Dec. 20, 2008

Final Stats
Rice vs. Duquesne Game Book in PDF Format

PITTSBURGH - Despite a game-high matching 16 points by freshman Lucas Kuipers and a career-high 12-point effort by Suleiman Braimoh, Rice could not get by the hot, second-half shooting of Duquesne, dropping an 80-64 decision to the Dukes Saturday afternoon.

Led by Aaron Jackson's 6-for-8 shooting and 16-point day, Duquesne connected on 72 percent of their second-half shots to help snap a two-game losing streak and improve to 6-4. Rice is now 4-6 heading into Monday night's match-up with fourth-ranked Oklahoma in Tudor Fieldhouse. Tip-off for Monday's game is 7 p.m.

Rice trailed 40-34 at intermission Saturday and managed just one field goal in the first seven minutes of the second period. At the same time, Duquesne started the half with a 10-4 run.

Rice senior guard Rodney Foster kept the Owls close with a trio of three-pointers midway through the second period. But Duquesne big man David Theis came up with a pair of defensive boards and at the other end scored inside then stepped back for a three-pointer the next time down the floor to move the Dukes' lead back to double figures. Damian Saunders capped a 7-0 Duquesne run, scoring on a fast break dunk and the Dukes' lead was 70-54 with 4:27 to play.

Braimoh's 12-point effort included a 6-for-7 performance at the free throw line, grabbed four rebounds and also drew a pair of charges. Following his first career double-double in Wednesday's win over Harvard, Kuipers was 7-for-12 from the field and also had four rebounds.

Cory Pflieger added 11 points and had a team-high five rebounds for Rice.

Saunders fell one rebound shy of a double-double for Duquesne, scoring 13 points and pulling down nine rebounds. He also had three assists, a block and a steal.

In addition to his 16 points, Jackson had eight assists and seven rebounds.