Playing in front of a sellout crowd of 4,481 in the Chuck Cooper Classic, Duquesne snapped a 14-game series losing streak to Richmond, by defeating the Spiders, 81-72.
The Dukes (14-9, 5-4 Atlantic 10) were led by Eric Evans, who scored 15 of his team-high 17 points in the second half to get by the struggling Spiders (12-12, 3-6 A-10).
Duquesne wore its throwback red uniforms in honor of the late Chuck Cooper – the first African-American player drafted by the National Basketball Association – and never trailed in the game, starting the game out on a 9-0 run. Despite the fast start, Richmond stormed back to pull to within one point with only 2:30 to go in the first half.
However, with less than two minutes remaining in the half, the Dukes turned a two-point lead into a six-point lead on a B.J. Monteiro tip-in and then a T.J. McConnell steal and lay-up. The Dukes entered halftime with a 35-31 lead.
Duquesne started the second half almost identically to the way they opened the game, going on an 8-1 run to open the half. The run was highlighted by Evans making three easy lay-ups in a three-minute span.
With only 8:23 remaining, the Dukes held a 16-point lead, but Richmond’s Wayne Sparrow made a 3-pointer, to cut into the hefty deficit, and gave the Spiders one more chance to make a run. They continued to chip away and got the deficit to seven with 38 seconds left, but couldn’t score another point and Duquesne finished the game with a pair of free throws to seal the game at 81-72.
Temple takes A-10 lead
The Temple Owls handled last place Rhode Island to push their winning-streak to six games and gain sole possession of first place in the A-10 conference with a 73-56 win at Rhode Island.
The Owls (17-5, 6-2 A-10) were led by their one-two punch of Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt, who combined for 38 points and continued their scoring proficiency within the A-10.
Rhode Island (5-19, 2-7 A-10) fell behind at home early, spotting the Owls a quick 8-0 lead before finally getting on the board. Temple raced out to a 41-33 halftime lead, backed by Moore’s 14 first half points.
In the second half, Wyatt took over the game, scoring 13 of his 16 points in the second half and quickly pushed their lead from eight points to 11, by hitting two big 3-pointers.
The Rams were led by freshman Jonathan Holton who managed to keep them close in the first half, scoring all 13 of his points in the opening half, before being held scoreless in the final 20 minutes of the game.
The Owls look to continue their winning-streak on Wednesday when they take on George Washington at home.
Hawks slip by La Salle
Led by Halil Kanacevic’s 18-point, 15-rebound game, Saint Joseph’s slid by the La Salle, 70-66.
Early on, the Hawks (15-9, 5-4 A-10) trailed 14-13, until Kanacevic led them on a 6-0 run, started off by a thunderous dunk. The run gave them a 19-14 lead seven minutes into the game. Then, with 8:13 remaining in the first half, the Hawks went on a 12-3 run, started by freshman Chris Wilson tossing an alley-oop to sophomore Ronald Roberts Jr.
La Salle (17-7, 6-3 A-10) closed the Hawk lead to only six points with 2:24 remaining, but faltered down the stretch, as SJU took a 42-33 lead into half.
The Hawks came out fast and pushed their lead to as many as 11 points, but with the score at 52-42, the Explorers made one final push to take over the lead. They cut into the deficit, but only managed to get the game to within four. Roberts once again extended SJU’s lead to six points at 56-48 with 11:27 remaining in the game.
Then, down by seven, La Salle’s Earl Pettis made back-to-back three-pointers to pull the Explorers to within one point. However, four straight free throws by Kanacevic and Wilson and then a dunk by Kanacevic increased the lead back up to seven.
This stretch essentially sealed the game as the Hawks went on to win, 70-66.
Saint Joseph’s will move on to play Saint Louis at home on Wednesday.
Patrick Strohecker can be reached at [email protected].
