Pine-Richland grad, Duquesne guard Amanda Kalin posts rare triple-double

After dealing with an injury-shortened freshman season and making measured contributions during her sophomore year, Pine-Richland alum Amanda Kalin finally has emerged as a junior for the Duquesne women’s basketball team.

Kalin’s development into a versatile contributor for the Dukes (13-6, 3-3 Atlantic 10 through Jan. 23) was on display Jan. 11 in a 82-56 victory over La Salle. Kalin solidified her place in Duquesne lore with the fourth triple-double in program history as she amassed 15 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

“When the game started, I wasn’t scoring a lot, but I had a few assists and a couple rebounds right off the bat. Honestly, as the game went on, I didn’t even realize my stats. I just kept playing,” Kalin said. “Then, my coach (Dan Burt) told me that I was one assist short (of the triple-double) with about four minutes left.”

“I thought it’d be really cool to get it, so I told my coach that I wanted to. He left me in a little longer, because he pulled most of the starters by then, so that I could get it, and I really appreciated that.”

The accomplishment punctuates a season in which Kalin has posted impressive numbers. She started the Dukes’ first 18 games and averaged 34.9 minutes, second on the team. She averages 11.2 points with 5.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists. In addition, Kalin, a 5-foot-8 guard, leads the Dukes in blocks (15) and is second in steals (18).

Kalin said she approaches each game with a team-oriented mindset and prides herself in doing what is necessary to help the Dukes win, but she admitted her triple-double proves she is on track to being the type of player she envisioned.

“I liked being able to show that I’m an all-around player. I feel like in high school, a lot of people looked at me like I was just a shooter,” Kalin said. “My freshman year here, I got hurt and didn’t play too much. Last year, my minutes weren’t always consistent.

“Coming into this year, I wanted to feel like I was back to being myself out there. I wanted to get that feeling again that I was contributing in a big way, that I mattered to the team and the program. Now, I just want to do whatever it takes to keep us winning.”