By Steve DiMiceli
Discuss at Yuku
I knew this team wasn't as bad as we've seen the last few games and the Dukes snapped out of their funk in a big tonight. They shot great. They turned Charlotte over. They took care of the ball (13 is fine against Charlotte). Most importantly shared the ball the way they can. Still the feel good may not last long. The Dukes played unsustainably well tonight and are not as good as they were tonight. Still if they give 80% of the performance they had against Charlotte, they'll have a good chance to finish 8-8.
Player Ratings -
Eric Evans - 9.5 - This was his best game all year and may have been one of the best of his career. Why? He got to run the point most of the game. My highlight for him was when Charlotte gave Evans as much respect as some posters and he drills an open three the 49ers conceded to him.
Jerry Jones - 9 - I don't think you can ask for much more in 15 minutes. Maybe an extra rebound or two. Finished clinically and had one of the sweeter assists I've seen from a Duke this season to set up Kadeem for three.
BJ Montiero - 9 - A quiet 20 point night. Finished the way he needs to inside the paint. Hung Braswell out to dry on a couple of occasions.
TJ McConnell - 9 - Clutch in the second half and four steals in the first. 6 assists and 1 TO. 14 points on 10 shots. This may be a preview of an average game the rest of his career.
Sean Johnson -9 - Didn't make a mistake until about 9 minutes into the second half when he missed on a timing route on a give and go. Broke down the 2-3 zone and I thought he deserved more than 2 assists. Nice to see him break his slump.
Kadeem Pantophlet - 6.5 - Defense has sharpened, but he wasn't active enough offensively in the first. Big when we needed him in the second.
Mike Talley - 5 - Surprised he didn't play more. Probably because Evans was playing so well.
Andre Marhold - 4 - Active on the glass for 12 minutes of work. Picked up some,dumb, dumb fouls.
Mamadou Datt - 4 - Goose eggs across the board statistically. Only had one foul so I'm surprised he did not play more. Would've liked to have seen a bit more of him.
So the win clinches the 5th straight .500 season for Duquesne in a season. At the beginning of the year, I don't think it would have been that surprising if they lost more than they won. I'll call this a minor accomplishment, but it will be the last season for a while that I'll be happy just to win.
