La Salle lit it up from behind the arc throughout the game which was the difference as Duquesne lost 78-71 Saturday afternoon at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. It marked the 16th loss in a row for the Dukes and put their overall record at 6-23 on the season with a 1-16 record inside the Atlantic 10 conference.
The loss spoiled the efforts of freshman guard Primo Spears who tied the rooking single-game scoring record with 34 points. Spears performance came as the result of shooting 12-for-24 from the field and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.
He wasn't the only freshman who performed well on Duquesne's Senior Day as guard Jackie Johnson III scored 15 points including 5-for-7 from behind the three-point line. It was a solid performance for Johnson III who's had an up and down first season on the Bluff.
“He’ll hit some home runs, then he’ll strike out," Duquesne head coach Keith Dambrot said following the game. "You probably saw five strikeouts and four home runs.”
While the record doesn't reflect much success, the future is very bright for the Dukes should they be able to retain the majority of their young roster. Though, for Dambrot it's hard to take moral victories when championships aren't at stake.
“It doesn’t matter if you win six, or twelve, or nine, or even fourteen," Dambrot said. "If you’re not championship quality, then what’s the difference?”
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Scoreboard
• Standings
• Statistics
THE SCHEDULE
The Dukes begin the Atlantic 10 Championship March 9th in Washington, D.C. where they will take on the University of Rhode Island at 3:30 p.m.
THE CONTENT
Visit our Duquesne team page for everything.
