It would have taken a great shooting game for Duquesne to hang with No. 4 Kentucky, but just the opposite occurred Friday night.
The Dukes had a rough first half shooting the ball, making only 8-of-34, and fell behind by 16 at the half. The Wildcats looked sharp throughout and rolled to a 77-52 win at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Duquesne won its season opener at home over Montana and was playing in its first road game. Going to Kentucky for the first road game would be a challenge for any program, and it certainly was for the Dukes.
The visitors shot just 30 percent from the field for the game, and struggled to 7-of-26 from 3-point territory (27 percent).
Jimmy Clark III led Duquesne with a career-high 11 points -- all in the first half -- and was the only Duke in double figures. The rest of the starting lineup combined for only 14 points, with no one besides Clark scoring more than four. Austin Rotroff had eight points off the bench.
Kentucky led 38-22 at the half, then outscored the Dukes 39-30 in the second half.
Here's what Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot had to say after the game:
🗣 Quick thoughts from Coach D#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/WWVA7KkaAj
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) November 12, 2022
Duquesne's next game will be at home Monday night against South Carolina State. It will tip off at 7 p.m. at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse and air on CBS Sports Network.
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