Dec. 6, 2011
Final Stats
PITTSBURGH - A spirited comeback ended one point short, as the Duquesne women's basketball team escaped Tuesday with a 64-63 win over Miami in Pittsburgh. Kirsten Olowinski led the way with her second straight double-double, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds. The RedHawks fall to 4-3 overall, while the Dukes improve to 6-1.
Trailing 64-57 with 3:17 remaining, Miami would hold Duquesne off the board with a tenacious defense for the remainder of the game. Lillian Pitts would start the comeback with a layup at the 2:57 mark. A jumper by Maggie Boyer would cut the deficit to three with 1:53 to go. After a missed shot by the Dukes, Hannah Robertson found Olowinski in the paint for a layup that made it 64-63 at the 1:19 mark. Courtney Osborn would record a steal with 34 seconds remaining to give Miami one last chance. Duquesne would get a block that forced a jump ball with 10 seconds to go, but the ball stayed with the RedHawks. Miami would be able to get a couple of looks from under the basket, but both times the ball rolled off the rim and time ran out, giving the Dukes the one-point victory.
The 11 a.m. start affected the Miami offense a bit early, but the Red and White compensated with a strong defensive effort. Miami would hold Duquesne to 1-for-12 shooting to begin the contest. A three-pointer from Hannah Robertson and an old fashioned three-point play from Olowinski gave the RedHawks an 8-6 lead at the 13:45 mark.
After a bucket by the Dukes tied the score at eight, Miami would go on a 9-2 run that would give the 'Hawks their largest lead of the half at 17-10. During the run, Osborn and Kesley Simon hit jumpers, while Haley Robertson nailed a three-pointer after a long cross-court pass from Osborn. Duquesne would respond with a 9-2 run to retie the score at 19 with 5:06 to go, but a jumper by Hannah Robertson and a three-pointer from Osborn would put Miami back in front, 24-21, at the 3:29 mark. The RedHawks shot would go cold from there, as they only managed one more Osborn jumper. The Dukes closed the half on an 8-2 run to take a 29-26 lead into the break.
Osborn led Miami with seven points in the first half. The RedHawks outrebounded Duquesne, 23-18, during the frame, and held the Dukes to 35.5 percent shooting (11-for-31).
Duquesne opened the second half on a 7-1 run that forced a quick Miami timeout. Out of the break, Osborn hit a three-pointer as the shot clock expired to get the RedHawk offense moving again. A layup by Olowinski and a jumper from Simon would pull Miami to within six at 41-35 with 15:01 remaining in the game.
The Dukes would push the advantage back to eight at 45-37, but a three-pointer and two free throws by Osborn made it 45-42. Trailing 50-44, back-to-back jumpers by Pitts and Olowinski would pull the RedHawks to within two at 50-48 at the 9:41 mark. Duquesne answered with a 9-4 run to make it 59-52, but two free throws by Boyer and a layup from Olowinski would close the deficit back to three points at 59-56 with 5:27 to go. The Dukes would hit another three-pointer to start a 5-1 run that made it 64-57 at the 3:17 mark and set the stage for the 'Hawks comeback attempt.
Osborn tied Olowinski for the team lead in points with 18. She also had five assists, five rebounds and five steals. Pitts contributed 10 rebounds, including six offensive, while Hannah Robertson had seven points, nine rebounds and five assists. As a team, Miami outrebounded Duquesne, 44-33.
The RedHawks return to action on Saturday when they host Eastern Kentucky at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ONN and is part of a tripleheader that will see the men's basketball team take on Wright State at 3:30 p.m. and the ice hockey team face Ohio State at 7:05 p.m. at the Steve Cady Arena.
