Nov. 22, 2003
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Dukes (1-0, 0-0) vs. Robert Morris (0-1, 0-0)
Sunday, Nov. 23 - 2:00 pm
Pittsburgh, Pa. - A.J. Palumbo Center
Game broadcast over the internet at
RedZoneMedia.comDuquesne Probable Starters| No. | NAME | YR | POS | HT | PPG | RPG |
| 10 | Shiri Sharon | JR | G | 5-7 | 6.0 | 3.0 apg |
| 21 | Candace Futrell | JR | G | 5-10 | 15.0 | 5.0 |
| 5 | Aiga Bautre | FR | G | 5-11 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| 52 | Erin Wehrle | SO | C | 6-2 | 6.0 | 2.0 |
| 34 | Nicole Sinclair | FR | F | 6-0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
Robert Morris Probable Starters| No. | NAME | YR | POS | HT | PPG | RPG |
| 10 | Amie Harris | SO | G/F | 5-9 | 20.0 | 3.0 |
| 15 | DeAnna Chestnut | SO | G | 5-0 | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| 32 | Brittany Warren | FR | G | 5-9 | 18.0 | 4.0 |
| 42 | Valerie Jacobs | JR | C | 6-2 | 7.0 | 8.0 |
| 24 | Arlene Mull | FR | F | 6-1 | 9.0 | 3.0 |
About the Dukes
DU began the season on Friday with a 61-52 victory at Lehigh and open the home slate this afternoon vs. Robert Morris. The Red & Blue return three starters from last year led by All-America candidate Candace Futrell and All-Conference prospect Shiri Sharon.
About the Colonials
A new era of Robert Morris basketball began this past Friday as the Colonials hosted Navy under first-year head coach Sal Buscaglia. RMU suffered a 58-68 defeat, but had two solid scoring performances from Amie Harris with 20 points and Brittany Warren with 18 markers. The Colonials return four starters from last year's disappointing 1-26 season led by Meghan Jent (8.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Missy Spangler (8.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg). RMU played one exhibition contest vs. the Pittsburgh Lady Legends and fell 60-63. Amie Harrison led RMU in that contest with 24 points.
The Series
Duquesne holds a 22-10 lead in the all-time series with Robert Morris which dates back to the 1976-77 season. The Dukes have won the seven of the past 10 meetings. Duquesne took a 75-58 victory in Moon Twp. last season. Duquesne is 13-2 when hosting the Colonials. Head Coach Dan Durkin boasts a 6-2 all-time record when facing Robert Morris.
Last Game
The Dukes opened the 2003-04 slate this past Friday at Lehigh and took a 61-52 come-from behind victory. Down 21-28 at the half, the Dukes out-scored the Mountain Hawks 40-24 in the second frame to take the win. Candace Futrell posted all 15 of her points in the second half to lead DU followed by 12-point performances from freshman Loui Hall and sophomore transfer Ashley Reed. The Dukes used a 17-2 run to snag a 43-38 edge with 9:10 ticking, but the contest would get knotted at 48-48 before the Red & Blue closed out the period out-scoring Lehigh 11- 2 to end the contest. Shiri Sharon led the game with five steals and added a teambest three assists while Hall led DU with six rebounds.
Pre-Season Atlantic 10 Picks
Duquesne was picked to finish fourth in the West Division of the Atlantic 10 in the 2003-04 Atlantic 10 Pre-Season Coaches and Media Poll. The Dukes finished in a tie for fourth in the West last year with a 15-14 overall mark and a 7-9 A-10 record. Two Dukes have been named to the 2003-04 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Pre-Season honors. Senior Candace Futrell (Altoona, Pa./ Altoona) has been named a first team pre-season selection while freshman Loui Hall (Masontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) has been chosen as a pre-season All-Rookie pick. Duquesne finished the 2003 campaign tied for fourth in the West Division of the Atlantic 10.
The Coaches
Dan Durkin is in his 11th year at Duquesne and as a head coach. He is 1-0 this season and 131-149 overall over his tenure. Sal Buscaglia enters his first season at Robert Morris and the 14th on his career. He is 0-1 after Friday's season opener loss and posts a 238-130 mark in 14 seasons as a head coach.
Pre-Season Atlantic 10 Picks ... Duquesne was picked to finish fourth in the West Division of the Atlantic 10 in the 2003-04 Atlantic 10 Pre-Season Coaches and Media Poll. The Dukes finished in a tie for fourth in the West last year with a 15-14 overall mark and a 7-9 A-10 record. Two Dukes have been named to the 2003-04 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Pre-Season honors. Senior Candace Futrell (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) has been named a first team pre-season selection while freshman Loui Hall (Masontown, Pa./ Albert Gallatin) has been chosen as a pre-season All-Rookie pick. Duquesne finished the 2003 campaign tied for fourth in the West Division of the Atlantic 10. The Last Time They Met ... Duquesne captured its 22nd victory over Robert Morris with its 75-58 margin in Moon last season. Aiga Bautre led the Dukes with 17 points while Beth Friday grabbed 15 boards. Both teams shot well from behind the arc with the Colonials netting 13-of-32 and the Dukes hitting 11-of-20. Duquesne held the rebounding edge 44-31 and dished out 25 assists to Robert Morris' 11. Comparatively Speaking ... Here is how Duquesne and Robert Morris compare statistically
| 2004 | GP | FGM | FGA | PCT | RBS | AST | BLK | ST | PPG |
| DU | 1 | 22 | 61 | .361 | 34 | 11 | 3 | 13 | 61.0 |
| RMU | 1 | 20 | 47 | .426 | 32 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 58.8 |
In the Season Opener
The Red & Blue upped their record to 14-15 overall mark in the season opener. They have now won eight of the past nine openers after last year's 48-88 loss to visiting Ohio State. Prior to that, Duquesne's last loss was during the 1994-95 slate when they suffered an 82-59 fall to #21 ranked Western Kentucky in the Bowling Green Bank Classic. Coach Durkin is 8-3 all-time at Duquesne in the season opener.
The Schedule
A total of seven post-season teams dot the 2003- 04 schedule with NCAA tournament teams Vanderbilt, George Washington and Xavier as well as WNIT participants Siena, Toledo, Saint Joseph's and Richmond. Duquesne will host four of these teams - Siena, GW, Xavier and Richmond. The schedule tipped-off Friday at Lehigh. The Dukes then take to the road again to face Toledo Nov. 25 before heading to the West Coast for the University of San Francisco Tournament Nov. 28-29 with Kentucky, Davidson and the host Dons. In all, the Red & Blue will face five opponents over a nine-day stretch to start the season. Duquesne heads to Pitt Dec. 3 before traveling to Nashville to meet Vandy, which advanced to the second round of the 2003 NCAA tournament, on Dec. 6. A trip to James Madison Dec. 30 concludes the year after a break for finals. Other teams visiting the Palumbo Center are West Virginia, Siena and Cornell. Siena ended the 2003 season 25-8 overall and advanced to the second round of the WNIT. Game times and the Atlantic 10 schedule will be announced this fall.
Facing Tough Competition
The Dukes ended the 2003 season 15-14 overall. Five of those falls came at the hands of teams ranked or receiving votes in the Associated Press or ESPN/USAToday Top 25 polls. The teams which defeated Duquesne post a combined mark of 203-128 for a .613 winning percentage. Non-conference opponents were 80-43 (.650) while the A-10 teams boasted a 123-85 (.591) combined record.
Next Game
Duquesne travels to Toledo this Tuesday, Nov. 25, for a 7:00 pm tip-off. It will be the Dukes' third game over a five-day span.
