B.J. Monteiro has big hand in Duquesne's 80-69 win over UMass
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Duquesne's Sean Johnson is fouled on his way to the basket by Massachusetts' Maxie Esho Wednesday. -
Duquesne's B.J. Monteiro soars in for two of his game-high 23 points Wednesday at Palumbo Center in the Dukes' Atlantic 10 win against Massachusetts. -
Duquesne's Eric Evans, left, works his way past Terrell Vinson of Massachusetts.
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With 30 stitches in his hand and a nice view from the bench a couple weeks ago, it suddenly hit Duquesne senior B.J. Monteiro.
"This is my last go-round," said Monteiro, who missed three games after getting hit with a bottle in a New Year's Eve incident on the South Side. "From here on out, I've just got to go pedal to the metal and I try to tell my teammates to do the same thing."
In his first start and second appearance since, Monteiro led all scorers with 23 points as Duquesne beat Massachusetts, 80-69, in an Atlantic 10 Conference game Wednesday night at Palumbo Center.
Monteiro, who played with his left hand wrapped, was an emotional catalyst for the Dukes (12-7, 3-2).
"B.J. just stayed with it and kept fighting," Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said. "He was the guy at the timeout, you could tell he was the senior."
By his own admission, Monteiro struggled Saturday in Duquesne's victory at Rhode Island, his first action since the injury. That made him all the more motivated to perform well Wednesday.
In addition to his scoring, he had four assists, three blocks and a steal.
Sean Johnson added 20 points and recorded his first career double-double. He also made a career-high four 3-pointers, including three in the first half to help the Dukes keep pace early.
Duquesne's defense was not always sharp, but it was effective against the league's highest-scoring team. The Dukes forced 29 turnovers and limited Massachusetts' top scorer, Chaz Williams, to eight points, tied for his season low.
"We knew they only had like one ball handler," Johnson said. "We were really pressuring them well to force turnovers."
Williams played most of the second half with four fouls before fouling out.
The Dukes were undersized and opted to go smaller so they could counter the Minutemen's size with speed. Duquesne took command early in the second half.
The Dukes led the Minutemen, 41-38, at the end of a frantic first half.
After the Dukes scored the first basket of the second half to take a five-point lead, the Minutemen (14-5, 3-2) went on an 8-0 run to match their largest lead.
Then, the Dukes surged ahead with a 13-2 run that built a lead they never relinquished. Johnson scored six points in the run and Monteiro added five.
But Johnson credited guards Mike Talley and Eric Evans for sparking the run with their defense against Williams, forcing turnovers and creating easy scoring opportunities.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring seven ties and 13 lead changes. Neither team led by more than four points.
Massachusetts, playing with a considerable size advantage, pushed the pace at nearly every opportunity. Williams was the fastest player on the court, and his ability to drive the lane kept the Dukes defense scrambling. The Minutemen shot 53.1 percent from the field in the first half.
But the up-tempo offense had its drawbacks -- Massachussetts committed 15 first-half turnovers, allowing Duquesne to stay close despite shooting 39.9 percent from the field. The Minutemen also got into early foul trouble. Five players, including four starters, picked up two first-half fouls.
First Published January 19, 2012 12:00 am
