Junior 6-foot-8 forward Joe Alexander led the Big East squad with a career best 26 points. Da'Sean Butler added 18, Alex Ruoff 15 and John Flowers 13 points. Wellington Smith had a game-best nine rebounds with Alexander and Alex Ruoff each dishing out five assists.
Junior Shawn James paced the Dukes with 18 points, five rebounds and one block. Reggie Jackson, who uncharacteristically missed six of 11 free throws, added 13 with Bill Clark sinking 11 points. Aaron Jackson had a team-best four assists.
Freshman forward Damian Saunders also pulled down a handful (5) of boards prior to leaving the game late in the second half with an ankle injury.
Clark's pair of free throws gave DU its first, and only, lead at 11-10. These shots were awarded after Jamie Smalligan's intentional foul and ejection just under three minutes into the game.
The Mountaineers responded with 8-0 and 6-0 runs to take a 25-13 edge 5 1/2 minutes later. The Dukes got within three, at 29-26 at 6:42, only to see the hosts close the period with a 19-11 run for a 48-37 halftime lead.
The Red and Blue were unable to cut into that deficit in the second half. WVU extended the margin to as many as 25 points, 80-55, with just over seven minutes remaining.
Duquesne, which was outrebounded 38-24 and outshot 56 to 41 percent, has a couple weeks off (for finals) before hosting Saint Francis (PA) on Friday, December 21, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. in the first of three games at the Palumbo Center.