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PITTSBURGH - La Salle used a 16-3 run with under seven minutes remaining to pull out a come-from-behind win at Duquesne, winning 68-63 to spoil the Dukes' Senior Night. Leeza Burdgess hit a bucket inside with 2:26 remaining, and the squad never relinquished that lead thanks to a 5-for-6 showing at the free throw line in the final minute.

Rookies Micahya Owens and Jasmine Alston led the offensive attack, with both matching their career highs. Owens drained a game-high-tying 23 points and Alston poured in 16, with 11 of those in the second half. Alston went 7-for-9 from the field and dished out four assists. The duo tied for team-high rebounding honors with eight boards apiece.

Alicia Cropper added 13 points and a game-high six assists, including the helper on Burdgess' winning basket, and Burdgess chipped in 12 points total. The win snapped a three-game skid for the Explorers (13-14, 8-7 Atlantic 10), who moved back above .500 in conference play.

Duquesne's Wumi Agunbiade led the home squad with a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds. Raegan Moore added 15 and Olivia Bresnahan chipped in 10 off the bench. After winning eight of their first nine A-10 games, the Dukes (17-11, 9-6 Atlantic 10) dropped their fifth in the last six.

The Explorers found their shooting touch at the Palumbo Center, going 50.9 percent from the field overall including a 55.2 percent outing in the decisive second half. Free throws helped the squad tonight as the Explorers went 11-for-15 at the charity stripe. They held Duquesne to 34.7 percent for the game, which included a 28.2 percent effort in the first half. They also held the Dukes without a three-pointer until the final minute of play, as the Dukes finished 1-for-11 from long range.

With the Dukes holding an eight-point 55-47 lead with 7:02 left, Alston hit back-to-back baskets to draw within 55-51. A La Salle turnover turned into a Belma Nurkic layup and she drained the and-one to put the Dukes back up seven to prompt Head Coach Jeff Williams to call for a timeout.

The well-placed timeout yielded a 12-0 Explorer run to put the Blue & Gold on top 63-58 with 38 seconds left in the game.

Moore responded with the Dukes' only three-pointer just eight seconds later to cut the La Salle lead to two at 63-61. The Dukes were forced to foul Owens on the inbounds, and she sank both ends of the one-and-one to go back up four with 27 seconds remaining.

Bresnahan drove the paint with 22 seconds left to once again get back within two. Cropper was fouled this time on the inbounds and also sank both ends of the one-and-one with 20 seconds left.

Bresnahan picked up an offensive rebound on a missed Moore layup and then missed her own attempted shot, which Owens snagged. One more foul attempt sent Owens back to the line, who made the first of her two free throws for the final 68-63 score. An April Robinson jumper at the buzzer was off the mark.

The game started slow, with the Dukes getting out to a 12-3 lead at 13:54. The Explorers kept the Dukes within single digits for the entire first half, and an Owens jumper before the half cut the Dukes lead to just two (29-27) heading into halftime.

Duquesne opened the second half on a 16-5 run to take its largest lead of the game at 45-34 with 13:45 remaining before the Duke shots went cold once again.

The Explorers edged the Dukes on the boards, 40-38, though the Dukes dominated the offensive glass, 17-8. The Explorers also committed 14 turnovers, nine of which came in a sloppy first half. Duquesne committed just five miscues in the game.

The Explorers wrap up the regular season on Saturday when they host St. Bonaventure at 1 p.m. Burdgess and Jess Koci will be honored in the program's annual Senior Day ceremony, approximately 15 minutes prior to tip.