Men’s basketball (13-11, 4-7 Atlantic 10) extended its losing streak to four after a close 88-86 loss to Duquesne (14-10, 6-5 A-10) in Pittsburgh.
The loss against Duquesne marks a continued downward slide for the Revolutionaries, who have been unable to close out three of their last four games effectively. With senior forward Rafael Castro out with an injury for the third game in a row, the Revs relied on 3-pointers from junior guards Trey Autry and Jean Aranguren to make up for a lack of points in the paint.
Aranguren led the team in scoring, finishing with 18 points, along with ten assists and shooting 3 for 3 at the 3-point line. The performance marked the team’s second triple-double in program history and first since 2007, with the 6-foot-3 guard also grabbing 10 rebounds. Senior forward Luke Hunger, who has stepped up to replace Castro, shot 7 for 11 from the paint and put up 17 points for the Revs in 38 minutes on the court.
Hunger also led the team in rebounds, grabbing 13 off the board, including seven on defense. The Revs collectively performed well in their free-throw shooting, converting 17 for 19 of them into points on the board.
The Revs started strong with a 42.1% 3-point percentage, sinking eight and contributing heavily towards their offensive effort in the first half. But the shooting issues that have plagued the team in recent games came back in the second half as they converted only 31.3% of their 3-pointers, while also attempting six fewer than in the first half.
Autry made up the bulk of the Revs’ 3-point attempts but missed five out of his six attempts in the second half.
The Revs also suffered from repeated turnovers, losing the ball 16 times compared to the Dukes’ four, allowing their opponent to score 21 points off of recovered turnovers.
The game opened with the Dukes pulling ahead by 4, but the Revs quickly responded with a layup by redshirt sophomore Christian Jones and two 3-pointers from Autry, putting them ahead 8-4 within the first three minutes. The Revs continued to hold the lead for most of the first half as the teams traded baskets, as a variety of players continued to make layups and sink 3-pointers to maintain a point differential with the Dukes.
The gap began to close as the half ended, as the Dukes went on a 7-point run to take the lead 33-30 with 5:33 remaining in the half. However, several free throws and a couple of 3-pointers helped the Revs push back against the Dukes, tying them up 40-40 to end the first half.
The second half opened with a series of fouls on both sides, sending Hunger and Aranguren to the free-throw line early. After Hunger converted and Duquesne split a pair at the line, Aranguren knocked down a three to give GW a brief lead.
Redshirt sophomore guard Christian Jones followed with a layup at 16:09, and Aranguren added back-to-back baskets over the next minute, scoring 7 points in the first five minutes of the half after going scoreless in the first half.
The teams continued to trade fouls and three throws as the pace slowed, with multiple stoppages disrupting the flow of play. At the 14:49 media timeout, GW held a narrow 53-52 lead. Duquesne responded at the line and reclaimed the lead before GW answered again through free throws and interior scoring.
Hunger tied the game at 57-57 with a basket at 12:58, leading into another television timeout as neither team was able to create separation.
Midway through the half, Duquesne began to take advantage of GW turnovers and limited scoring in the paint, converting trips to the free-throw line into points. Despite this, GW remained within one possession, relying on Hunger and Aranguren to keep the score close.
Aranguren continued to convert from the line, while Hunger added multiple baskets inside, including a 3-pointer and consecutive layups to keep the Revs within striking distance.
With six minutes remaining, Arangure hit a 3-pointer to make it a 1-point game at 73-72 heading into the final media timeout. Duquesne extended its lead through free throws, while GW continued to struggle with ball security and interior scoring.
Still, the Revs remained close due to their efficiency at the line, shooting 90% on free throws in the final five minutes.
The final minute featured several late fouls and quick possessions. Aranguren scored a layup with 53 seconds remaining before converting another three at the 30-second mark. After a Duquesne free throw, Autry responded with a three at 0:16 to cut the deficit to two.
Duquesne closed the game at the line in the final seconds and despite a last free-throw opportunity for GW, the Revs were unable to regain possession as time expired.
GW’s limited rotation continued to show late in the game, with only seven players seeing extended minutes compared to Duquesne’s 10. Combined with 16 turnovers that led to 21 points for the Dukes, these factors contributed to the narrow 88-86 loss as the Revs fell just short in the final seconds in Pittsburgh.
The loss drops GW to 13-11 overall and 4-7 in A-10 play as the Revs continue conference competition. GW now returns home to the Smith Center, where they’ll face Rhode Island on Tuesday.
