Aug. 22, 2002

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DUQUESNE, Penn. - Duquesne University's women's basketball head coach Dan Durkin is looking to build on last season's best ever A10 finish as he returns four starters for the 2002-03 season. The Dukes also welcome back their 2001 leading scorer, redshirt senior Khalihah Este-Shehu, who missed last season with a knee injury.

Leading the Red and Blue will be A10 first teamer Beth Friday. The native Pittsburgher enters her final campaign among school leaders in points, rebounds and blocks. Last season, rising junior Candace Futrell emerged as the Dukes leading scorer, and second in the conference, and was named the A10's Most Improved Player. Fellow rising junior Shiri Sharon was named a first team Jewish Sports Review Women's College Basketball All-American for the second year in a row. Nikolina Pender rounds out the returning starters. The rising senior increased her production by over 70 percent last season as she averaged 7.3 points a contest.

The Dukes will mix in four new players with four returning letter winners in the Red and Blue's 2002-03 schedule which includes home games with Big 10, Big East and SEC opponents and features five teams that advanced to postseason play last year.