Duquesne (6-6), which came off a week-long break for final exams, with a 74-62 win over Jackson State on Monday, closes out the non-conference portion of the schedule against Colgate (2-10) at Palumbo Center on Thursday, Dec. 22 at 2:00 p.m. (Atlantic 10 Network). The Dukes will be looking for their third consecutive victory against a Colgate team that has dropped six in a row, including a 77-62 defeat at No. 25 (AP) Notre Dame on Monday.
THE SERIES
Series Record: Tied 1-1
At Pittsburgh: Never met
At Hamilton, N.Y.: Tied 1-1
- This is the first meeting between the Dukes and Raiders since 1952. The series stands even at 1-1. It is the first meeting between the two in Pittsburgh.
- Colgate, which is off to a 2-10 start, finished 13-17 last season (9-9 tied for fourth in the Patriot League). The Raiders return four starters, including third and fifth-leading scorers Jordan Swopshire (11.5 ppg., 31 3-pointers this season) and Tom Rivard (6.7 ppg.).
- Colgate, which averaged 8.9 3-pointers per game last season, is averaging 9.1 per game in 2016-17. Leading scorer Will Rayman (13.4 ppg., 20 3-pointers), second-leading scorer Sean O'Brien (11.8, 22) and Swopshire (31) all have at least 20 3-pointers. Colgate began the week ranked 43rd nationally in 3-pointers made per game.
- Nine of Colgate's first 12 games have been played either on the road (1-6) or at neutral sites (0-2).
- The Raiders are in their sixth season under head coach Matt Langel.
- Colgate is coming a 77-62 loss at No. 25 (AP) Notre Dame on Monday. Will Rayman and Nathan Harries led the Raiders with 18 and 17 points respectively. Colgate shot 57.7 percent in outscoring the Irish 42-41 in the second half.
- Duquesne is 40-14 all-time against the schools that comprise the current Patriot League.
LAST GAME - DUQUESNE 74, JACKSON STATE 62
Duquesne posted its first wire-to-wire win of the season, never trailing in its 74-62 win over Jackson State on Monday ... Tarin Smith led the Dukes with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in 36 turnover-free minutes ... Smith's point total was one shy of his career high and his assist and rebound totals tied his career-best ... the first-year Nebraska transfer scored 17 of his points in the second half ... freshmen Mike Lewis II and Isiaha Mike added 18 and 12 points respectively as the Dukes evened their record at 6-6 ... DU limited JSU to 35.5 percent shooting ... the Dukes outrebounded the Tigers 44-36 .. Jackson State's 29 fouls were two shy of the Ferry Era opponent high of 31 committed by Omaha in last year's CBI opening round game ... three JSU players fouled out and two others finished with four ... Duquesne's largest lead was 18 at 44-26 with 17:20 left ... Duquesne led for 39:12 ... the game was tied for 48 seconds.
TRENDING
- Mike Lewis II (11.8 ppg.) is DU's first three-time Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week (Nov. 14, Nov. 28 & Dec. 5) since Derrick Colter in 2013. Lewis II has scored in double digits in DU's past six games, and is averaging 16.0 ppg. over that span. He has hit at least two 3-pointers in each of the six games.
- First-year Nebraska transfer Tarin Smith, who has a team-high eight double-digit games, scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half vs. Jackson State. Smith tied his career highs for assists (6) and rebounds (7) in 36 turnover-free minutes.
- The Dukes are 3-0 with sophomore forward Nakye Sanders in the starting lineup (Pitt, CCSU & Jackson State). Sanders, who made his first career start vs. Pitt on Dec. 2, has missed just 11 shots this season (27-38, .711). He posted his first career double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds off the bench vs. Robert Morris on Dec. 6.
- DU has held five teams under 40 perent shooting this season: Loyola, Md. (.365), UT Martin (.348), Cleveland State (.385), Pitt (.333) and Jackson State (.355). The Dukes are 4-1 in those games.
- Duquesne averaged 16.8 turnovers in going 3-5 in its first eight games. DU has turned it over just 12.3 times per game in winning three of its last four.
- The center trio of Nakye Sanders (.711), Darius Lewis (.490), and Jordan Robinson (.444) is shooting a combined 60-of-107 (.561) from the field.
- Duquesne has yet to play with its complete roster this season. Sophomore guard Josh Steel missed the first five games, plus the last five (suspension). Grad transfer Kale Abrahamson, who missed DU's first nine games (broken bone in his hand), made his debut on Dec. 6 vs. Robert Morris.
QUICK NOTES
- Four of DU's top five scorers are first-year players. Freshman Mike Lewis II (11.8 ppg.), Nebraska transfer sophomore Tarin Smith (11.3 ppg.) and graduate transfer Emile Blackman (10.9 ppg.) rank one, two and three, and freshman Isiaha Mike is the Dukes' fifth-leading scorer at 9.4 ppg. None of DU's top seven scorers averaged more than 9.2 minutes per game last season.
- DU has had five different leading scorers (Tarin Smith, Mike Lewis II, Rene Castro, Emile Blackman & Isiaha Mike) and five different leading rebounders (Blackman, Smith, Nakye Sanders, Darius Lewis & Mike) in 12 games. Blackman, Lewis, Mike & Sanders have all had double-digit rebound games and Smith, Lewis II, Castro & Blackman have all posted 20-point scoring games.
- Mike Lewis II (11.8 ppg.) & Isiaha Mike (9.4 ppg.) have a chance to become just the second freshman duo in school history to average double digits in the same season. The only DU freshmen who have averaged 10 or more in the same season are Bruce Atkins (13.8 ppg.) and Doug Arnold (10.7 ppg.) who did it in 1978-79.
NEXT UP
Duquesne opens Atlantic 10 play on Friday, Dec. 30 at 7:00 p.m at Fordham. (A-10 Network).
