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Monday, January 06, 2003

By Ray Fittipaldo, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA -- With 14:38 remaining in a Atlantic 10 Conference opener at Saint Joseph's yesterday, Duquesne was hanging tough with the Hawks. The Dukes were down by two and had the momentum after scoring 14 of the first 19 points in the second half.

But the Hawks knew the Dukes have one obvious weakness, and they exploited it down the stretch. Saint Joseph's turned up the defensive pressure, forced 14 of the Dukes' 24 turnovers in the second half and pulled away for a 76-56 victory before 3,200 at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.

"It's the turnovers," junior guard Jimmy Tricco said. "It's been our Achilles' heel all season."

The Dukes lead the Atlantic 10 with 21.4 turnovers a game. Tricco had a team-high six, sophomore forward Simplice Njoya five and freshman point guard Bryant McAllister four.

The most crucial came during a six-minute stretch midway through the second half. The Dukes were staying close and getting stops on the defensive end, but they couldn't get over the hump. They turned it over on four consecutive possessions when they trailed, 44-40, blunting their momentum and any real chance of coming back and winning.

When they didn't capitalize, it was only a matter of time before the Hawks woke up and began playing at a higher level. And they did it with the help of sensational junior point guard Jameer Nelson and Wexford native Pat Carroll.

Carroll, grandson of legendary North Catholic Coach Don Graham, scored seven points in a 12-0 Saint Joseph's run over a 4:50 span that gave the Hawks a 58-42 lead with 8:54 left.

Nelson, who led the Hawks with 22 points, had a twisting, hanging three-point play in the run, and he scored 15 of his points in the final 14:20.

"We had 'em," said Dukes senior guard Kevin Forney, a Philadelphia native who scored a career-high 22 points. "We had a couple of turnovers that killed us there, and Jameer is a great player. He led his team. ... He was definitely the difference. He kept his team under control."

Forney helped the Dukes climb back into the game after falling behind, 37-26, at the half. He scored nine points in the first 3:12 of the second half to make it 38-35. Njoya made a basket. Ron Dokes made one free throw, and Elijah Palmer scored on a slashing move to the basket to make it 42-40 before the Dukes self-destructed, and the Hawks regained control.

"We made our run," Coach Danny Nee said. "But four turnovers and a technical foul there. ... That's your chance. The door was open. We had to do it there because you know they're going to come back and play well."

The only other Dukes player in double figures was Dokes, who had 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting.

Carroll finished with 13 points and was 3 of 6 from 3-point range. Delonte West scored 17, was 2 for 2 from beyond the arc and dished out four assists.

Despite the 20-point losing margin, it wasn't a typical Duquesne road defeat. The Dukes fell behind, 14-2, to open the game and trailed by as many as 17 in the first half.

Last season, the Dukes were not competitive in a half-dozen conference games.

"In past years we would have been down 20 in the first five minutes," Forney said. "We stuck together today. We had them on our heels. They were scared. Once they got those turnovers, they got fired up and executed. We just have to execute better down the stretch."

NOTES -- Junior-college transfer Derek Ahern decided to leave the team. Ahern, a 6-11, 260-pounder from Palm Beach Community College, played in one game this season, scoring two points and grabbing two rebounds against Maryland. His departure opens up a scholarship this spring for the Dukes. ... Dokes and Palmer did not start for the Dukes because they were 15 minutes late for practice Saturday morning before the team departed for Philadelphia. ... The public-address announcer gave the Steelers score before the second half started, and it brought smiles to the faces of the Pittsburgh natives on the Duquesne bench. ... Saint Joseph's is off to its best start since the 1964-65 season.