Nov. 26, 2004

• Complete Preview in PDF Format
  Download Free Acrobat Reader

DUQUESNE (1-4) at GEORGE MASON (1-1)
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2004 - 7:00 p.m. (EST)
Fairfax, Va. - Patriot Center (10,000)

TELEVISION: None
DUQUESNE RADIO: KQV-AM (1410) with Ray Goss & George Von Benko
INTERNET BROADCAST: www.redzonemedia.com

DUKES HEAD TO VIRGINIA TO FACE GEORGE MASON

Duquesne (1-4), coming off a 72-69 home loss to West Virginia on Wednesday, will look to end a three-game losing streak at George Mason (1-1) on Saturday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m. (EST) at Fairfax, Va. (KQV-AM 1410/www.redzonemedia.com). This is the second road game of the season for the Dukes who dropped an 82-74 decision at New Mexico on Nov. 14 in the third game of the NABC Classic. George Mason opened the season at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Memphis where they defeated IPFW 69-51 and lost to host #24 (AP) Memphis 79-58. The Patriots have been idle since Nov. 13.

DUKES AND PATRIOTS

This is the fourth meeting between Duquesne and George Mason ...three year's ago the Dukes defeated the Patriots 64-48 at the Palumbo Center, while two season's ago George Mason returned the favor with a 79-72 win at Fairfax, Va. ... last year Mason defeated DU 80-70 at the Palumbo Center ... George Mason is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association ... the Patriots return three starters and eight lettermen from last year's 23-10 NIT squad ... GMU is coached by Jim Larranaga who is in his 8th season at Mason and 21st season overall ... he has guided the Patriots to 19, 19, 18, 19, 16 and 23 wins in the last six seasons ... this is the home opener for GMU ... the Patriots are 67-11 at home since 1998-99 ... Mason is 4-13 all-time vs. the Atlantic 10 with two wins over Duquesne a win over George Washington and a victory against Richmond before the Spiders joined the A-10 ... George Mason has not played since the season-opening Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at FedExForum in Memphis on Nov. 11 & 13.

DUQUESNE LATELY

• Duquesne is shooting 30.6 percent (19-of-62) from the 3-point arc during its current three-game losing streak
• Shooting guard Bryant McAllister, who has scored in double digits in all five games this season, is 17-of-33 (51.5%) and has scored 40 points in DU's last two games
• The frontcourt of sophomore C Kieron Achara and junior JC transfer Keith Gayden combined to hit 10-of-15 shots in the loss to WVU ... Achara, who has also scored in double digits in all five games, totaled 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting, while Gayden, who wasn't expected to play due to an ankle injury, came off the bench to hit 6-of-10 shots and set new career highs for points (15) and rebounds (9) in 22 minutes vs. WVU
• The Dukes outscored the Mountaineers 34-to-12 in the paint
• Dukes' coach Danny Nee secured his 400th win vs. NC A&T
• DU is shooting 82.1 percent (69-of-84) from the foul line. Duquesne's Nov. 12 opener was the earliest in school history

MORE ON MASON

GMU defeated IPFW 69-51 on Nov. 11 and lost to #24 (AP) Memphis 79-58 on Nov. 13 ... the Patriots have been idle since the Memphis game ... six-seven, 275-pound Jai Lewis is their leading scorer at 15.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game ... Lewis had 19 points in the win over Duquesne last year.

NEE AND LARRANAGA

Duquesne's Danny Nee and George Mason's Jim Larranaga coached a total of 488 games in 17 combined seasons in the Mid-American Conference - Nee in six seasons at Ohio and Larranaga in 11 campaigns at Bowling Green. Despite coaching in the same league in the 1980s, Nee and Larranaga missed each other by one season. Nee coached at OU from 1980-81 through 1985-86, while Larranaga served as head coach at BGSU from 1986-87 through 1996-97. This is the fourth meeting between Nee and Larranaga both of whom won Coach of the Year honors while in the MAC.

SHADES OF WILLIS REED?

Okay, it wasn't quite as dramatic as Willis Reed limping on the court to help the New York Knicks to a win in game seven of the 1970 NBA World Championship, but Duquesne's Keith Gayden suprised everyone with his performance in the Dukes' 72-69 loss to West Virginia on Wednesday. Gayden, who turned his ankle during Tuesday's practice, was on crutches all day Wednesday while getting treatment from athletic trainer Dave Douglas for the ankle. He missed the afternoon shoot-around and did not take part in the majority of pre-game warm-ups. Gayden did not start, but gave the Dukes a huge boost with eight points and seven rebounds in 11 first-half minutes off the bench. He finished with career highs for points (15) and rebounds (9) before breaking out the crutches and ice bags for the trip back to the dorm following the game.

"Keith kept telling me `I'm going to play, I'm going to play,'" said his roommate Bryant McAllister, "but his ankle was so swollen, I didn't think he would. He played like a warrior." Added frontcourt mate Kieron Achara, "He's is such a hustle player. He goes hard in practice every day. He's so aggressive. Everything he does is aggressive, the way he walks is even aggressive." Gayden and Achara were the prime reasons the Dukes outscore the Mountaineers 34-12 in the paint and enjoyed a 36-24 rebounding edge in the game.

DUQUESNE QUICK NOTES

• Senior guard Tyler Bluemling made his first career start in the season opener vs. Santa Clara ... it was the 69th game of his career ... Bluemling has scored 28 points in five games this season ... his point total in 17 appearances last year was 24 ... he is tied with Jack Higgins for the team lead with seven 3-pointers (36.8%)
• Senior point guard Martin Osimani needs one more 10-assist game for the school career record ... Osimani, who will be playing his 35th career game vs. George Mason, shares the record for career 10 assist games with Clayton Adams who posted four in 109 career games between 1988-91 ... Osimani, who averaged 4.6 ppg. last season, is scoring at a 10.4 ppg. clip this season ... he has scored a career-high 16 points twice this season ( at New Mexico and vs. Lafayette) ... his career high entering the season was 11 ... last year, it took Osimani 10 games to reach his current 52 point total
• Junior shooting guard Bryant McAllister, hit 10-of-18 shots from the field in scoring a career-high 24 points vs. Lafayette on Nov. 20 ... McAllister, who has scored in double figures in each of DU's first five games, eclipsed his previous career best of 21 set at Akron and matched at Xavier last season
• Sophomore power forward Kieron Achara has posted a pair of double-doubles this season (11-10 vs. Lafayette & 10-11 at New Mexico) ... Achara, who has also scored in double digits in each of DU's first five games, totaled a career-high 17 points vs. North Carolina A&T in the second game of the season
• The Dukes have shot under 35 percent from the field twice in four games (33.8 in a loss to Santa Clara and 34.8 in a loss to Lafayette)
• DU's opponents have made 12 more free throws (96-145) than the Dukes have attempted (69-84)
• The Dukes have committed 26 more fouls than their opponents (117-to-91).

WHO IS THAT MASKED MAN?

Senior point guard Martin Osimani has played the first five games wearing a clear plastic mask to protect a broken nose he suffered during a pre-season scrimmage vs. Bowling Green on Nov. 6. The Uruguay native missed part of two practices while being examined and fitted for the mask prior to the trip to Albuquerque. To top things off, he aggravated the injury when he collided with teammate Sean McKeon in practice the night before the opener vs. Santa Clara. The practice time missed combined with the injury caused Osimani to come off the bench vs. Santa Clara. Osimani started slow before scoring all nine of his points in the second half vs. the Broncos. The next night, he started and handed out 11 assists in an 82-69 win over North Carolina A&T. The assist total, which was one shy of the school record he shares with two other players, also tied him with Clayton Adams for the career 10-assist game record with four. In game three, Osimani once again started and responded with a career-high 16 points and six assists in a tough 82-74 loss to New Mexico. He matched that point total vs. Lafayette. Osimani, mask and all, is shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 92.9 percent (13-of-14) from the foul line. This isn't the first time Osimani has played with a protective shield. Last year, he came off the bench wearing goggles to protect a scratched eye, and handed out a school record-tying 12 assists in 25 minutes vs. Ohio.

IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

Duquesne is 158-175 (.474) in non-conference games since 1976-77 as members of the Eastern 8 / Atlantic 10 and Midwestern Collegiate Conference (1992-93 season only). The Dukes have posted a winning non-conference record four times since 1990 (6-4 in 1996, 8-4 in 1994, 7-5 in 1993 and 7-4 in 1992). DU went 5-6 in non-conference play last year with three overtime road losses. Duquesne is 1-4 so far in non-league play this year.

ON THE ROAD

Duquesne is 0-1 on the road and 1-1 at neutral sites so far this season. The Dukes went 3-9 on the road and 1-0 in neutral site games last year, with four of the losses coming by a combined 15 points (the first three in overtime). The three road wins - all of which came in conference play (at Rhode Island, at St. Bonaventure and at Xavier) - were the most by a DU team in a season and conference season since the 1994-95 team went 5-8 on the road overall and 3-5 in the A-10.

THE SERIES vs. GEORGE MASON

Series Record:       George Mason leads 2-1At Pittsburgh:       Tied 1-1At Fairfax, Va.:     George Mason leads 1-0

GAME-BY-GAME

Dec. 31, 2001   H       W       64-48Dec. 2, 2002    A       L       72-79Dec. 20, 2003   H       L       70-80

INSIDE THE STATS

CATEGORY           MASON   DUQRecord         1-1     1-4Streak         L1      L3Scoring avg.       63.5    72.2   Opp. Scoring    63.0    76.4Ppg. Margin        +0.5    -4.2Field Goal %       .381    .411   Opp. FG %       .369    .440Three-Pt. %        .316    .333   Opp. 3-Pt. %    .324    .371Free Throw %       .862    .821Turnovers /g.      12.5    16.4   Opp. TO's /g.   16.5    14.6TO Margin          +4.0    -1.8Rebounds           33.5    39.6   Opp. Reb.       43.0    35.2Reb. Margin        -9.5    +4.4Assists/g.         15.5    14.6Steals /g.         10.0     7.2Blocks /g.          3.5     2.2