Dec. 10, 2015
QUICK NOTES
• Duquesne, coming off an 89-70 win over UMBC on Tuesday, heads to Johnstown to face Saint Francis U (3-4) on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 1:00 p.m. This is the first road game for the Dukes, who are off to their best start since 1979-80 (9-2). Saint Francis (3-4) has been idle since a 96-55 loss at then-No. 2 (AP) Maryland on Dec. 4. The Red Flash are 3-0 at home with an average margin of victory of +20.7 ppg. This is the first time in 45 seasons - and 11th time in the 75-game series - that the Dukes and Red Flash are meeting in Johnstown.
• This is the 101st career game for seniors Derrick Colter & Jeremiah Jones (every game in their DU careers). It is also the 101st consecutive start for Colter who ranks tied for 10th on DU's all-time starts list (school record is 116 set by Damian Saunders from 2008-11).
• The Dukes, who are averaging 11 3-pointers/g. and shooting .401 overall from 3-point, will face a stern test in SFU who is holding opponents to a .314 success rate from the arc. DU has shot 35 percent or better from 3-point six times, SFU has held opponents under 35 percent in six of seven games.
NEXT UP: Duquesne returns home for back-to-back games vs. South Carolina State (Wed., Dec. 16 at 7:00 p.m..) and Robert Morris (Sat., Dec. 19 at 2:00) before breaking for Christmas.
THE SERIES
Series Record: Duquesne leads 61-14
At Saint Francis: Duquesne leads 26-8
Altoona: Duquesne leads 8-1
Johnstown: Duquesne leads 6-4
Loretto: Duquesne leads 12-3
Current Streak: Saint Francis won 1
• This is the 76th meeting between the two schools. Duquesne leads the series 61-14. In games played at Saint Francis, DU leads 26-8.
• This will be the first meeting at Johnstown since Jan. 13, 1971. DU is 6-4 against the Red Flash all time in Johnstown.
• DU has won the past six at SFU. Saint Francis' last home win over the Dukes came on Dec. 29, 1990 by an 82-80 count. There have been some close calls during the current streak. Kieron Achara hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to nip the Red Flash, 72-71 at DeGol Arena on Dec. 22, 2006. Achara's shot, which snapped a 17-game non-conference road losing streak, capped a five-point comeback in the final 44 seconds. In the last meeting at SFU on Dec. 17, 2013, Duquesne erased a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat the Red Flash, 78-71, also at DeGol Arena.
• DU had won 31 of the past 33 meetings including 11 in a row, prior to SFU's 67-52 win over the Dukes at Palumbo Center last year. It was SFU's first win at Duquesne since Dec. 1, 1966 at the Civic Arena. DU had won 16 in a row over the Red Flash at home. The 15-point margin of victory tied the Red Flash's third largest in series history.
• Saint Francis U went 16-16 last season (10-3 at home) in earning a CIT appearance. The Red Flash return three starters in junior guard Malik Harmon (9.0 ppg., 27 assists), senior guard Greg Brown (12.0 ppg.) and senior forward Ronnie Drinnon (10.1, 8.1). Drinnon had 15 rebounds in last year's game at Duquesne.
• Senior guard Ben Millaud-Meunier (team-high 13.4 ppg.), who hit 36 3-pointers off the bench last season, is 8-of-16 from the arc in two career games vs. DU. His is 17-of-52 from 3-point (.327) this season.
• SFU is n its fourth season under head coach Rob Krimmel.
• The Dukes have faced only St. Bonaventure, West Virginia and Pitt more often then Saint Francis.
SAINT FRANCIS U THIS YEAR: Saint Francis, which has been idle since a 96-55 loss at then-No. 2 (AP) Maryland on Dec. 4, is 3-0 at home ... the Red Flash have won their three home games by an average margin of +20.7 points (103-72 over Westminster, 68-48 over American and 84-73 over Lehigh) ... SFU went 10-3 at home last season, with all three losses coming either by one possession or in overtime ... Saint Francis ranks among the top 60 in the nation in fewest fouls ... the Red Flash also rank in the top 45 in offensive rebounding ... SFU is holding opponents to .314 3-point shooting (50-159) ... only one team - Maryland (9-19, .474) has shot better than .345 from the arc against the Red Flash ... SFU has held three oppoents under 30 percent from the arc (Westminster, American & Kent State).
THE DUKES AND RED FLASH AT THE WAR MEMORIAL
This is the first time in 45 seasons - and 11th time in the 75-game series - that the Dukes and Red Flash will meet in Johnstown. The Cambria County War Memorial, which opened in 1950 - and saw $8 million in renovation work completed in 2003 - currently serves as home of the Johnstown Tomahawks of the North American Hockey League. Duquesne, which leads the overall series 61-14, has won the past six meetings at Saint Francis. The Dukes are 26-8 all time vs. SFU in games at Loretto, Johnstown and Altoona, Pa. The War Memorial hosted 10 Duquesne vs. Saint Francis games between Jan. 9, 1954 and Jan. 13, 1971, with Duquesne winning six and Saint Francis four:
Jan. 9, 1954
No. 2 (AP) Duquesne 94, Saint Francis 64
The Dukes, who opened 22-0 on the way to topping both the AP and UPI polls for two weeks in February, got 18 points each from Sihugo Green, Dick Ricketts and Fletcher Johnson to move to 13-0 with the win. The No. 2 Dukes and SFU drew a crowd of 4,852.
Jan. 8, 1955
Saint Francis 82, No. 2 (AP) Duquesne 72
A near-capacity crowd of 4,841 watched Maurice Stokes and Saint Francis upset the second-ranked Dukes 82-72. The win was SFU's first in the modern history of the series. Stokes finished with 24 points. DU's Sihugo Green took game scoring honors with 26.
Mar. 3, 1956
Duquesne 82, Saint Francis 69
Sihugo Green scored 20, Mickey Winograd 19 and Dick Ricketts 18 as the NIT-bound Dukes held off SFU for the win before 3,959 fans.
Mar. 2, 1957
Duquesne 90, Saint Francis 81
The Dukes closed the game with a 16-7 run to claim victory. Bernie Matthews (30 points), Dave Ricketts (29 points) and Bob DePalma (22 points) combined for all but nine of DU's points. There were a total of 88 free throw attempts in the hard-fought game played before 1,783 fans.
Mar. 8, 1958
Saint Francis 82, Duquesne 72
In a game marked by a benches-emptied, first-half brawl, NIT-bound Saint Francis moved to 20-4 with a 91-77 win over the Dukes before 4,125. The game, which was head coach Dudey Moore's last at Duquesne ended Duquesne's season at 10-12. It was DU's first losing season in 20 years.
Mar. 7, 1959
Saint Francis 75, Duquesne 63
A crowd of 4,100 saw Saint Francis finish its season with a 20-5 record, while the Dukes ended at 13-11 in their first season under Red Manning.
Mar. 5, 1960
Saint Francis 84, Duquesne 69
A total of 2,162 fans braved a snowstorm to watch Saint Francis win its third consecutive home game over the Dukes by an 84-69 score. The 15-point margin of victory was SFU's largest in the series up to that time. Paul Benec scored a game-high 29 points for Duquesne. Wilbur Trosch led Saint Francis with 26. The win gave SFU a final record of 14-9, while Duquesne ended up at 8-15.
Mar. 11, 1961
Duquesne 39, Saint Francis 36
Saint Francis, playing a deliberate style that saw it hold the ball for one six-minute stretch of the first half, led 32-31 before Bill Stromple hit a key bucket and Mike Rice added another score and a couple of key free throws to give Duquesne a three-point win before a crowd of 1,860. Bob Slobodnik scored 17 of his game-high 20 points in the first half for DU.
Feb. 23, 1962
Duquesne 74, Saint Francis 61
Duquesne, led by 21 points each from Mike Rice and Clyde Arnold, pulled away late to up its record to 18-5 in front of a crowd of 3,125. The Dukes, who finished fourth in the NIT, ended the season with a 22-7 record.
Jan. 13, 1971
Duquesne 111, Saint Francis 71
Jarrett Durham led six Dukes in double figures with 21 points in a game played before 3,000 fans. Barry Nelson added 20 points and 17 rebounds in a physical game that saw a total of 59 fouls called. Duquesne, which ended its season with an appearance in the NCAA East Regional, finished 21-4 with a No. 15 final AP rank.
TRENDING
• Duquesne's early 85.7 ppg. scoring average is on school record pace (85.8 in 1971).
• The Dukes, who have scored 70 or more in every game, and topped 90 four times, are averaging 11 3-pointers per game.
• Junior L.G. Gill is coming off a career-high 22-point outing vs. UMBC. Gill also set career highs for rebounds (10) and 3-pointers (6-of-7) vs. the Retrievers. Gill, who made his last six "3s" vs. UMBC, was 2-of-13 from the arc in DU's three previous games.
• Senior Jeremiah Jones went 8-of-12 in scoring a career-high 20 vs. UMBC.
• Seven Dukes: Micah Mason, Derrick Colter, L.G. Gill, Jeremiah Jones, Darius Lewis, Eric James & TySean Powell, have posted double-digit scoring games. Four have scored 20 or more (Colter, Gill, Jones & Mason).
