Down two players? No problem for Duquesne.
As they say, “Next man up.”
Alex Williams scored 25 points in his first start of the season Wednesday night to lead the shorthanded Dukes to a 71-65 victory over George Mason, just the Patriots’ third loss and first at home in 15 games at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Va.
Duquesne (13-10, 5-5 Atlantic 10) was without injured starters Tarence Guinyard, the team’s leading scorer, and Jakub Necas, its leading rebounder.
“It was a team effort. Guys stepped up in various ways,” Duquesne coach Dru Joyce III said. “I’m just proud of the discipline and the execution from everyone that checked into that game because they handled their responsibility. It took preparation and different alignments to get guys ready to play.”
Williams, who shot 7 for 12 and converted 9 of 10 free throws, scored 11 points in the final 6 minutes, 1 second to help Duquesne erase an eight-point deficit and earn its third victory in four games.
David Dixon and Jimmie Williams added 13 points apiece for the Dukes.
Riley Allenspach led George Mason (20-3, 8-2) with 18 points. Jahari Long added 17 and Kory Mincy chipped in 10 for the Patriots, who fell two games behind No. 19 Saint Louis for the top spot in the A-10.
It was just the third loss in the past 35 home games for George Mason since the Patriots and Dukes last played at EagleBank Arena, including a 75-67 defeat to Bradley in an NIT second-round game March 22, 2025.
Duquesne trailed 58-50 before an 11-3 run pulled the Dukes even at 61-61 on a pair of free throws by the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Alex Williams, who came in averaging just 13.9 minutes per game.
The senior forward missed all of last season with a knee injury after transferring from Furman.
“’AWill’ presents so many matchup problems with his ability to attack from the perimeter and inside with his strength,” Joyce said. “He’s just got a will and a knack to score the basketball, and we needed his points. We needed his free throws tonight. He stepped up. He was just engaged and delivered one of his better defensive performances, too.”
George Mason regained a 65-60 lead, then fell behind for good, going scoreless during the final 2:23.
Brandon Hall’s 3-pointer for Duquesne tied it again and Dixon’s basket followed to give Duquesne a 67-65 advantage with 40 seconds left.
Alex Williams converted four consecutive free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
Hall, whom Joyce recently inserted into the starting lineup, missed his first seven field-goal attempts. But he sank two crucial 3-pointers late in the second half.
“He’s 0-for-7 and then steps into two big 3s and knocks them down,” Joyce said. “He’s continuing to play with more confidence. He was a nightmare defensively tonight.”
Ironically, senior Cam Crawford, whom Hall replaced in the Dukes’ starting lineup, returned as a starter in the wake of the team’s current injuries. Two two combined for 11 points, seven steals, five rebounds and three assists.
With six regular-season games remaining, beginning Saturday against George Washington at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, Duquesne is tied with Davidson, two games out of the fourth and final spot for an A-10 Tournament first-round bye.
The A-10’s 50th anniversary tournament will be played March 11-15 on the edge of Duquesne’s campus at PPG Paints Arena.