PITTSBURGH – Freshman Jeremiah Jones led four players in double figures with a career high 15 points and Duquesne held Maine to seven points over the game’s final seven minutes to pull away for an 87-73 win at the Palumbo Center.
The victory extended Duquesne’s (4-3) winning streak to three. Maine, which was led by guards Justin Edwards and Xavier Pollard with 19 and 17 points respectively, fell to 2-5.
Kadeem Pantophlet scored all of his career high-tying 14 points in the second half for Duquesne which scored a season-high 50 points in the second 20 minutes. Quevyn Winters and Sean Johnson, who had 10 in the second half, added 13 each for the Dukes.
There were eight ties and six lead changes before Winters gave the Dukes the lead for good on a layup with 9:30 to go. Pantophlet then hit back-to-back 3-pointers and a reverse layup to push the lead to 71-64 at the 7:21 mark.
The Black Bears cut it to three on an Edwards free throw with 2:25 left, but could get no closer as the Dukes hit 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
“Our guys did a great job of grinding out a quality win,” said Duquesne head coach Jim Ferry. “I thought we really guarded as a team which is what we needed to do today. Xavier Pollard and Justin Edwards are phenomenal guards if you let them break you down. We needed to defend as a team and rotate and I think our guys did a really good job of that.”
Duquesne, which shot 49.1 percent for the game, was 15-of-27 from the field in the second half.
Six players combined for DU’s season-high 12 3-pointers (12-of-24) with Jeremiah Jones and Winters hitting three apiece.
Maine, which shot 43.9 percent, went 7-of-23 from the arc.
The Dukes outscored the Black Bears – who sent DU to the foul line five times in the final 1:39 – 19-8 from the stripe.
Duquesne, which was outrebounded by four in the first half, finished with a 37-34 edge on the glass.
There were six ties and three lead changes in a first half that ended knotted at 37-37. Pollard and Fraser had 10 each for Maine, while eight of the 10 Dukes that played scored led by Jeremiah Jones with 7.
Duquesne returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 5 against Pitt in the annual City Game at CONSOL Energy Center. The game, set for a 7:00 p.m. start, will air on ESPN3 (accessible on the WatchESPN platform).
NOTES
• This was the first meeting between the Dukes and Black Bears … it was also DU’s second against an America East Conference opponent this season (Duquesne lost its opener at Albany, 69-66 on Nov. 9).
• Jeremiah Jones’ 15 points were seven more than his previous career best of 8 (at Albany and vs. James Madison) … Jones went 3-of-4 from the 3-point arc … he also set career highs for assists (3), steals (2) and minutes (30) … this was his third career start.
• Quevyn Winters, who leads the Dukes with 14 3-pointers, hit three in a game for the fourth time … he was 3-of-5.
• Kadeem Pantophlet tied his career high, set last year at Valparaiso, with 14 points … he also tied his career rebounding high for the second time in as many games with 7 … Pantophlet, who had 8 points and 14 rebounds in his first four games … has 38 points and 20 boards in his last three (12.7 ppg., 6.7 rpg. over that span).
• DU’s 50 second half points were eight more than its previous high of 42 set against Youngstown State.
• Six players combined for Duquesne’s season-high 12 3-pointers.
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