It took Tarence Guinyard time to heat up, but when he did, Duquesne’s leading scorer really got hot.
Despite battling illness for much of the week, Guinyard notched 19 of his 23 points in the second half Saturday to lead Duquesne to a 71-59 victory over Loyola Chicago at Gentile Arena in Chicago.
Guinyard, who is averaging 16.4 points, shot 7 for 14, including 6 for 10 from 3-point range. But the senior guard did most of his damage in the second half, converting 5 of 7 attempts from behind the arc and going 6 for 11 overall.
“He really stepped up, despite the illness and cold that he’s been battling,” Duquesne coach Dru Joyce III said. “He showed a lot of character of just trying to do his best, and you’ve got to appreciate that effort.”
Guinyard led the Dukes with four assists and added a steal. Senior guard Maximus Edwards, meanwhile, recorded three of Duquesne’s seven steals off the bench.
Guinyard’s backcourt mate, junior Jimmie Williams, registered his first career double-double for Duquesne, contributing 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Williams, who nearly matches Guinyard’s scoring average with 16.0 points per game, was coming off a career-high 28 in an 81-77 loss to No. 24 Saint Louis on Tuesday at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
The Billikens remained on the road Friday night and went on to a 97-62 rout of St. Bonaventure, which visits Duquesne on Wednesday night for the start of a two-game homestand for the Dukes.
For the first time in a season, Duquesne (11-9, 3-4 Atlantic 10) has registered its first three conference victories on the road. The Dukes’ only A-10 road loss is a 97-90 overtime decision at Saint Joseph’s on Jan. 7.
“Our efforts continue to get better,” Joyce said.
The 59 points by Loyola Chicago (5-16, 1-7) were the least given up by the Dukes in an A-10 game this season.
“(Against Saint Louis), it wasn’t our half-court defense that was the problem, it was transition defense,” Joyce said. “They outran us time after time. You’ve got to watch the tape and be honest and change that, and you’ve got to challenge the team and guys and say,’ Hey, listen, this is a problem and if we’re going to get better, we’ve got to fix it. We’ve got to find a solution.’
“I’m proud of our guys and the way they defended for 40 minutes today.”
Guinyard’s 3-pointer with 3:36 left in the first half broke a 23-23 tie and ignited an 8-0 run that helped power Duquesne to a 34-28 halftime lead.
Loyola Chicago scored six unanswered points to open the second half, pulling even at 34-34 before Duquesne went back in front for good on five straight points by Jakub Necas during a span of 27 seconds, part of an 11-3 run that put the Dukes ahead 45-37 with 14:19 remaining.
Loyola Chicago got within 49-47 at the 9:32 mark on a pair of free throws by Xavier Amos, who led the Ramblers with 12 points, before Duquesne settled the outcome from behind the 3-point arc.
Guinyard made five 3-pointers, and Williams added another from long range to account for Duquesne’s final six baskets.
After David Dixon and Edwards each scored to give the Dukes a 53-47 advantage, Guinyard sank three consecutive 3-pointers as Duquesne pushed the lead to double digits for the first time with 5:37 remaining.
“He found a great rhythm,” Joyce said. “We put the ball in his hand and liked our chances in ball screens and he buried them. He made some big-time shots.”
A Guinyard 3-pointer in the final minute gave Duquesne its largest lead of 15 points at 71-56.
Duquesne junior guard Brandon Hall, a Chicago native, earned his first Division I start in his hometown and played 20 minutes in place of slumping senior Cam Crawford, who started the Dukes’ first 19 games.
The 6-foot-4 Hall, a junior college transfer from Howard (Texas), played 20 minutes, totaling three points, two rebounds, two assists and one block. He sat out last season at Duquesne while rehabbing a knee injury.
“It’s special anytime you get to go home,” Joyce said. “He got to play in front of his mom and dad and brother and a lot of family and friends. He handled himself well (with) some tremendous defensive efforts, and then closed the game for us as well.”
Crawford, who last season led the A-10 in 3-point shooting, has struggled to shoot just 33.3% (26 for 78) from behind the arc while starting in the team’s first 19 games this season.
Joyce all season has lauded Crawford’s defensive prowess, but he is averaging 6.2 points and shooting 37.2% overall.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in ‘B-Hall,’” Joyce said. “He’s been in and out of rotations and he’s had his ups and downs. But there’s something he can deliver for this team. He’s athletic and physical, and he can handle the ball better than he’s shown. If we can turn the corner with Brandon Hall being another playmaker, it really helps us going forward.”