Rhode Island Starters
Muzet, Foppossi, Hendley, Vargas, Tahane
 
Duquesne Starters
C. Elliott, Sole, Hamilton, Bazelak, K. Elliott
 
How it Happened
Duquesne's bench hurt Rhode Island, as the Dukes knocked off URI 71-63 in the first women's game in UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse history.

Precious Johnson, Diamond Bragg and Ny Langley all scored in double figures off the bench for Duquesne (4-8, 3-5 A-10). Johnson led all scorers with 20, while Bragg had 12 and Langley added 10.

Rhody (8-7, 8-4 Atlantic 10) hurt itself at the free throw line (7-of-15) and missed a couple wide open layups in the fourth quarter.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair that featured nine lead changes and seven ties. Duquesne scored the final five points of the second quarter to take a 37-33 lead into the half. It was a lead the Dukes never rescinded.

The Dukes extended their lead to double digits midway through the third quarter after Precious Johnson hit a layup to make the score 48-38. URI head coach Tammi Reiss called a timeout to slow the momentum, and her squad responded with an 8-0 run. Marta Vargas and Catherine Cairns sandwiched 3-point shots around a Marie-Paule Foppossi jumper to quickly get the Rams back within two points at 48-46, forcing Duquesne to call its own timeout.

Johnson ended the run with a baseline jumper. Rhody missed its final four shots of the quarter, allowing the Dukes to stretch their lead to 54-47 heading into the final quarter.

Trailing 58-50, Cairns hit a 3-pointer. Moments later, a Foppossi drive pulled the Rams within 60-55. That was as close as the Rams got, as Duquesne held on for the win.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Rhode Island has lost six straight to Duquesne.  
• The Rams had 17 assists on their 24 field goals.
• Redshirt junior Emmanuelle Tahane finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds. She had 12 points and seven rebounds in the first half.
• The double-double was her eighth of the season.
• Freshman Catherine Cairns tied Tahane for team-high honors with 17 points. She was 5-of-9 from 3-point range, her third game this season with at least five from the arc.
• Redshirt freshman Yanni Hendley had seven points.
• Sophomore Kassondra Brown chipped in six points and five rebounds.
• Graduate senior Johanna Muzet had 11 rebounds.
• Senior Marta Vargas had six points and six assists.
• Duquesne's bench outscored Rhody's bench, 56-25.

Up Next
Rhode Island is scheduled to play at St. Bonaventure on Saturday, Feb. 20. Game time is 2 p.m.