Michael O’Grady | sports editor

The Duquesne women’s basketball team returned home this week after dropping a 2-point game in Rhode Island. The loss came on the heels of a four-game winning streak in which the Dukes won by at least 10 in every game. At Rhode Island, Duquesne only managed 57 points, its lowest total of the season and first time scoring under 60, but there was nothing to suggest it was anything more than an outlier.

In fact, in the very next game on Sunday against Atlantic 10 Conference-leader Richmond, the Dukes outscored their previous point total — only just by one.

Duquesne’s sudden inability to put the ball through the hoop made it victim of two blowouts at Cooper Fieldhouse this week. Sunday’s game with Richmond was a dismal 82-58 laugher where the Dukes never really had a chance. Wednesday night against UMass was going the same way until Duquesne came within 20 in an inspired fourth quarter that was long overdue. Still, the Minutewomen handily won 72-52.

“Our effort was embarrassing in the first two quarters, and when you look at the last two games, the four quarters in Richmond and the two quarters to start this game is some of the most poor basketball that I’ve been associated with in my 18 years at Duquesne,” Duquesne Head Coach Dan Burt said following Wednesday’s loss. “That falls on me, and I’m really disappointed.”

Richmond was always going to be an uphill battle. The Spiders came into Sunday’s game with the best field-goal percentage and the second-best 3-point percentage in the country. Their height also created a mismatch with Duquesne, something the Dukes would also experience against UMass. Immediately, Richmond was all over the offensive glass and burst out to an 8-0 run, and it sustained its lead with continuous 3-pointers. The Spiders combined for nine 3-pointers in the first half, a total of 27 points the Dukes wouldn’t have matched at halftime by itself. Duquesne went into the locker room down 40-17 after a 6-point second quarter.

Burt explained that the Dukes were in a zone defense for the first time all year because Richmond didn’t have much experience against it, which ended up backfiring.

“We’ve never played a possession of zone all year,” he said. “Not one. So we thought the element of surprise, the element of them not playing a lot against zone would’ve been able to help us, and maybe that would’ve been the case if they didn’t come out and torch us early. It was a game plan that didn’t work, necessarily.”

Duquesne found some life in the second half, even outscoring Richmond in the fourth once the game was well over, but it remained a far cry from the team that dropped 100 on Niagara in November or even just a month ago in Foggy Bottom when Duquesne put 97 on George Washington.

Wednesday’s game started with several steps backward in terms of improvement. The Minutewomen differed from the Spiders in that they didn’t have the type of shooting Richmond did, but still held a height advantage over Duquesne. UMass started just as fast, racing out to a 9-0 lead, outrebounding the Dukes on both ends and making nearly half its shots. Duquesne outdid its 6-point second quarter on Sunday with a 5-point first quarter.

Shortcomings that were abundant in both games were Duquesne’s inability to make 3-pointers, a key element in Burt’s high-powered offense, and constant mishaps when handling the ball. The Dukes were routinely fumbling possession under the rim or coughing up steals. Another new issue has been the lack of production from Mackenzie Blackford, Nadia Moore and Faith Walker, all of whom are freshmen getting major minutes. The three combined for just 25 points over the two games, although Moore left Wednesday’s game early with an ankle injury.

“Today was one of those days where you saw our youth being exposed,” Burt said. “Our lack of size is something that UMass exposed, and if you don’t have size, you better have a whole lot of fight and grit. Our practices the last two days have not been there. We’re at a tipping point.”

Duquesne somehow ended up making the score somewhat respectable compared to what the deficit could have been, after it took two-and-a-half quarters to score 20 points. The Dukes completely missed their chance to perform on home court, especially in February when games are all-important. They visit Chicago on Saturday afternoon for Loyola and the Bronx Wednesday night for Fordham.

A frustrated Burt took a long pause before ending his press conference on Wednesday.

“We’ll do better.”