% from the floor, dished out five assists, and collected two steals. The junior guard came alive in the second half, scoring 13 of her 17 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. She shot an efficient 6-of-10 from the field over the final 20 minutes while grabbing seven rebounds. Together, McConnell and Kiaku combined for 42 points, 20 rebounds, eight assists, and nine steals in the victory. The dynamic duo has reached double figures in the same game 25 times this season.
Duquesne advances to the second round of the WNIT and will travel to Miami (Ohio) on Sunday with tip-off scheduled for 1 p.m.
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