Feb. 27, 2003
Pittsburgh, PA - Duquesne University honored the outstanding play of senior Beth Friday (Pittsburgh, PA / Upper St. Clair) as part of Senior Night by retiring her #40 jersey prior to tonight's women's basketball game with George Washington. Friday is just the second women's basketball player to have her jersey retired.
Friday, who ends her career as the only Duquesne player to record both 1,000 career points and rebounds, joins 1998 graduate and All-American Korie Hlede, a member of the WNBA's New York Liberty who earlier this year was inducted into Duquesne's Sports Hall of Fame. Hlede's #25 jersey was also retired on her Senior Night, February 21, 1998.
"It's incredible," said Friday. "You can't get a bigger honor from a school and to have it happen on your Senior Night is even more special. It took me back for a minute. It hasn't quick sunk in yet, since it was so unexpected."
Friday ended the night versus George Washington with 21 points and a game-best 11 rebounds for her 49th career double-double. She is the Dukes' all-time leading rebounder with 1,148 boards and third all-time in scoring with 1,400 points. The Dukes fell to the Colonials 74-68.
A 2002 first team All-Conference selection, Friday was tabbed a 2003 Verizon District II Academic All-American and is a two-time Atlantic 10 All-Academic pick.
She is also first in the Duquesne records books in career field goal percentages (.523), third with 144 blocks and tied for 5th with her 12.4 points per game average.
Friday became the first Duquesne women's basketball player to grab 1,000 career rebounds with her second board at the 15:13 mark at Dayton Jan. 12. She posted a game-high 11 that Sunday.
The Pittsburgh native quickly took over the top of DU's career rebounding list six games into the season. With 922 boards entering the Towson game, Friday needed just seven rebounds to surpass Kathy Ridilla's mark of 928; she grabbed 11.
And tonight she broke Ridilla's senior class rebounding mark of 279 boards. With one regular season game remaining, Friday now has 282. This marks the fourth straight season that Friday has bettered each class' rebounding title. She grabbed 297 as a freshman, 298 as a sophomore and 271 last year as a junior.
In addition to Friday and Hlede, five men's basketball players have had their jerseys retired: #15 Chuck Cooper (1947-50), #12 Dick Ricketts (1952-55), #11 Sihugo Green (1954-56), #24 Willie Somerset (1962-65) and #10 Norm Nixon (1974-77).
Duquesne (14-12 overall, 7-8 in the A-10) concludes its regular season this Sunday in a 12:00 pm tip-off at Massachusetts (12-13, 4-10). The game will be broadcast live over the A-10 TV Network, locally via Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh.
