SIUE men’s basketball couldn’t overcome a cold shooting night, falling on the road to No. 2 Duke, 90-47, on Friday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
SIUE made just 30% of its shots (17 of 56) and lost its third consecutive road game, dropping to 2-3 overall. Duke improved to 3-1.
The Cougars shot 31% (8 of 26) in the first half and missed all seven 3-point attempts. They trailed 43-20 at halftime.
Jayden Riley came off the bench and made SIUE’s first 3-pointer with 16:13 remaining. The Cougars finished 3 of 22 (14%) from 3-point range.
SIUE opened the second half much stronger, making seven of its first 14 shots. The Cougars then made just two of their final 16 shots.
No SIUE player scored in double figures. Gianni Cobb led the Cougars with nine points, and Jordan Pickett scored eight. Brennan Miller grabbed a career-high nine rebounds to go with four points. Dehrio McCaskill had a career-high seven rebounds and scored three points.
Six Duke players scored in double figures, led by Patrick Ngongba, who had 13 points and nine rebounds. Dame Sarr and Caleb Foster each scored 12 points.
Cayden Boozer finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Sebastian Wilkins each added 11 points.
The Blue Devils shot 46% (30 of 68) for the game, including 48% in the second half. They outrebounded the Cougars 51-33.
SIUE committed 19 turnovers, leading to 20 Duke points. The Cougars finished with four assists.
The Cougars will conclude their four-game road stretch Monday at North Dakota. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.