Duquesne MBB Falls In Hugley's Return

By Hunter Hensel

Duquesne welcomed the Dayton Flyers to the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Tuesday night for a hard-fought Atlantic 10 clash with the visitors coming away with a 71-65 victory in John Hugley IV‘s return to the court.

Dayton entered the contest undefeated in conference play at 3–0, while Duquesne held a 1–2 record, with two of its three league games stretching into overtime. As anticipated, Flyer supporters filled the stands, and UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse buzzed with energy all evening, keeping the atmosphere electric no matter which team had the ball.

The Dukes struggled out of the gate, scoring just 24 points and trailing Dayton by nine at halftime. Duquesne’s leading scorers, Tarence Guinyard and Jimmie Williams, combined for only a single point in the first half. One stat summed up the early woes: the Dukes shot 1-for-14 from three-point range.

Head coach Dru Joyce III addressed the team’s slow start: “We have to find some more poise,” he said. “Sometimes basketball goes that way; we didn’t quite settle in. There were some shots that we had that we didn’t make… That’s too many threes based on the style of game that we needed to be playing. I thought we settled for some at times; I thought we rushed a few.”

Despite a difficult first half, Duquesne showed no intention of giving up. Joyce said the energy in the locker room at halftime reflected a shared belief among coaches and players that the game was still within reach.

The Dukes came out of the locker room with renewed urgency, quickly swinging momentum their way with scoring from Guinyard, Williams, and others before the first media timeout of the second half. While the early run provided a much-needed jolt, Duquesne struggled to maintain control for the rest of the game.

“I thought we could have done a better job defensively transition-wise,” said Joyce. “We were defending really well, but we let some runouts where they just got downhill early without having to run through anything and wound up getting to the foul line. We have to be able to eliminate those baskets.”

After briefly taking the lead early in the second half, the Dukes fell behind by as many as seven before cutting the deficit to one with seven minutes remaining. Dayton responded with another run, pushing the margin back to eight at the five-minute mark, but Duquesne rallied once more, trimming the Flyers’ lead to two with just two minutes left. A Guinyard missed free throw kept the Dukes from closing the gap to a single point, and they were unable to capitalize on their remaining opportunities down the stretch.

“If there is anything we want to get back, it’s the second-chance opportunities that we let get away,” Joyce said.

The Dukes have built a reputation for pushing the pace and putting up big scoring numbers, but that fast-paced style has sometimes come at a cost on the defensive end, making it difficult to prevent opponents from keeping pace offensively. On Tuesday, however, Joyce seemed satisfied with his team’s effort on that side of the ball.

“Defensively, I thought we were pretty sound if it wasn’t for some turnovers and shots leading to their transition,” he said. “They were having their own issues scoring on us. They did a good job at the free-throw line. I think it really bolstered them—16-for-18 in the second half. That’s a big deal when they only score 38 points to get 18 from the free-throw line.”

“I thought we were pretty disciplined, even on the ball. The refs didn’t agree. I don’t know what to do in that regard. I thought our guys had some pretty good standups defensively, but they call the game how they’re going to call it.”

A key factor in Duquesne’s defensive effort has been Cam Crawford. While the starter has yet to score more than five points in any Atlantic 10 matchup this season—a concern given that he led the league in three-point percentage last year—his value on defense remains significant.

“It’s been a challenge,” observed Joyce. “There’s a give and take to it. He’s guarding the best player on the perimeter every night; he’s been that key figure for us all year. When you need to get some stops, that’s probably the guy you want to lean on. That has been where we have had to use him. Do I hope his shots go in at some point? Yeah, but we also have to get some better play from our wings in general.”

A surprising storyline heading into Tuesday’s matchup was the Hugley’s return. The senior forward had not been seen with the team for nearly a month and last saw the court on December 10 at Boise State. During that period, Joyce consistently declined to comment when questioned by the media, urging reporters to move on without providing any explanation.

This season, the Atlantic 10 introduced “availability reports” released hours before each game to indicate whether players will be sidelined due to injury or other reasons. Hugley’s name, which had appeared on the report for every conference game so far, was absent ahead of the Duquesne-Dayton contest—sparking speculation among Dukes supporters.

Fans wondered if this was true as they made their way to the Bluff for Tuesday night’s battle. The answer was yes: Hugley was back, participating in pregame warmups as if he had never left.

Hugley came off the bench and logged ten minutes on the floor, contributing three points and two rebounds without committing a turnover as he worked to shake off the rust. After the game, Joyce emphasized the broader significance of Hugley’s return.

“For John, it’s about growth,” outlined Joyce. “How is he growing as an individual? It’s not about basketball. The basketball will take care of itself if he continues to grow as a young man. That’s the most important thing,” Joyce said. “The love and support he gets from his teammates, and our staff is also important as he goes through that process. He’s fighting, which is what anyone has to do every day. We’ve got to fight. We have to get up, stand on two feet, and see if we can make it through this day… and that is what he is doing. He just has to continue to put forth the fight; we have him here as a supporting cast to help him through anything he needs.”

Hugley’s return—and his continued development—could be a major factor in how the rest of Duquesne’s season unfolds.

Dayton fans are known for traveling well and creating a raucous atmosphere, with past matchups even seeing their chants overpower Duquesne supporters inside the Dukes’ own arena. On Tuesday night, they tried again—but the Duquesne faithful responded, highlighted by the season’s strongest student-section turnout, keeping UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse loud on both sides.

Joyce expressed his appreciation for the students’ energy. “I saw the students show up tonight; it was good to see them in the building. We didn’t give them the result they probably wanted, but I hope they continue to come back and support these guys. These young men are ambassadors for the university; they put Duquesne across their chest. We appreciate anyone who comes through these doors and gives us all the energy and love that they can.”

While the loss stung, Joyce emphasized the bigger picture. “It’s a journey,” he concluded. “What we understand in our locker room is the process—making sure we keep improving. There’s an end goal. I know this game means a lot in the moment, but we’re focused on building toward where we want to be as a team on the final day of A-10 play. That’s what we’re pushing toward every day.”

Though Duquesne sits at 1–3 in conference play, it is only January, and the team remains focused on building toward something greater.