Nov. 30, 2004

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Television: Time Warner Cable, Channel 3 (Albany area)
Radio: WVCR 88.3 (FM)
Live Stats: Gametracker

DUKES TAKE ON MAAC FOE SIENA

Duquesne University women's basketball team, coming off their first win of the season on Saturday (68-63 over Bowling Green), returns to the road Tuesday night. The Dukes will be taking on the Siena Saints, until this season a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League along with Duquesne. The Dukes (1-2) are led by junior Aiga Bautre with 15.3 points per game along with fellow junior Nicole Sinclair who is averaging 11.7 ppg and sophomore Loui Hall's 11.3 ppg. Junior Maria Stankevich leads the Red and Blue with 9.3 rebounds per game followed by Sinclair's 8.0 rpg.

THE SERIES

This is just the second meeting between Duquesne and Siena. The teams met last year at the Palumbo Center with the Dukes grabbing a 74-65 victory. Candace Futrell led the Dukes with 30 points while Maria Stankevich grabbed 11 rebounds. Shiri Sharon led the way with eight assists.

ABOUT THE DUKES

Duquesne returns three starters from last season's 16-13 squad in juniors Nicole Sinclair, Maria Stankevich and Aiga Bautre.

The Red & Blue suffered the loss of its veteran backcourt with the graduation of Candace Futrell (21.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg) a third-round WNBA draft choice who played with the Connectocit Sun this season, and Shiri Sharon (8.8 ppg, 5.5 apg), who reigns as the Dukes all-time assist leader and is currently playing professionally back in her homeland, Israel. The duo accounted for 44 percent of the team's scoring (29.8 ppg); 50 percent of the assists (7.6 apg) and 47 percent of the team's steals (3.82 spg).

Duquesne welcomes five newcomers to the 2004-05 slate and gained the talents of two local Division I transfers who will be eligible to compete in the 2005-06 season.

Duquesne stands 0-2 opening the season, something that hasn't been seen since the 1989-90 slate.

ABOUT THE SAINTS

Siena stands 1-3 overall after falling to nationally ranked #14 Vanderbilt, 76-47, this past weekend at the Vanderbilt Tournament. They finished second overall after taking a 62-51 victory over Tennessee-Martin in the opening day's action.

Siena returns one starter and five letterwinners from last year's 17-11 squad, which finished tied for first in the MAAC. Today marks the home opener for the Saints, which also have a Latvia native in Liga Alpe-Luka, a freshman from Liepaja; Duquesne's Aiga Bautre hails from Riga. SC is led by Katelyn Dooley with 12.3 ppg and Lauren Mently with 6.0 rpg.

THE COACHES

Dan Durkin is in his 12th season at the helm of the Duquesne women's basketball program and as a head coach. He posts a 147-164 career mark. Durkin is a 1975 graduate of Mount St. Mary's. Gina Castelli is in her 16th season as a head coach and at the helm of the Siena Saints. She owns a career mark of 245-159 and is a 1986 graduate of Canisius.

DUKES LAST GAME

Duquesne opened its home season taking a 68-63 victory led by sophomore Loui Hall's career-best 20 points to improve to 1-2 on the season. Bowling Green dropped to 1-2 and was led by Ali Mann with 23 markers. Nicole Sinclair and Maria Stankevich posted double-doubles as Sinclair hit 13 points and 10 rebounds and Stankevich had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Each swatted three shots to pace the game. Aiga Bautre added 10 markers.

Bowling Green jumped to a 7-4 edge early on before Stankevich sparked a 5-0 run to give Duquesne its first lead at 9-8 with 14:17 ticking. The Falcons answered with a 15-6 spree to take a 23-15 edge - the largest lead of the frame. Erin Crawford ignited an 11-0 Dukes' run to give the host a 26-23 advantage, but BGSU used with a 6-0 run to regain a 32- 28 edge. Duquesne quickly responded with a 6-0 drive of its own and held a 34-32 edge at the half.

Duquesne opened the second stanza with a 14-4 drive and give the Dukes a 50-40 lead - the largest margin of the game. The Falcons went on a 10- 2 scoring run to get within a 50-52 reach at 8:30. The teams traded goals and missed baskets before Hall hit a three-point score for a 59-54 advantage at 2:46. Casey McDowell responded with a three-pointer for the Falcons for a 57-59 reach at 2:33. Stankevich hit both of the one-one bonus for a 63-59 DU lead and Crawford made the second of two for the five-point edge with just :39 showing. A three-point goal from Mann closed the game to a 62-64 reach with :27 on the clock. The Dukes would make four of six free throws afterward to secure the win. Duquesne held a commanding 52-38 edge in rebounding.

NOTING THE DUKES

• Coach Durkin enters his 12th season at the Duquesne helm and as a head coach ... his tenure is the second-longest among active Atlantic 10 coaches and his 80 Atlantic 10 wins ranks seventh all-time
• The Dukes lost just two players to graduation in veteran guards Candace Futrell (21.4 ppg) and Shiri Sharon (5.5 apg) ... Futrell was named the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year while Sharon ended her career as Duquesne's all-time assist leader with 659
• DU depth will be in the inside game with returning veterans Maria Stankevich and Erin Wehrle at the center spot and forwards Nicole Sinclair and Loui Hall
• Bringing additional experience to the squad is senior Alyssa Borasky and sophomore Takneekia "TK" Baker
• The Dukes welcome five newcomers to the playing ranks in 2004 with JUCO transfer Erin Crawford (15.3 ppg, 4.3 apg); sophomore transfer Brittany Warren (18.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and freshmen Rebecca Bonasso (11.4 ppg 4.5 apg); Jocelyn Chandler (29.2 ppg); Jade Singleton (18.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
• Nicole Sinclair ranked sixth in the A-10 last season in rebounds per game and has 347 in her two seasons
• Aiga Bautre has a career three-point accuracy of .438 (95- 217) which is first on the DU career list ... Bautre holds the A-10 regular season mark with her .490 (48-98) accuracy as a freshman
• Russia native Maria Stankevich earned the starting post role mid-way through the season and led DU with 40 blocks, which stood fourth among A-10 leaders ... she rejected a career-best five shots at George Washington, she recorded 32 of her blocks after earning the starting role
• Duquesne ranked 19th in the NCAA last season with 6.9 threepoint goals per game
• DU will face seven 2004 post-season teams this year
• Duquesne gained two D-I transfer this year in local players Carmen Bruce (Georgetown) and Marisa Smith (Bowling Green), both can practice with the team and will be eligible for the 2005-06 season.

COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING

Here is how Duquesne and Siena compare statistically:

2005   GP  FGM  FGA   PCT   RPG   APG   BPG  SPG   PPGDUQ    3   60   163   .368  38.0  11.3  3.3  8.0   58.0SIE    4   79   199   .397  34.5  11.0  2.5  4.3 53.0

BAUTRE BACK HOME

Junior Aiga Bautre will enjoy somewhat of a homecoming vs. the Saints as she attended nearby Catholic Central High School in Troy, N.Y. She led her high school squad to its first ever Class A New York Public School championship and to the Section II crown in 2002 as a senior. Bautre came to the states her junior year with an exchange-student program.

WINNING WAYS

Duquesne tied the school record with ten Atlantic 10 victories this past season (10-6). Over the last four years, the Dukes have won no fewer than 14 games while averaging 15 victories (eight in A-10 play). DU has also won the last four mythical "City Championships" with eight straight wins (four each) over intracity rivals Pittsburgh and Robert Morris.

NEXT GAME

The Dukes face West Virginia in Morgantown on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 5:00 pm. It will be Duquesne's fourth road opponent in the opening five games of the season. They return home on Dec. 7 to host cross-town rival Pitt in Pack the Palumbo Night for a 7:05 pm tip-off.