Feb. 14, 2003

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DUKES AT FORDHAM

Duquesne (7-16, 1-9), who has been idle since Feb. 8, takes the court for the first time in a week at Fordham (2-19, 1-9) at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15 (KQV-AM 1410 radio & internet broadcast at www.redzonemedia.com). The Dukes will be looking to end an eight-game losing streak against a Fordham team that has dropped nine in a row. Fordham, like Duquesne, has been off since last Saturday.

The Rams are 1-11 at home this season including a 1-4 mark in home Atlantic 10 games. FU, who has been outscored by an average of 13.8 ppg., is has cut that number to -6.6 ppg. in home conference games. The Rams are led by 6-8 junior swingman Michael Haynes (15.0, 8.0). Haynes has led Fordham in scoring in five of the last six games.

Sixth man Kevin Forney leads Duquesne in scoring at 13.0 ppg. Forney, who enters the Fordham game needing four points to reach the 1,000-point mark, is averaging 14.9 ppg. in Atlantic 10 games. He is shooting 56.7% from the field, 50.0% (13-26) from the 3-point arc and 89.5% (34-38) from the foul line in conference play.

DUKES vs. RAMS

Duquesne leads the series 10-6 ... in Atlantic 10 regular-season play, Fordham holds a 4-3 edge ... in games played at New York the all-time series is tied 3-3 ... Duquesne snapped a three-game Fordham series win streak with a 95-66 win at the Palumbo Center last year ... the home team has won six of the seven A-10 meetings between the two ... FU broke the skein with an 89-88 win at Pittsburgh in 2000 ... DU's last win at Rose Hill Gym was on Mar. 4, 1961 (a span of three games) ... a deceptive stat considering the Dukes and Rams met just once - in the 1968 NIT - between 1961 and Fordham's addition to the A-10 in 1995-96 .. the DU/FU series dates back to Dec. 22, 1949.

DUQUESNE LATELY

DU had arguably the toughest league-opening schedule of any Atlantic 10 school ... in the month of January, the Dukes faced the six A-10 schools that made post-season appearances last year a total of seven times ... as a team, the Dukes are converting at 38.0% from the 3-point arc ... the mark is on pace to be the best in school history (the current mark of 37.5% was set in 1989-90) ... Jimmy Tricco led four Dukes in double figures with a career-high 23 points in last Saturday's 82-74 loss to La Salle ... Tricco, who has hit five or more 3-pointers in a game five times this season, was 7-13 from the arc vs. the Explorers ... his seven treys were the most by a Duke since Tom Pipkins went 7-12 vs. St. Bonaventure on 3/1/97 ... freshman PG Bryant McAllister posted five assists and five steals vs. La Salle.

HIGH SCORING AFFAIRS

The average score of Duquesne's seven A-10 matchups with Fordham has been an unusually high 79.1-75.9 in DU's favor. The Dukes, who have outscored the Rams 554-531 in the seven games, have topped 80 points five times (see series history below):

"BUZZ" WORTHY

Since moving from point guard to the shooting guard spot prior to the San Juan Shootout, senior guard Kevin "Buzzy" Forney has been a much more effective player at the offensive end. As a two-guard, Forney is averaging 4.8 more points per game and has seen his shooting percentage increase dramatically:

Forney enters the Fordham game with 996 career points. He needs four to become Duquesne's 29th 1,000-point scorer and tie DU All-American Chuck Cooper (1947-50).

DUQUESNE 1,000-POINT CLUB

FORNEY: A CLOSER LOOK

* Freshman 5
Sophomore 11
Junior 22
Senior 19

Career High (three times): 22 at Dayton, at St. Joe's (Sr.) & vs. Central Florida (Soph.)

JIMMY "THREE"CO

Tricco's Troops, a student fan group that locates itself in the first row behind the scorer's table at Duquesne home games, got a workout when the Dukes took on La Salle on Feb. 8. The Troops, who dutifully hang a number "3" along the railing every time Tricco converts from the 3-point arc, nearly ran out of digits when Tricco went 7-of-13 from long distance vs. the Explorers. Tricco, who has hit five or more 3-pointers in a game five times this season, hit five in the second half of the Dukes' 82-74 loss. The first-year Gonzaga transfer, who scored a career-high 23 for the game, is 61-139 from the arc this season. In hitting seven "three's" vs. La Salle, Tricco became the first Duke to hit more than six since Tom Pipkins went 7-12 vs. St. Bonaventure on March 1, 1997 - a span of 167 games. Tricco's 43.9 shooting percentage from 3-point land currently ranks second on DU's all-time single-season list behind Courtney Wallace, who converted 44.1 percent of his 3-point attempts in 2000-01.

DUQUESNE QUICK NOTES

Senior guard Kevin Forney leads the team with a 13.0 ppg. scoring average and 19 double-digit scoring games ... Forney, who leads the team with 56 career starts, has come off the bench in 11 of DU's last 13 games ... started at Saint Joseph's and responded by tying his career high with 22 points vs. the Hawks (7-of-11 from the field) in his hometown, also started at Xavier ... scored 13 of his career high-tying 22 in the second half at Dayton (9-of-12 from the field) ... is averaging 14.9 ppg. and shooting 56.7% from the field (13-of-26 from the arc) and 89.5% (34-of-38) from the foul line in league play ... in a three-way tie for second on the team with 22 steals (with Midgley & McAllister) ... 6-8 guard Jimmy Tricco, a first-year transfer from Gonzaga, has reached the 20-point mark three times with 23 vs. La Salle 20 at both George Mason and (all in the second half) at Dayton ... his career scoring high entering the season was 13 set at Boise State during his sophomore season at Gonzaga ... the Phoenix native has hit five three-pointers in a game five times this season (5-10 vs. Cleveland State, 6-8 at George Mason, 6-8 at Dayton, 5-11 vs. St. Bonaventure & 7-13 vs. La Salle) ... Tricco's seven three-pointers vs. La Salle were the most by a DU player since Tom Pipkins hit 7-of-12 from long range vs. St. Bonaventure on Mar. 1, 1997 (a span of 167 games) ... hit all six of his "3s" in the second half at Dayton ... his 20 second-half points vs. the Flyers keyed a 20-point DU comeback ... scored 15 of those points in a 5:34 span as the Dukes rallied from a 52-32 deficit to take a 72-71 lead with a minute left ... shot 34.8% (8-of-23) from the experimental 20'6" 3-point arc at San Juan ... 139 of his 196 field goal attempts (70.9%) have come from beyond the 3-point arc ... is shooting 49.2% (29-59) from the arc in A-10 play ... his put-back of his own miss with 2.5 seconds left in regulation forced overtime in DU's 71-68 win over Florida International in the championship game of the FIU New Year's Classic ... Tricco leads the team with 23 steals and ranks second on the team with 53 assists ... JC transfer Ron Dokes' 29 points vs. West Virginia on Nov. 25 were the most by a Duquesne big man since Derrick Alston scored 30 vs. Detroit Mercy in the first round of the 1993 MCC Tournament ... the 6-10 Alston was taken in the second round (33rd overall) of the 1994 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and played three seasons for the Sixers and Atlanta Hawks ... Alston is currently playing professionally in Spain ... Dokes, 6-9, hit 8-of-11 shots from the field (including four dunks) and 13-of-18 from the line vs. the Mountaineers ... Dokes added 21 more vs. Mount St. Mary's on Dec. 7 ... he also hit 7-of-10 from the field in scoring 16 at Xavier ... entering the season, Duquesne had just one player on its roster with a 20-point game in Division I play (Kevin Forney) ... the South Bend, Ind. native earned a spot on the FIU New Year's Classic All-Tournament team with 26 points and 13 rebounds (including 11 boards vs. St. Francis, N.Y.) in the two games ... Dokes has struggled as of late, going 2-16 from the field in DU's last two games ... in his last four outings, he is averaging 5.0 ppg. (7-31, 22.6% from the field) ... JC transfer Elijah Palmer leads the team with a 5.5 rebound per game average ... his 49 offensive boards and 28 blocked shots are also a team best ... exploded for 35 points and 18 rebounds in earning MVP at the FIU New Year's Classic ... posted a double-double (18-10) vs. St. Francis, N.Y. and followed that with 17 points and 8 boards vs. Florida International ... added 16 more vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore and a career-high 20 (8-of-13 including four dunks) vs. Temple ... hit 6-of-9 from the field with three dunks in scoring 15 vs. Dayton at home ... was 1-of-11 from the arc before hitting 3-of-3 three-pointers vs. FIU ... has made nine of his last 24 three-point attempts ... his lone double-digit outing prior to the FIU Classic (first nine games) was 13 vs. West Virginia ... Palmer's scoring average stood at 5.2 ppg. on Dec. 22 ... is averaging 10.0 ppg. in league play ... shot 38.5 percent (10-26) from the foul line in non-conference play ... has rallied to convert 68.4 percent (26-38) of free throws in A-10 action ... sophomore power forward Simplice Njoya posted his second career double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds vs. Sacred Heart in the first game of the San Juan Shootout, and followed that with back-to-back scoreless outings vs. Troy State and Denver (0-of-9 in the two games) and four points vs. St. Francis, NY... bounced back with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting at Florida International and a career high-tying 17 points (5-of-9) vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore ... also added a career high four steals vs. the Fighting Hawks ... attempted a career-high 10 free throws (made six) in scoring 13 vs. Dayton on Feb. 5 ... is shooting 30.8% from the field in league play ... the 6-10 Cameroon native has been plagued by foul trouble throughout the season ... although he has fouled out just twice, Njoya has finished 11 other games with four fouls ... freshman point guard Bryant McAllister moved into the starting lineup prior to the San Juan Shootout (Dec. 20-22) and scored in double digits in his first four games as a starter ... cooled off with just nine points in three games before bouncing back to score 11 and add a team-high 5 assists vs. Temple ... handed out a season high seven assists (with two turnovers) at Dayton and scored 10 of his 12 vs. Richmond in the second half ... did not commit a turnover in 28 minutes at Xavier ... tied his career high with 19 (6-8 from field) at home vs. Dayton... added five assists and five steals vs. La Salle ... leads team with 57 assists, and has led the team in assists in a game a team-high 10 times ... has 36 assists and 31 turnovers in A-10 play ... was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week for the week of Dec. 14-21 after averaging 15.3 ppg. in three games ... posted his first 19-point game vs. Troy State in the San Juan Shootoug ... is 5-of-20 from the 3-point arc in A-10 play ... senior swingman Brad Midgley has come off the bench to be a major contributor for the Dukes ... the 6-5 Pittsburgh native is fourth on the team in assists (36) and is tied for second on the team with 22 steals in just over 21 minutes per game ... has started four times and scored in double digits five times with a high of 13 off the bench both at Pitt and vs. Cleveland State ... added 11 points vs. Dayton at home and followed that with an A-10 high 12 vs. La Salle ... also blocked a career high four shots vs. the Explorers.

GW NEXT

The Dukes return home to face George Washington on Wed., Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Duquesne will be looking to avenge a 68-58 loss at GW on Feb. 1.