After lackluster results against Purdue Fort Wayne and non-DI Central State to open the season, Duquesne Basketball faced its toughest test to date, facing Washington State at home. While favored on paper, the Dukes were still without lead guard Tarence Guinyard (eligibility) and the rest of the roster is still working things out.
The Cougars made a late run to go up nine points at the half and led by as many as 11 points in the second half. But the Dukes made a late game comeback to stay within range, before a game-winning three-point play by Kerem Konan allowed them to pull off the 72-71 win in regulation to move to 3-0 on the season. With plenty of ups and downs throughout, here are some key takeaways from the game.
KK CALLED GAME. pic.twitter.com/VzPXjHlZHg
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) November 11, 2026
1. Team defense comes through late
Duquesne’s defense has had some ups and downs, especially at the three-point line. They allowed 11/25 from deep to the Cougars, now ranking 360th in the nation with 45% allowed through three games. However, the team came together at the end, allowing just nine points in the final 8:50 of the game, along with forcing several turnovers to create fastbreak opportunities. The Dukes have been good on that end in just about everything but the three-point line; if they can fix that, they’ll be in good shape.
2. Konan’s facilitating helping lift the offense
Duquesne’s halfcourt offense was a struggle in the first half, including 10 turnovers. But one interesting development that emerged was Kerem Konan running the offense from the post, passing out of double teams and ending up with a career-high nine assists. That helped the guards, who were cutting well for those looks and kept Duquesne in it just enough to make its last push. With Yoav Berman (10 points) also running point, the Dukes look to be comfortable running the offense through its forwards more than the guards at this rate.
3. Arness Lawson breakout on the perimeter
With Tarence Guinyard still out, the guard rotation has included several faces, effectively splitting minutes. But the one guy who has emerged is redshirt sophomore Lawson, playing 29 minutes and scoring 10 points, including a couple of fastbreak baskets late to help give them the win. He’s turned into the team’s best overall defender and an elite athlete that’s caused havoc on the court. While the offense continues to develop, Lawson has quickly turned into a key rotation piece for the program.
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