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Sunday, January 12, 2003

By Ray Fittipaldo, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

DAYTON, Ohio -- A sold out University of Dayton Arena had fallen silent. The 12,489 fans in attendance, who had cheered so loudly minutes earlier, were now wondering how it had all gotten away so fast.

Duquesne, behind by 20 points with less than 13 minutes remaining, had clawed its way back and taken a one-point lead on a short baseline jumper by Kevin Forney with 61 seconds left, capping a spirited comeback.

An improbable and unimaginable victory was within reach. But just as fast as the Dukes took their first lead of the game, it slipped away in the final minute.

Dayton coolly executed at both ends of the court to avert an upset, escaping with a 77-72 victory.

"That was one of the toughest losses I've ever had here because we came back all the way," said Forney, a senior guard who tied a career-high with 22 points. "Being up with a minute to go. ... We just have to execute better at the end."

Dayton (10-3, 2-0) made 6 of 6 free-throw attempts in the final minute and stopped the Dukes cold on two defensive stands. After Forney scored to give the Dukes their first lead of the game, Simplice Njoya fouled Dayton's Nate Green with 42 seconds left. Green made both free throws for a 73-72 lead.

Dukes Coach Danny Nee set up a play during a timeout. It was a double screen for Forney or Jimmy Tricco. But the play broke down, and Bryant McAllister hurriedly got the ball to Tricco on the wing. Tricco, who had scored all 20 of his points in the second half, drove to the basket but had his shot blocked by Brooks Hall.

"I had a choice to make there," Nee said. "He had a strong drive. You could see he was feeling it. There was a lot of holding and grabbing there."

Ramod Marshall was fouled with 25 seconds left and knocked down both of his free throws to make it, 75-72.

The Dukes again looked to Tricco, who was tightly guarded coming off a screen on the wing. He accepted the pass but was quickly swarmed, and the ball was knocked away. Dayton won a frenzied scramble for the loose ball, and Green again was fouled. He made both free throws with 6.9 seconds left to secure the win.

"I wish we had the last two plays back," said Tricco, who was 6 for 8 from 3-point range. "I should have been stronger with the ball. Whether I was fouled or not, I have to be stronger with the ball. I want the ball in my hands at the end of the game, but I have to do a better job in those situations."

What made the loss all the more stinging was the fact the Flyers had made 12 of 20 free throws before making all six of their attempts in the final 41 seconds.

The Dukes were down, 52-32, with 12:47 remaining, but they came back by making 14 of 24 shots in the second half. They turned the ball over just three times in the final 20 minutes and were 9 for 16 from 3-point range in the second half.

"Duquesne is a different ballclub," Dayton Coach Oliver Purnell said. "Their inside players are big and strong. Once you let a team like that back into the game and get some momentum, anything can happen. ... and it almost did. No lead is safe. Duquesne is a team that believes in themselves. The combination of them playing hard and us relaxing made it an exciting game."

The Dukes made it exciting at the end, but they spotted the Flyers a 10-0 lead. The Dukes didn't get on the board until almost six minutes had gone by. What made the comeback all that more impressive was that four Duquesne starters did not score in the first half. The only starter to score in the first 20 minutes was Ron Dokes.

Dayton took advantage and held a 34-19 lead at the break.

"When you spot a good team a [10-0] run, it's like you're fighting back the whole game," Nee said. "If we just would have started better, maybe when we made that run we would have been ahead."

NOTES -- Mark Jones scored a career-high 19 points to lead the Flyers. ... Dayton is 5-0 in games decided by five points or fewer. ... Duquesne is 4-3 in such games. ... Dayton is the only team in the conference that is not starting a first-year player. ... Njoya was held scoreless for the third time in the past eight games. ... Dayton has beaten the Dukes 12 consecutive times. The Dukes have not beat the Flyers since Jan. 30, 1997, and have not won at UD Arena since 1983. ... McAllister had seven assists and two turnovers. The Dukes committed a season-low 11 turnovers. ... The 53 second-half points was a season-high for scoring in a half for the Dukes this season.