Duquesne defeats Davidson 83-89
Duquesne Upset Davidson at Home, 89-83
In a thrilling conference matchup, Duquesne (away) edged out Davidson (home), 89-83, at the John M. Belk Arena on New Year's Eve. The win marked a significant upset for the visiting Red Devils, who erased a 3-point halftime deficit to secure the victory.
The home team, Davidson, took an early lead, but Duquesne quickly responded with a 6-point run of their own. However, the Red Devils' hot shooting eventually propelled them into the lead, and they never looked back. At the break, Davidson held a slim 33-30 advantage, setting up a thrilling second half.
In the final frame, Duquesne continued to fire on all cylinders, outscoring Davidson by 9 points to seal the comeback victory. The Red Devils' bench played a crucial role, providing key contributions off the bench to fuel their late surge.
Tarence Guinyard led Duquesne in scoring with 24 points, hitting 5 of 12 three-point attempts at a 41.7% clip. David Dixon chipped in with 6 points and 13 rebounds, while Guinyard added 6 assists to his impressive all-around performance.
Sam Brown paced Davidson with 23 points, but the Wildcats' offense struggled to find consistency beyond his scoring output. Parker Friedrichsen provided a strong supporting effort, grabbing 6 rebounds and adding 21 points of his own.
Duquesne's victory marked their first win at Davidson since 2018, while the loss dropped the home team to 0-2 against unranked opponents this season. For Duquesne, the win was a significant statement in conference play, demonstrating the team's ability to compete with top-tier programs like Davidson.
The game's advanced statistics told a story of Duquesne's efficiency on both ends. The Red Devils boasted an impressive 52.2% field goal percentage and a true shooting percentage of 56.9%, while limiting their opponents to a 39.0% eFG rate and 50.2% true shooting mark.
In the end, it was Duquesne's ability to overcome adversity and capitalize on key opportunities that ultimately swung the momentum in their favor. With this win, the Red Devils took a significant step forward in conference play, setting them up for success in the coming weeks.