Duquesne MBB Falls Into Foul Trouble, Loses 87-77 at Villanova
VILLANOVA, Pa.— The Duquesne Dukes fell 87-77 at Villanova in the final game of the Villanova Challenge, their talented defense coming undone as much of the team fell into foul trouble. Tarence Guinyard led the field in scoring with 30 points and Jimmie Williams added 18, but the Dukes ultimately couldn’t keep pace as the fouls piled up.
Villanova went up 4-0 early, but three-point shots on consecutive possessions from Jimmie Williams and Tarence Guinyard put the Dukes (3-1) in front, a lead they maintained for much of the first half as they played stifling defense and went 6-of-12 from beyond the arc.
Defense proved their undoing, however, as the officials whistled Duquesne for 14 fouls in the first half alone. Leading scorer John Hugley IV committed two fouls in the first three minutes and played just four more on the way into the break, earning his third foul amidst an 11-0 Wildcats run that helped Villanova pull away for good.
Jakub Necas and David Dixon also racked up three first half fouls. Villanova got into the double bonus with 9:40 to play and made 16 of 22 free throws in the period. After attempting just two three-pointers in the first 13 minutes, the Wildcats sank five of seven on their way into the half. Villanova’s Devin Askew made their first three, tying the game 25-25 and blowing the top off the home crowd.
Dukes Fall Behind
Williams responded with a three of his own, motioning for the crowd to shush as he hustled back on defense, but the Wildcats went into the half on a 20-7 run.
Hugley netted his first points of the game with a pair of three-point buckets early in the second half, helping the Dukes stay within ten points. Williams and Guinyard closed the deficit to 59-53 with a 7-0 run, prompting a Villanova timeout. The Wildcats responded with their own 7-0 streak, chasing Hugley from the game with his fourth foul and forcing Dru Joyce III to call time.
While Duquesne cut the deficit to 69-61, an 11-0 Wildcats run that saw Davis foul out quashed their hopes of a comeback. Villanova didn’t make a basket over the final 4:40 but still closed the Dukes out with room to spare.
Up next, Duquesne will host Loyola (Md.) at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
