Dec. 8, 2004

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DUKES BREAK FROM FINALS TO HOST UMBC

Duquesne (1-7) takes a break from final exams to host Maryland-Baltimore County (2-3 entering Thursday's home game vs. Maine) on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 3:00 p.m. (EST) (KQV-AM 1410/www.redzonemedia.com). The Dukes, who are 0-3 at home, will be looking to end a six-game losing streak against a Retreiver team that is 0-3 on the road. This is the first meeting between Duquesne and UMBC - a member of the America East Conference. The Dukes are 4-2 all time against the teams that make up the current America East. Finals at Duquesne began on Thursday, Dec. 9 and run through Wednesday, Dec. 15.

FOUL ME!

Duquesne began the week leading the nation in team free throw shooting percentage at 80.7 percent. Three Dukes have yet to miss a free throw this season (Tyler Bluemling 5-5, Jon Pawlak 4-4 and Sean McKeon 3-3), while point guard Martin Osimani is at 94.4 percent (17-of-18). JC transfer Keith Gayden is 11-of-13 (84.6%) from the stripe and guard Bryant McAllister is hitting at an 81.0 percent clip (17-of-21). Two freshmen - DeVario Hudson and Chauncey Duke - have yet to attempt a free throw:

80.7%   88-109  DUQUESNE80.6%   87-108  Morehead St.80.2%   65-81   Cal Poly80.0%   80-100  Army79.6%   74-93   Rider78.9%   75-95   Tennessee

DUQUESNE LATELY

• Redshirt freshman F/C Sean McKeon was cleared to practice on Tuesday and could see action vs. UMBC ... McKeon, who played in each of DU's first four games, missed the last four with mononucleosis
• In his last three games, true freshman F DeVario Hudson is averaging 12.7 ppg & 7.7 rpg. on 54.8% (17-of-31) shooting ... Hudson has seen his minutes quadruple from 5.8 in games one through five to 24.7 in DU's last three
• Fellow freshman Chauncey Duke is averaging 22.7 minutes in DU's last three games ... all seven of Duke's 3-pointers have come in two games (4 vs. N.C. A&T and 3 vs. Akron)
• Duquesne has used five different starting lineups in eight games ... nine different players have started at least once
• The Dukes have been held below 70 points in each of their last four games
• DU, which is shooting 32.9% from the 3-point arc, is being outscored by just over 100 points from long distance (249-to-147)
• DU's opponents are converting at a 40.7% rate from 3-point land.

ACHES AND SPRAINS

Duquesne, like many of its cohorts in the Atlantic 10, has had to battle a number of injuries and ailments in the early season. First point guard Martin Osimani had his nose broken in a preseason scrimmage. The senior point guard played the first five games wearing a protective mask that was discarded for the first time for the George Mason game on Nov. 27. Next, redshirt freshman Sean McKeon was diagnosed with mononucleosis which kept him out of uniform for DU's last four games (he is expected to return for UMBC). Then, starting forward Keith Gayden suffered a grade two sprain of his right ankle in practice the day before he scored 15 points and pulled down 9 rebounds in a 72-69 loss to West Virginia. The injury kept him out of the George Mason game. Finally, back-up forward Jon Pawlak sprained his ankle with just over five minutes to go at George Mason. Gayden made his return vs. Akron, while Pawlak has missed the Akron and Pitt games and has yet been cleared to practice.

DUKE SCORING IN BUNCHES

True freshman Chauncey Duke, who averaged 28.7 ppg. last year in a homeschool league, showed a glimpse of his scoring prowess by nailing four 3-pointers in a span of 5:35 in the first half of the NC A&T game on Nov. 13. The first two tied the score, the third one broke a tie and the fourth put Duquesne up to stay at 24-22 with 4:25 left in the half in what became an 82-69 win. The shots, none of which touched iron, were the first four of his college career (he did not attempt a shot in nine minutes of the season opener vs. Santa Clara). Duke then went 0-of-6 from the arc in his next four games before converting his first three 3-point attempts in scoring all nine of his points in 10 first half minutes in his first career start vs. Akron. Duke, who has played in all eight games, is averaging 3.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. He averaged 9.8 minutes in DU's first five games and has averaged 22.7 in the last three.

DeVARIO GOOD

True freshman DeVario Hudson has given Duquesne's injury-depleted frontcourt a boost in the last three games with 18 points and 8 rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench at George Mason, 12 points and 11 boards in 27 minutes vs. Akron and 8 points and 4 rebounds in 29 minutes at Pitt. Hudson, who entered the George Mason game averaging 2.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, scored 14 in the second half vs. the Patriots. In his last three games, Hudson is averaging 12.7 points 7.7 rebounds on 54.8 percent (17-of-31) shooting. Hudson, like Duke, has seen his minutes increase from 5.8 in games one through five to 24.7 in DU's last three games.

HIGGINS BOUNCING BACK

Jack Higgins, who began the year as the Atlantic 10's No. 2 returning 3-point shooter at .456 (41-of-90), has struggled in the early going this season. After hitting 3-of-5 3-pointers in scoring 15 points in the opener vs. Santa Clara, Higgins has hit the skids, converting just 4-of-20 from the arc in the ensuing six games. He broke out of his slump by hitting 7-of-12 shots (3-of-8 from the arc) in scoring a season-high 17 points at #13 (AP) Pitt. Higgins, who came off the bench to score in double digits in 10 of 23 games last season (Duquesne was 8-2 when Higgins scored 10 or more), was used off the bench for the first time this season vs. Akron and continued in that role at Pitt. In two games off the bench, Higgins is averaging 12.5 points on 9-of-20 shooting (3-of-10 from the 3-point arc).

DUQUESNE QUICK NOTES

• Senior guard Martin Osimani needs one more 10-assist game for the school career record ... Osimani, who will be playing his 38th career game vs. UMBC, 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 8.3 ppg. clip this season ... he has scored a career-high 16 points twice (at New Mexico and vs. Lafayette) ... his career high entering the season was 11 ... last year, it took Osimani 14 games to reach his current 66 point total
• Junior Bryant McAllister rallied from a two point in 19 minute outing at George Mason to score a game-high 21 vs. Akron ... McAllister, who has scored in double figures in seven of DU's eight games, eclipsed his previous career best of 21 set at Akron and matched at Xavier last season with 24 vs. Lafayette on Nov. 20
• Sophomore Kieron Achara has posted double-doubles three times this season (10-11 at New Mexico, 11-10 vs. Lafayette & 15-11 at George Mason) ... his current 7.8 rebounds per game average is the best by a Duquesne player since 6-11 Derrick Alston averaged 9.3 rpg. as a junior in 1992-93 ... Achara, who saw his streak of consecutive double-digit scoring games snapped at six with his 8 point outing vs. Akron, totaled a career-high 17 points vs. North Carolina A&T in the second game of the season
• 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 38 points in eight games this season ... his point total in 17 appearances last year was 24
• Duquesne is shooting 31.3 percent (36-of-115) from the 3-point arc during its current six-game losing streak
• DU's opponents are shooting 40.7 percent from the arc for the season, including 44.8% (60-134) in the last five games ... in the last four games opponents have made 14, 13, 14 and 10 `three's'
• DU's opponents have made 11 more free throws (120-180) than the Dukes have attempted (88-109)
• The Dukes have committed 32 more fouls than their opponents (159-to-127)
• DU is shooting a nation's-best 80.7 percent from the foul line