Nov. 3, 2005
Duquesne University women's basketball, under the direction of 13th-year Head Coach Dan Durkin, has been picked to finish ninth in the 2005-06 Atlantic 10 Pre-Season Coaches and Media Poll. Two Dukes have been named to the Pre-Season All-Atlantic 10 second team in senior guard Aiga Bautre (Riga, Latvia/Catholic Central [N.Y.]) and junior guard Loui Hall (Masontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin).
The honors were announced today by the Atlantic 10 Conference at its Media Day held in Philadelphia. The Dukes finished sixth in the West last season. This year, with the addition of Charlotte and Saint Louis to the league, the Atlantic 10 will adopt a 14-team one-division format, forgoing the two-division alignment used the past 10 years.
The 5-11 Bautre led the Dukes with 15.2 ppg, ranking her sixth in the Conference. A 2005 third team All-Atlantic 10 pick, she dished-out a team-best 82 assists and added 28 steals and 11 blocks. Bautre averaged 4.1 rebounds and posted a team-best .886 (62-70) accuracy from the free throw line, which included a streak of 30-consecutively made tosses. The three-point threat also stood second in the league with a .400 (68-170) accuracy from long range and connected on 148-386 from the field for a .383 accuracy. Bautre ended the year ranked 29th in the NCAA in three-point field goals made per game (2.4) and 31st in three-point field goal percentage.
Hall nearly doubled her point production last year going from a 7.3 ppg average as a freshman to 13.5 ppg in her sophomore campaign. Her total ranked second for the Red & Blue and she stood third with a 5.7 rebound average. A starter in each contest, the 6-0 Hall added 48 assists, 19 steals and 13 blocks on the season. One of the most accurate all-around shooters, she shot .433 (138-319) from the field; .750 (78-104) from the line and .771 (37-48) from three-point range. Hall ranked eighth in the Atlantic 10 in field goal pct. and was 10th in scoring.
Duquesne returns four starters from last season in Bautre, Hall; Nicole Sinclair (9.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and Maria Stankevich (8.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg).
Duquesne opens the 2006 season on Saturday, Nov. 19 hosting East Carolina at 7:05 pm at the Palumbo Center. Season and individual game tickets can be ordered by calling the Duquesne Box Office at (412) 232-DUKE (3853).
