Nov. 20, 2002

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DUQUESNE (0-0) at (#5 AP/#4 ESPN/USA Today) PITTSBURGH (0-0)
Saturday, Nov. 23, 2002 - 7:30 p.m. (EST) - Pittsburgh, Pa.
Petersen Events Center (12,500)

TELEVISION: Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh - John Sanders & Bob Wenzel
RADIO: KQV-AM (1410) - Ray Goss & George Von Benko
INTERNET BROADCAST - www.redzonemedia.com

DUKES AND PANTHERS MEET FOR 71st TIME

Duquesne tips off the 2002-03 season on the road versus nationally ranked Pittsburgh (#5 AP & #4 ESPN/USA Today) on Saturday, November 23 (7:30 p.m. - KQV Radio (1410-AM), Fox Sport Net Pittsburgh TV, www.redzonemedia.com on the internet).

The game, the first at the Panthers' Petersen Events Center, ends a streak of 12 consecutive games played between the two teams at the City of Pittsburgh's neutral Mellon Arena. It marks the first time the cross-town rivals have met on one or the other's home court since a Dec. 18, 1989 matchup at Pitt's Fitzgerald Field House. This is the season-opener for both schools. The only other time Duquesne and Pitt opened their seasons against each other was on Nov. 29, 1995 (an 84-74 Pitt win at the then-Civic Arena).

FOR OPENERS

This is the 87th season of basketball for Duquesne University (1,177-824, .588). The Dukes started play in 1913-14 (DU did not field a team in 1944-45-46 due to World War II). Duquesne has compiled an impressive 74-12 record in season opening games, however nine of the 12 losses have come when the Dukes have opened either on the road or at a neutral site. The last time Duquesne opened a season on an opponent's home court was at Detroit on Nov. 28, 1990 (a 70-68 Dukes win).

FIVE IN TEN

The Dukes will hit the floor running with five games in the span of 10 days to open the 2002-03 season. During the season-opening stretch, the Dukes will play three times on the road including at #4 (ESPN/USA Today)/#5 (AP) Pittsburgh and at #15 (ESPN/USA Today)/#T12 (AP) Maryland. DU's first home game is on Monday, Nov. 25 vs. West Virginia who, like Pitt, is a longtime rival and a member of the Big East Conference. Following the WVU game, DU stays home to face Cleveland State on Nov. 27 before heading to Maryland on the day after Thanksgiving. The Dukes play at Maryland's brand new Comcast Center on Nov. 30, before concluding the 5-in-10 at George Mason on Dec. 1.

DUQUESNE LATELY

• The Dukes completed their exhibition season with a 99-86 win over Team Nike on Nov. 9
• DU won its exhibition opener, vs. Latvia-Select on Nov. 3 by a 109-94 count
• starters Kevin Forney (one-game suspension) and Jimmy Tricco (back spasms) missed the Latvia game. They both played against Team Nike
• Newcomers Elijah Palmer (20.5 ppg., 11.0 rpg.) and Ron Dokes (18.5 ppg., 13.0 rpg.) were the leading scorers and rebounders during the exhibition season
• Three Dukes will be making their first career starts vs. Pitt: Palmer, Dokes and Jimmy Tricco.

DUKES AND PANTHERS

This is the 71st meeting between Duquesne and Pitt in a series that dates back to Jan. 13, 1932. Pitt holds a 39-31 edge overall. In games played on Pitt's campus, the Panthers hold a 19-16 edge (Pitt led 14-7 in games played at Fitzgerald Field House, while DU enjoyed a 9-5 advantage in games at Pitt Pavilion).

2002-03 marks the 33rd consecutive season the two teams have met. The last time Duquesne and Pitt did not play was during the 1969-70 season. DU snapped an eight-game Pitt win streak with an 80-69 win on Feb. 5, 1998. The Dukes have won two of the last five meetings.

STARTING EARLY

This is the earliest the Pitt/Duquesne game has been played in the 70-game history of the series. The previous earliest matchup was on Nov. 29, 1995 (an 84-74 Pitt win at the Civic Arena). The only other time the two have met in November was on Nov. 30, 1982 (a 62-53 Pitt win also at the Civic Arena).

BIG MEN ON CAMPUS

This is the first time Pitt and Duquesne have met at an on-campus arena since Dec. 18, 1989 at Fitzgerald Field House (a 92-87 Pitt win). Next year the two will meet at DU's Palumbo Center for just the second time. Duquesne won the only other Palumbo meeting on Dec. 19, 1988 by an 80-76 count.

POLL POSITION

The Dukes and Panthers have met a total of five times with either team holding a ranking in the Associated Press poll. On all five occasions the ranked team won by at least 19 points:

DANNY NEE VS. PITTSBURGH

This is Danny Nee's fourth game against the University of Pittsburgh - with all four meetings coming in the last four seasons with Nee at the helm of three different teams. On Dec. 11, 1999, Nee's Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated Ben Howland's Panthers 69-57 at Lincoln. Two year's ago (Dec. 28, 2000), Nee's Robert Morris Colonials dropped a 77-55 decision to Pitt at Fitzgerald Field House. Last year Nee's Duquesne Dukes dropped a 78-63 decision at Mellon Arena.

VERSUS AP RANKED TEAMS

No. 5 (AP) Pittsburgh is the first ranked team the Dukes have faced since a 90-70 loss to #23 (AP) Saint Joseph's on Feb. 25, 2001 at the Palumbo Center. Duquesne University is 10-47 on the road vs. AP ranked teams since the advent of the poll in 1948-49. Duquesne's last win over a ranked team came on Jan. 25, 1997 when the Dukes defeated No. 16 Xavier 78-70 at Cinicnnati Gardens (a span of nine games). DU's last win over a Top 10 team was on Dec. 15, 1992 vs. Florida State 91-84 at the Palumbo Center. You have to go all the way back to Mar. 5, 1962 to find Duquesne's last win over a Top 10 team on the road (73-72 at #6 Bradley ... a span of 16 games).

IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION

Duquesne is 146-158 (.480) in non-conference play since 1976-77 as members of the Eastern 8/Atlantic 10 and Midwestern Collegiate Conference (1992-93 season only). The Dukes posted a winning record in non-conference play four times in the 1990s (6-4 in 1996, 8-4 in 1994, 7-5 in 1993 and 7-4 in 1992). The Dukes went 5-6 in non-conference play in 2001-02.

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY TENTATIVE STARTERS AT PITTSBURGH

Note: 6-9 junior Jon Pawlak, who played in all of Duquesne's 28 games last season averaging 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds, plans to redshirt this season.