EKU comes up short in overtime, 85-84

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (EKU Athletics) – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team dropped an overtime heartbreaker at Duquesne, 85-84, on Saturday at the Palumbo Center.

Following a three-point play by senior Nick Mayo, EKU (6-6) led by four, 79-75, with just over two minutes to play in regulation. Duquesne (9-3) sank four free throws over the final 1:12 to tie it up. A three-point attempt at the buzzer by Mayo just missed, sending the game into overtime.

The Colonels went ahead, 83-81, following a layup by freshman Jomaru Brown with 2:53 to play in OT. Tavian Dunn-Martin converted a layup on the Dukes’ ensuing possession to tie it up. The two teams then went scoreless for more than two minutes. A jumper in the lane by Eric Williams Jr. with 14 seconds to play broke the drought and gave Duquesne an 85-83 lead.

On EKU’s final possession, freshman Tre King missed a shot to tie it, got his own rebound and was fouled on the putback. He made his first free throw; however, the second one rimmed out, and Duquesne held on for a wild win.

The game featured nine ties and nine lead changes.

Mayo finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four blocks in the loss. Redshirt junior Dujuanta Weaver posted a career-high 18 points on 4-of-10 shooting from deep.

Junior Kelvin Robins just missed a double-double, scoring 14 points and dishing out nine assists. He also had five rebounds and two steals. Brown came off the bench to tally 15 points.

King – making his first career start – led EKU with nine rebounds.

Williams Jr. paced five Dukes in double figures with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Duquesne jumped out to an early 10-point lead, as a jumper by Tavian Dunn-Martin made it 27-17 in favor of the hosts with 8:16 to play in the first half.

A triple by Weaver, however, sparked EKU on a 10-0 run. Less than two minutes later, a layup by Weaver tied it up, 27-27.

The Colonels kept coming, outscoring the Dukes 21-9 over the next six minutes. A layup by Brown at the 1:03 mark of the first half gave EKU its largest lead of the game, 48-36.

Duquesne responded with six points in the final minute of the half to trim the Colonel lead to six at the break, 48-42.

Eastern stretched its lead back to 10, 60-50, following foul shots by Weaver with 15:50 to play in regulation. However, the Dukes chipped away at that lead before finally tying it up, 67-67, on a bucket by Michael Hughes with 8:26 showing.

The two teams then traded leads until finally setting the score in overtime.

EKU returns home to host Brescia on Saturday, Dec. 29, at 6 p.m. ET.