Will Stover | staff writer

In a game that swung back and forth with intensity befitting a top-25 matchup, the Duquesne Dukes nearly toppled No. 24 Saint Louis on Tuesday night, eventually falling 81-77 at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. Behind a career-night from Jimmie Williams and a late surge that brought the home crowd to its feet, Duquesne came within inches of delivering a ranked victory only to watch the Billikens hold on in the final minute.

Saint Louis set the tone early with a deep 3 from Dion Brown just 14 seconds into the game, forcing Duquesne to chase from the jump. But Duquesne answered with a rhythm-setting 3 from Williams and a driving layup that knocked the Billikens’ lead to 1. The first half unfolded as a chess match, with Duquesne’s pressure defense forcing turnovers and transition chances keeping the margin tight.

Still, Saint Louis demonstrated a balanced offensive attack with five players in double figures and started to assert itself midway through the first half. After trading baskets, the Billikens extended a lead with free throws and an Ishan Sharma 3 that pushed the visitors up 17-12. Duquesne’s gritty defense and patient ball movement, however, kept them in the game.

By halftime, the scoreboard read 40-38 in favor of Saint Louis, but the story on the court was of a game that neither team was content to let get away. Duquesne’s 17 offensive rebounds kept possessions alive and frustrated Saint Louis, the nation’s scoring margin leader, who entered the evening averaging a 25.2-point differential.

“When you’re a player, you’ve got to pay more attention to the possession — win the possession, not really the scoreboard,” Joyce said. “That’s where the fight is. I think we lost track of that.”

That loss of focus showed early in the second half. Saint Louis opened the period with a decisive 19-4 run, capitalizing on missed shots and defensive lapses to stretch its lead.

Duquesne had good looks near the basket but failed to convert, a theme Joyce repeatedly returned to.

“We had some good opportunities right in front of the basket,” he said. “We didn’t finish them to the level that I know we’re capable of. And when you don’t finish, you’ve got to get back on defense, and we didn’t always do that.”

Down double digits, Duquesne could have folded. Instead, the Dukes leaned into their resilience. Williams continued to attack, knocking down jumpers from all over the court and creating shots late in the clock. Defensively, Duquesne ramped up pressure, forcing Saint Louis into rushed possessions and giving the home crowd reason to believe.

“We all knew we came out slow,” Williams said. “We talked about it. We said we had to pick it up, and we fought. We tried to find our way back into it. It was just a little bit too late.”

The Dukes’ comeback peaked in the final minutes, when a string of defensive stops and clutch buckets cut the deficit to a single point. With the ball in his hands late, Williams had a chance to tie the game, but his contested 3-pointer rimmed out.

“That was an IQ thing,” he said. “I probably should have drove there. But you’re in the moment, you can’t really think while you’re playing. When I shot it, I felt like it was the best shot. Coach told me that, too.”

Saint Louis sealed the game at the free-throw line, escaping Pittsburgh with a narrow win and leaving Duquesne once again on the wrong side of a close finish.

Tuesday night wasn’t just another loss, it was an opportunity for comparison. Facing a ranked Saint Louis team that entered the night among the best in the country in scoring margin, Duquesne proved it could compete possession for possession with one of the A10’s elite. The Dukes challenged every play, reinforcing Joyce’s belief that his team is improving.

“Outside of maybe VCU, we’ve been in every single game,” Joyce said. “We’ve taken teams to overtime and double overtime. We’re challenging teams every night. We’re close.”

But “close” won’t cut it. Duquesne’s inability to consistently close tight games continues to be the biggest problem. Against Saint Louis, the Dukes showed fight and star-level scoring from Williams, yet inconsistency in energy, finishing and decision-making ultimately led to a loss.

“It doesn’t feel great to lose,” Joyce said. “But win or loss, we’ve got to ask: How do we get better? How do we grow in these situations?”

Will Stover can be reached at stoverw1@duq.edu