Nov. 18, 2004
Duquesne University's women's basketball team kicks off the 2004-05 season with a road game at East Carolina University Friday night at 7:00 p.m. This is the first meeting between the Atlantic 10 and Conference USA programs. (The game can be followed on the College Sports gametracker)
It also is the first time in four years that Coach Dan Durkin will not have the backcourt of Shiri Sharon and Candace Futrell, both of whom have been playing professionally since leaving the Bluff.
The Dukes, who were 16-13 (10-6 A-10) last season, return three junior starters: 5-11 guard Aiga Bautre (Riga, Latvia), 6-0 forward Nicole Sinclair (Indiana, Pa.) and 6-3 center Maria Stankevich (St. Petersburg, Russia). Sophomore forward 6-0 Loui Hall (Masontown, Pa.) averaged 7.3 points and 3.5 rebounds and senior center 6-2 Erin Wehrle (Elizabeth, Pa.) averaged 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds last season. Duquesne's top recruit ia A-10 All-Rookie selection 5-10 Jocelyn Chandler who averaged 29.2 points 12.0 rebounds, 5.0 steals and 4.0 assists as a senior at Uniontown (PA) High School.
The Red & Blue have a 14-15 overall mark in the season opener. The Dukes have won eight of the past nine openers, including last year's 61-52 win at Lehigh.
East Carolina is coming off a 14-14 2003-04 season. The Pirates were 5-9 in C-USA play. ECU returns nine players; there are four newcomers on the roster. Last season's leading scorer Courtney Willis (18.6 ppg, 10.0 rpg) signed a professional contract with the BC Asteras of Athens, Greece for the 2004-05 International Basketball League season.
The top returning player is 5-foot-9 senior Jennifer Jackson who averaged 14.5 points and 6.8 rebounds. Viola Coooper, a 5-foot-9 senior guard who along with Willis was the only player to start all 28 games, averaged 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and a team high 3.0 assists.
The lone freshman on the Pirates' roster is 6-foot-0 forward Nicole Days who averaged 20 points and 18 rebounds as a senior at Pender H.S. in North Carolina.
The Dukes will host Preseason WNIT participant Bowling Green in the home opener Saturday, Nov. 27, at 7:05 pm. Duquesne is 8-3 in the home opener under Coach Durkin and 18-11 all time. DU topped Robert Morris 66-63 last year.
