Feb. 26, 2005

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TELEVISION: Atlantic 10 Television Network with Scott Graham & Mark Adams
DUQUESNE RADIO: KQV-AM (1410) with Ray Goss & George Von Benko
INTERNET BROADCAST: www.RedZoneMedia.com
LIVE STATS: Gametracker

DUQUESNE HOSTS RICHMOND ON SENIOR DAY

Duquesne (7-19, 4-9), which snapped a five-game losing streak with a 77-72 win over La Salle on Wednesday, closes out the 2004-05 home season versus Atlantic 10 West division foe Richmond (11-13, 6-7) at 2:05 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, Feb. 27 (Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh TV locally; 1410 KQV-AM & www.redzonemedia.com).

The Richmond game is the final home game for DU seniors Tyler Bluemling, Martin Osimani and Jon Pawlak who will be honored in a pregame ceremony. Richmond, currently in fourth place in the A-10 West two games ahead of fifth-place Duquesne, is 3-5 in conference road games. Richmond has been idle since a 59-53 loss to Temple on Feb. 19. The loss was the fourth in a row for the Spiders.

DUKES AND SPIDERS

Duquesne holds an 8-7 edge in the series, with all eight victories coming before Richmond joined the Atlantic 10 ... Richmond, a former member of the Colonial Athletic Association, joined the A-10 prior to the 2001-02 season and has defeated the Dukes seven straight times in league play ... in the first meeting this season, Daon Merritt answered a Martin Osimani 3-pointer by racing the length of the court in the final six seconds to hit an acrobatic one-handed shot with eight-tenths of a second remaining to give Richmond a 72-71 win at Robins Center ... the DU/UR series dates back to a 37-29 Duquesne win on Jan. 12, 1937 ... the Spiders are in their third season under head coach Jerry Wainright, who came to Richmond after spending eight years at UNC Wilmington.

DUQUESNE LATELY

• Duquesne snapped a five-game losing streak with Wednesday's 77-72 win over La Salle
• The Dukes assisted on 21 of 28 field goals and outrebounded the Explorers 44-29 in the victory
• Bryant McAllister, broke out of a seven-game 33% shooting slump by hitting 6-of-10 from the floor in scoring a team-high 21 points vs. the Explorers ... the 6-3 junior scored 18 of his points in the second half, including 7 in the final 47 seconds from the free throw line ... McAllister who added a career-high 9 assists and a career high-tying 8 rebounds vs. La Salle, enters the Richmond game needing 39 points to become the 30th member of Duquesne's 1,000-point club
• Freshman DeVario Hudson, who posted career-best 20 points and 11 rebounds in the first Richmond game, blocked a career-high 5 shots vs. La Salle
• JC transfer Keith Gayden has pulled down a career high 9 rebounds in two of DU's last three games (vs. Temple & La Salle)
• Point guard Martin Osimani has 45 assists & 12 turnovers in his last eight games ... his 5.49 career apg. average ranks eighth on the all-time Atlantic 10 list.

LOOSE ENDS

A win over Richmond would give Duquesne 3-5 record in conference home games for the sixth consecutive season ... DU (5) and Dayton (6) are the only two Atlantic 10 teams that boast at least five players with 20 or more 3-pointers made ... in three trips to the Palumbo Center as a member of the Atlantic 10, Richmond is a combined 35-of-76 (46.1%) from the 3-point arc ... DU has averaged 12.6 free throw attempts in its last seven games, while opponents have gone to the line an average of 26.9 times over that same span ... each of Duquesne's last seven opponents has attempted at least 20 free throws.

FOUL ME!

Duquesne, which is 145-of-197 from the foul line in A-10 play (73.6%), ranks eighth nationally in free throw shooting percentage. The Dukes, who led the nation for four consecutive weeks in December, are currently at their lowest rank of the season. Duquesne has shot under 70 percent in a game eight times with six coming in A-10 play. Point guard Martin Osimani - who had a streak of 20 FT's made in a row snapped vs. Youngstown State on New Year's Eve - leads the way at 89.5% (34-of-38). Guard Bryant McAllister is also over 80 percent at an A-10 best 81.4% (92-of-113). McAllister has missed consecutive free throw attempts in a game just once this season.

1.      80.5%   381-473 Michigan State2.      79.0%   484-613 UTEP3.      78.3%   412-526 Arizona4.      78.0%   277-355 Army5.      77.3%   406-525 Texas Tech6.      76.6%   364-475 Monmouth7.      76.6%   333-435 Bowling Green8.      76.5%   306-400 DUQUESNE

FT ATTEMPTS = SUCCESS

In its seven wins, Duquesne has attempted an average of 24.9 free throws (138-of-174). In 19, losses, the Dukes have gone to the line an average of 11.9 times (168-of-226).

GOTTA STOP `EM

Duquesne, which has topped the 70-point mark in five of its last eight games, ranks third in the Atlantic 10 with a 68.2 ppg. scoring average in league play. Unfortunately, the Dukes are having trouble stopping the other guy. DU's 76.1 ppg. given up ranks tied for last in the league with St. Bonaventure. Duquesne has held just two league opponents under 70 points this season (a 72-67 win at La Salle & a 68-62 loss to Temple).

DUQUESNE QUICK NOTES

• Bryant McAllister, who has scored in double figures in 22 of DU's 26 games, snapped out of a seven-game 32-of-97 (33.0%) from the field and 3-of-20 (15.0%) from the 3-point arc shooting slump with 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting vs. La Salle... McAllister, who scored 18 in the second half to key DU's comeback win, also added a career-high 9 assists and a career high-tying 8 rebounds in flirting with a triple-double ... the 6-3 junior has topped the 20 point mark seven times this season (24 vs. Lafayette, 21 vs. Akron, a career-high 30 vs. UMBC, 26 at Dayton , 27 at Xavier, 20 vs. Xavier & 21 vs. La Salle) ... he is one of five A-10 players to score 30 or more in a game this season ... (Steven Smith & Jermaine Thomas of La Salle, Kevin Steenberge of Richmond and Stanley Burrell of Xavier are the others) ... his 15.8 ppg. scoring average ranks fifth in the league and his 1.81 steals per game (47 total) also rank fifth in the A-10 ... the 6-3 junior, who has missed consecutive free throws in a game just once this season, leads the league in free throw shooting percentage at 81.4% (92-of-113) ... he hit 7-of-8 in the final 47 seconds to seal DU's win over La Salle on Feb. 23 ... the Dukes are 3-0 when McAllister attempts 10 or more free throws in a game
• Kieron Achara, who opened conference play with a career-high 23 points and a career high-tying 11 rebounds in the double-overtime win at Dayton, added his second A-10 double-double at Richmond (11-10) on Feb. 1 ... he eclipsed his career scoring high with 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting at La Salle on Jan. 29 ... the Stirling, Scotland native is shooting a team-best 54.2 percent from the field ... he has posted double-doubles six times this season (10-11 at New Mexico, 11-10 vs. Lafayette, 15-11 at George Mason, 16-11 vs. UMBC, 23-11 at Dayton and 11-10 at Richmond) ... Saint Joseph's Dwayne Jones (13), La Salle's Steven Smith (9) and Fordham's Bryant Dunston (7) are the only A-10 players with more double-doubles than Achara ... the 6-9 forward/center is averaging 6.6 ppg. and has scored in single digits four times in DU's last five games ... Achara has surpassed his blocked shot total from a year ago (33) with 42 ... he currently ranks second on DU's all-time shots blocked list with 75 (leader Derrick Alston had 229 between 1991-94) ... is shooting 56.6% (168-of-297) from the field for his career which is ahead of the school record of 56.1% set by Alston
• Martin Osimani needs one more 10-assist game for the school career record ... Osimani, who will be playing in his 56th career game vs. Richmond, shares the record for career 10 assist games with Clayton Adams who posted four in 109 career games between 1988-91 ... the Montevideo, Uruguay native currently ranks eighth on the Atlantic 10's career assists per game average list at 5.5 ... Osimani has scored a career-high 16 points twice (at New Mexico and vs. Lafayette) ... his career high entering the season was 11 ... last year, Osimani finished the season with 132 points in 29 games ... he enters the Richmond game with 166 points ... Osimani, who is 34-of-38 from the line this season, saw a streak of 20 consecutive free throws made snapped vs. Youngstown State ... the JC transfer had a streak of 17 free throws made in a row last year ... he has attemped just three free throws in DU's last nine games ... Osimani, who has a team-high 130 assists (2.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio), tied his career high with three 3-point field goals (in five attempts) at La Salle on Jan. 29 ... he finished the game with 9 points, a career-high 7 rebounds and 9 assists (and two turnovers) in 35 minutes of action ... in his last eight games, Osimani has handed out 45 assists with just 12 turnovers ... he is 11-of-24 (45.8%) from the 3-point arc in his last seven games including a clutch 3-pointer from the top of the key with 6.2 seconds left that gave the Dukes a 71-70 lead in the one-point loss at Richmond
• Senior guard Tyler Bluemling has scored 121 points in 26 games this season ... his point total in 17 appearances last year was 24 ... he has 57 assists and 29 turnovers as the back-up at the point guard spot (2-to-1 ratio) and is second on the team with a career single-season high 29 3-point field goals ... he has handed out 31 assists with just 14 turnovers in Atlantic 10 games ... Bluemling had 10 points, 3 assists, 3 steals and 0 turnovers 29 minutes at Dayton ... he scored all 10 of his points in the last 1:07 of regulation and first 1:26 of the first overtime period (at total span of 2:33) ... he added a career-high 5 assists in a start vs. George Washington and scored 10 more at Xavier in 25 turnover-free minutes ... he followed that with 9 points (all on 3-pointers), 5 assists and 0 turnovers vs. Dayton at home and posted a season-high 11 points (three 3-pointers) vs. La Salle on Feb. 23 ... broke out of a six-game 3-of-15 3-point shooting slump by going 3-of-5 from the arc vs. La Salle ... is shooting 40.0 percent (18-of-45) from 3-point in A-10 play ... Bluemling, who had six turnovers in his first nine A-10 games, has turned it over an uncharacteristic eight times in DU's last four games
• Jack Higgins, who saw his streak of 36-straight games played ended when he missed the first three conference games due to pneumonia, scored a season-high 20 points (4-of-7 from 3-point) in 23 minutes vs. URI in his second game back ... he then scored 11 of the Dukes' first 12 points (15 overall) in returning to the starting lineup for the first time since late November vs. St. Bonaventure on Jan. 23 ... he added 19 points (6-of-13 from 3-point) in 18 minutes off the bench vs. Temple on Feb. 16 ... Higgins is shooting 42.4% from the 3-point arc (28-of-66) and averaging 13.1 ppg. since his return ... he has hit at least one 3-pointer in each of his last 14 games ... Higgins, who finished with 16 assists in 23 games last season, handed out a career-high 9 - all in 14 second-half minutes - at Boston College on Dec. 22 ... to put the outburst in perspective, consider Higgins' next-highest assist game is 4 (at Richmond on Feb. 1)
• Freshman Chauncey Duke, who missed games at Xavier and vs. Dayton at home with complications from a stomach virus, saw his first action in 11 days vs. URI on Jan. 19 ... Duke, who has just eight turnovers in 425 total minutes on the season, turned it over for the first time since the Dec. 11 UMBC game on Feb. 5 at Saint Joseph's ... Duke, who has hit four 3-pointers in a game twice this season (in scoring a season high 12 vs. both North Carolina A&T and Temple), scored on a driving layup with :05 left in the second overtime to give the Dukes a 94-93 win at Dayton ... he added 9 points in 17 minutes off the bench vs. St. Bonaventure and 11 on 3-of-4 3-point shooting at Saint Joseph's ... his two free throws with 8 seconds left put the cap on DU's 77-72 win over La Salle on Feb. 23 ... Duke started the season 7-of-14 from the 3-point arc (seven g.), before going 1-of-14 from long distance in his next nine outings ... Duke ended a one-month drought by hitting his only 3-point attempt vs. St. Bonaventure on Jan. 23 and is 12-of-27 from the arc in his last eight games
• Fellow freshman DeVario Hudson had started 13 of DU's 15 games prior to missing the Feb. 16 Temple game with food poisoning ... he made his return with eight points and six rebounds in 23 minutes at George Washingthon on Feb. 19 ... the Decatur, Ga. native ranks second on the team with a 4.9 rebounds per game average ... had his top game of the season with a career-high 20 points and a career high-tying 11 rebounds at Richmond ... it was his second double-double (12-11 vs. Akron) of the season
• Redshirt freshman Sean McKeon, who missed four late November-early December games with mononucleosis, made his first career start vs. Rhode Island (one rebound in 9 minutes) ... he also started on Feb. 16 vs. Temple ... is averaging 13.1 min./g. in conference play ... he scored 8 points in 14 minutes at Dayton on Jan. 5 and added a pair of blocked shots both vs. St. Bonaventure and at La Salle ... he scored 9 points in a season-high 25 minutes on Feb. 5 at Saint Joseph's ... his eight field goal attempts (4-of-8) vs. the Hawks were a season high ... added a season-high six boards in 18 minutes at GW
• Duquesne has used 11 different starting lineups, with all 11 scholarship players starting at least once
• Duquesne is 7-5 this season when scoring 70 or more points and 0-14 when scoring fewer than 70 ... when holding opponents under 70 points, the Dukes are 4-1 ... if you want to go five points higher, consider that DU is 6-0 when scoring 75 or more.