Feb. 26, 2003

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TELEVISION: Fox Sports Net with Jeff Piecoro & Steve Wolf
DUQUESNE RADIO: KQV-AM (1410) with Ray Goss & George Von Benko
INTERNET BROADCAST: www.redzonemedia.com

DUKES HOST LEAGUE-LEADING XAVIER

Duquesne (9-17, 3-10) returns home to meet Atlantic 10 West Division leading Xavier tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 26. The game, which will be televised by Fox Sports Net, will tip at 9:00 p.m. (KQV-AM 1410 radio & internet broadcast at www.redzonemedia.com). The Musketeers, who are currently ranked No. 13 by both the Associated Press and ESPN /USA Today, are the first ranked team to appear at the Palumbo Center since #23 (AP) Saint Joseph's paid a visit to Pittsburgh on Feb. 25, 2001.

Duquesne, who is 5-6 at home this year (2-4 in A-10 play), saw a two-game winning streak snapped at Massachusetts on Sunday (70-55). Sixth man Kevin Forney leads Duquesne in scoring at 13.5 ppg. Guard Jimmy Tricco (10.7 ppg.) and 6-9 center Ron Dokes (10.1 ppg.) are also averaging in double digits for DU.

Xavier (20-4, 11-1), winner of 11 in a row, took over sole possession of first place in the West with a 73-72 win at Dayton on Saturday. Xavier is led by the inside-outside duo of David West and Romain Sato. The 6-9 West, a national player of the year candidate, is averaging 20.3 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. The 6-5 Sato is averaging 18.1 ppg. with 63 3-pointers.

THE SERIES

Xavier leads the overall series 20-13. In games played at Pittsburgh, Xavier leads 8-7 while in Atlantic 10 regular season play, XU leads 12-2.

Last year, Xavier defeated Duquesne 79-65 at the Cintas Center and 80-66 at Pittsburgh. Earlier this season, XU defeated DU 93-58 at Cincinnati.

Xavier has won the last five meetings, with DU's last win coming Jan. 15, 2000 at the Palumbo Center (85-78). Duquesne's last win over a ranked team came on Jan. 25, 1997 when the Dukes defeated No. 16 (AP) Xavier 78-70 at Cincinnati Gardens. Duquesne is 2-3 all-time vs. AP ranked Xavier teams.

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY TENTATIVE STARTERS

OFF THE BENCH

DUQUESNE LATELY

• As a team, the Dukes are converting at a 37.6% clip from the 3-point arc; this mark is on pace to be the best in school history (the current record of 37.5% was set in 1989-90).
• Four different DU players are shooting better than 40% from the arc: Jimmy Tricco (66-149, 44.3%), Kevin Forney (28-62, 45.2%), Brad Midgley (13-31, 41.9%) and Simplice Njoya (9-22, 40.9%).
• Junior forward Elijah Palmer is shooting 50.0% from the field and averaging 11.9 ppg. in 10 home games (as opposed to 35.4%, 7.4 ppg. in 11 games on the road).
• DU is averaging +10.7 points per game in home games (71.5-to-60.8).
• The Dukes are 6-2 this season when holding opponents under 70 points.
• Duquesne is 6-7 in the month of February under head coach Danny Nee.

• XAVIER

  No. 13 (AP) Xavier is the third ranked opponent for the Dukes this season. In the season opener on Nov. 23, No. 5 (AP) Pittsburgh handed the Dukes an 82-67 defeat in the first game ever at the Panthers' Petersen Events Center, and on Nov. 30, No. 11 (AP) Maryland defeated DU 89-39 at the Terps' new Comcast Center.

  Duquesne University is 24-29 at home 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 11 games against ranked teams). Duquesne is 2-3 all-time vs. ranked Xavier teams. In all five meetings, DU was unranked at the time of the game.

• DUQUESNE VS. AP RANKED XAVIER TEAMS

  Mar. 6, 1993	Home	Win	Duquesne 88	#18 Xavier 72
  Mar. 12, 1993	*Nuetral	Loss	#22 Xavier 67	Duquesne 41
  Jan. 25, 1997	Away	Win	Duquesne 78	#16 Xavier 70
  Feb. 20, 1997	Home	Loss	#16 Xavier 82	Duquesne 74
  Jan. 27, 1998	Away	Loss	#24 Xavier 93	Duquesne 71

  * - MCC Tournament at Indianapolis, Ind.

  Average score: Xavier 76.8, Duquesne 70.4

• AT THE PALUMBO CENTER

  DU is 2-8 vs. AP ranked teams at the Palumbo Center (since 1988-89). The Dukes' last win over a ranked team at home was on March 6, 1993 over No. 18 Xavier 88-72 (a span of eight games vs. ranked opponents).

• DUQUESNE ALL-TIME AP RANKED TEAMS

  ALL GAMES	44-96	(.314)
  Home	24-29	(.453)
  Road	10-49	(.169)
  Neutral	10-18	(.357)

  VS. TOP 10 TEAMS	22-48	(.314)
  Home	11-14	(.440)
  Road	4-23	(.147)
  Neutral	7-11	(.389)

  LAST WIN OVER RANKED TEAM	(Jan. 25, 1997 at #16 Xavier)
  HOME	Mar. 6, 1993 vs. #18 Xavier	88-72
  ROAD	Jan. 25, 1997 at #16 Xavier	78-70
  NEUTRAL	Mar. 15, 1969 vs. #8 St. John's*	75-72

  * - NCAA Eastern Regional Tournament consolation game at College Park, Md.
  Duquesne was ranked #9. Moved to #8 in final AP poll.

  LAST WIN OVER A TOP 10 TEAM	(Dec. 15, 1992 vs. #10 Florida State)
  HOME	Dec. 15, 1992 vs. #10 Fla. St.	91-84)
  ROAD	Mar. 5, 1962 at #6 Bradley	73-72
  NEUTRAL	Mar. 15, 1969 vs. #8 St. John's*	75-72

  * - NCAA Eastern Regional Tournament consolation game at College Park, Md.
  Duquesne was ranked #9. Moved to #8 in final AP poll.

  LAST GAME vs. A RANKED TEAM
  89-39 loss at #11 (AP) Maryland on Nov. 30, 2002

"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 5.2 more points per game and has seen his shooting percentage increase dramatically:

Forney climbed over the 1,000 mark in the Fordham game. He entered the contest with 996 career points and hit 1K on a free throw at the 4:07 mark in the opening stanza. Forney scored 21 points in last Satruday's 74-65 win, passing All-American Chuck Cooper (1,000 -- 1947-50) and Willie Ross (1,014 -- 1963-65) and is now in 26th place with 1,047 points, two short of Ron Guziak's three-year total of 1,049 (1966-68).

AT LA SALLE NEXT

Duquesne heads to Philadelphia to face Atlantic 10 West foe La Salle (10-14, 4-9) on Saturday, March 1. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. In the first meeting this season, the Explorers defeated the Dukes 82-74 at Pittsburgh on Feb. 8.