Stoic WPIAL grad Amanda Kalin enjoys moment in the sun at Duquesne
By Amanda Kalin’s standards, it was an emotional outburst.
I mean, the normally stoic Duquesne guard jumped up and down.
Twice!
On a buzzer-beating drive to the hoop against St. Francis on Wednesday, Kalin’s shot was batted right back into her hands. Undaunted, Kalin forced a second opportunity over 6-foot-4 center Katie Dettwiller, and the ball floated through the net to beat St. Francis at the horn, 69-67.
Usually reserved, the Pine-Richland graduate allowed herself to be at the center of a celebration on the court, as she was mobbed by her teammates.
I didn’t say she liked it. I just said Kalin let it happen.
“Everybody stormed me. And I just wanted everybody off me,” Kalin said with a laugh.
Dukes coach Dan Burt also chuckled as he recalled the scene and the spontaneous celebration surrounding Kalin’s game-winner.
“I’ve never coached anyone who shows such little emotion,” Burt said. “She’s not someone who is prone to outbursts of positivity. Or negativity. She’s just a really quiet, inward individual.”
That said, Kalin did admit it was fun to see her highlight crack ESPN’s Top 10 plays that night.
Checking in at No. 3 on @SportsCenter Top 10...
Watching this on repeat all day @AmandaKalin x #SCTop10#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/c4lRqnV4Tj
— Duquesne Women's Basketball (@DuqWBB) December 3, 2020
“I enjoyed watching everybody’s reaction,” Kalin said. “Normally, I don’t have any reaction. But I had a little ounce of excitement in me. Which is not like me.”
Pfft! Not that she bothered staying up to watch it or anything.
“I think (Director of Basketball Operations) Melissa (Franko) mentioned that it might be on there,” Kalin recalled. “And I think SportsCenter was airing at 12 a.m. But I was really tired, and I went to bed. But I saw it the next morning. That was cool.”
Kalin’s business-like demeanor has served her well at Duquesne. She started all 31 games as a junior last year. Despite being a guard, the Gibsonia product led the team in blocked shots with 29. She was also second in minutes per game (34.0), field goal percentage (47.0%) and assists (115) and third in scoring (10.2 points per game), rebounds (150) and steals (26).
Now with starting point guard Libby Bazelak sidelined with an injury, Kalin is helping by absorbing some of those duties.
“We’ve had to adapt without her,” Kalin said. “Spacing in transition. Working new people into the mix. But we are figuring things out as we go.
“I’m not a true point guard. But I have stepped in here and there and kind of run it …When the game comes down to it, I wanna be that person who wants to step in and make everybody else more comfortable.”
After a 35-point season-opening loss to 20th-ranked Ohio State (82-47), the victory over St. Francis was much needed for the Dukes as they enter conference play. The Atlantic 10 slate begins Friday with a home game against St. Bonaventure. That’s a team the Dukes beat twice last year by 19 points and 23 points.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
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