Women's basketball tops Ohio University

The Duquesne women's basketball team never trailed in their 83-60 victory over Ohio University Saturday, extending their win streak against the Bobcats to five games.

Alex Gensler led the team with 22 points and Wumi Agunbiade added 15 for the Dukes.

Two other players joined Gensler and Agunbiade in double figures for the Dukes with Orsi Szecsi and Vanessa Abel adding 15 each.  

The Dukes are now 5-1 this season, with their only loss at the University of North Dakota on Nov. 20. Despite the strong start, the team still wishes it was undefeated.

"We wanted to be 6-0," Abel said.

The Dukes out-rebounded the Bobcats 47-33 with 23 offensive rebounds and 24 defensive rebounds.

"[Rebounds are] an area we have struggled [with]," coach Suzie McConnell-Serio said. "I challenged this team before the game, because we were 0-5 [in rebounding]. We were out-rebounded in every game."

Agunbiade registered a double-double in leading the Dukes with 16 rebounds.

"I know for me, I was a little nonchalant at times," Agunbiade said."  " This game, I just made the effort to go after every ball that went up to the hoop." 

The Dukes thought they were lackluster on defense in the first half, but brought it together for the second.

"In the second half, we came out stronger on defense. In the first half, we weren't [strong] ... We were being lazy. I think second half we stepped up, and that's something we have to in 40 minutes," Abel said.

Duquesne led the Bobcats in most statistical categories, including fouls. During the first half, the Bobcats out-fouled the Dukes 8-7, but the Dukes ended up fouling the Bobcats 11 times in the second half, leading to 13 Bobcat points.

"We work on [fouling] every day at practice, so I don't know why we keep fouling," Abel said. "We do drill after drill after drill in practice, and we make it a point, where we have to stop penetration. I think a lot of teams are going to put the ball on the floor and start attacking us if we don't stop fouling."

The red and blue shot 62.5 percent from the free-throw line, with Szecsi going 3-for-5, ruining her steak of 13 made foul shots. Szecsi had not missed a foul shot the entire season entering the game.

McConnell-Serio said the Dukes are a well-rounded team.

"The depth that we have [offensively] and the contributions we are going to get are key for us," McConnell-Serio said. "We've always been a team that has been balanced in my mind."

Abel believes the team has to start playing with a stronger mindset to pick up wins.

"We can't play with a lead," Abel said. "We're getting a lot better though ... We'll take time off, then once the team jumps on us, then it's like we turn it back on, which can't happen. There's times last year in games where we tried to turn it back on and we let the whole game go. That's one thing we definitely need to work on as a team is playing with a lead, not playing scared to lose, but playing to win."

The Dukes next play Tuesday Dec. 6 at home against Miami (Ohio) at 11 a.m. for Education Day. The game will be the third in a six game home stint for the Dukes.