Luke Henne | Sports Editor
Nov. 18, 2021
The Duquesne men’s basketball team dropped its second consecutive home game, losing to Weber State, 63-59, at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Monday.
With 1:03 remaining in the game and the score even at 59, Jackie Johnson III mistakenly tried to call a timeout, but Duquesne had already used all of its timeouts.
Johnson’s error resulted in a technical foul and subsequent successful free-throw attempt from Koby McEwen, giving the Wildcats the lead.
After a Kevin Easley Jr. turnover and foul with 18 seconds left, Weber State increased its lead to 3, leaving the door open for Duquesne to even the score.
However, a turnover from Leon Ayers III and foul from Amir Spears with 3 seconds to go allowed Weber State’s Dillon Jones to add a point at the free-throw line, thus sealing the victory for the Wildcats.
Head Coach Keith Dambrot knows that his team is dealing with some growing pains, but that doesn’t make the back-to-back home losses any easier.
“We made no plays when it mattered. Part of it is [that] we don’t really know who to go to,” Dambrot said. “Ultimately, that’s on me. I have to determine who that go-to guy is. We’re gonna be a work in progress.”
Johnson III led the way for Duquesne with 27 points, while McEwen paced Weber State with 21 points.
Despite the adversity, Dambrot relishes the challenge in front of him.
“I hate it, but I love it,” Dambrot said. “It’s a hell of a challenge. This is what I do.”
The Dukes will head to St. Thomas for the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam tournament, where they’ll battle Northeastern on Friday.
