ASN Affiliate List - VCU at Duquesne
Duquesne (8-6, 1-0), coming off an Atlantic 10-opening 75-72 win at Fordham, returns home to host VCU (11-3, 1-0) on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 7:00 p.m. The game will be televised by ASN with Dave Armstrong and Tim Scarborough on the call. DU will be looking for its fifth consecutive victory against a VCU team that brings a five-game win streak to Pittsburgh. This will be the Rams' first visit to the A.J. Palumbo Center (DU's two previous home games versus VCU were played at PPG Paints Arena).
QUICK NOTES
- DU completed a 5-1 December with its win at Fordham on Friday. The Dukes - who have won four straight - are looking to match their longest win streak under fifth-year head coach Jim Ferry (set in 2013-14).
- Duquesne, which lost over 70 percent of its scoring from last season, has incorporated a number of newcomers into the 2016-17 rotation. DU's top four scorers are first-year players: freshman Mike Lewis II (12.1 ppg.), Nebraska transfer sophomore Tarin Smith (10.9 ppg.), graduate transfer Emile Blackman (10.7 ppg.) and freshman Isiaha Mike (10.1 ppg.). Lewis II has scored in double digits in DU's past eight games, while Mike has a four-game double-digit streak. Lewis II (three times) and Mike (twice) have combined to earn Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week five times in the first eight weeks he award has been presented.
- None of DU's top eight scorers averaged more than 9.2 minutes per game last year.
SERIES QUICK NOTES
- This is the fifth meeting between Duquesne and fifth-year A-10 member VCU ... last year, the Rams defeated the Dukes, 93-71 in Richmond ... in the last Pittsburgh meeting, #17 (AP) VCU defeated the DU, 70-64, at PPG Paints Arena.
- This will be VCU's first game at Duquesne's on-campus A.J. Palumbo Center ... the two previous Pittsburgh meetings were played at PPG Paints Arena (formerly CONSOL Energy Center), which is located one block from campus ... this is also VCU's first trip to Pittsburgh to play Duquesne while unranked ... VCU has the top RPI of any A-10 school at 31 (through Jan. 1).
- VCU, which finished in a three-way tie for first in the A-10 last season, was picked to finish third in the conference's preseason poll ... the Rams are in their second season under head coach Will Wade.
- This is just the fourth road game for the Rams who won by five at Liberty on Nov. 15 (64-59), by three at Old Dominion on Dec. 10 (67-64) and by nine (73-64) at George Mason on Friday.
- VCU snapped George Mason's nine-game win streak with a 73-64 win at Fairfax, Va. on Friday ... JaQuan Lewis led the Rams with 26 points ... VCU outscored Mason 46-32 in the paint and 11-4 in fast break points.
- The Rams are forcing 16.4 turnovers per game and limiting opponents to 65.1 ppg. ... DU has scored 63, 65, 64 and 71 points in four games against VCU.
- VCU is led by preseason second and third team All-Atlantic 10 picks senior forward Mo Alie-Cox (10.1, 4.1, 33 blocks) and senior guard JaQuan Lewis (16.1 ppg., 41 3-pointers, 57 assists, 33 steals) ... both Alie-Cox and Lewis were named to the five-man preseason A-10 All-Defensive Team.
LAST GAME
Duquesne 75, at Fordham 72
- The win was the fourth in a row - and fifth in six games - for Duquesne
- Emile Blackman led five Dukes in double figures with 17 points
- Mike Lewis II had 15 points, Kale Abrahamson added 12 and Isiaha Mike and Nakye Sanders added 10 each for DU
- Abrahamson - a first-year grad transfer - posted his first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench
- Duquesne, which didn't trail until the 4:26 mark of the game, was down 66-64 with 2:07 left, before Lewis II began a 9-0 run with a 3-pointer. Lewis II was 0-of-5 from the arc at the time. Lewis II scored five and Blackman four during the run
- Lewis II and Blackman combined to score the Dukes' final 15 points (over the last 6:12)
- Fordham, which entered the game turning over opponents at a rate of 20.7 per game (second nationally), was able to force just 13 DU miscues. Rene Castro came off the bench to post 7 points, 5 asissts and 4 rebounds with one turnover in 30 minutes
- Duquesne outrebounded Fordham 59-32. The +27 margin was DU's largest in five seasons under Jim Ferry
- DU turned its 20 offensive boards into a 19-8 advantage in second-chance points
- There were three ties and two lead changes ... Duquesne's largest lead was 12 at 40-28 with 19:41 left in the game ... Fordham's largest lead was two at 66-64 with 2:07 remaining ... Duquesne, which didn't trail for the first 34:56, led for a total of 36:02 ... Fordham led for 1:42 ... the game was tied for 2:16.
TRENDING
- Mike Lewis II (12.1 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 eight games, and is averaging 15.4 ppg. over that span. Lewis II, who went 5-of-21 from 3-point in his first six games, is 17-of-46 (.370) from the arc in his past eight.
- Freshman Isiaha Mike has been named A-10 Rookie of the Week twice (Dec. 12 & 26), marking the first time in school history DU has had two multiple Rookies of the Week (Lewis II has been named three times). Mike has scored in double digits in DU's past four games. He is averagin 14.5 ppg. over that span.
- First-year grad transfer Kale Abrahamson, who missed DU's first nine games with a broken bone in his hand, has 20 points and 11 rebounds in 39 minutes off the bench in DU's past two games. He is coming off his first career double-double (12-10) in 25 minutes at Fordham.
- The Dukes are 5-0 with sophomore forward Nakye Sanders in the starting lineup (Pitt, CCSU, Jackson State, Colgate & at Fordham). Sanders, who made his first career start vs. Pitt on Dec. 2, is shooting .653. He posted his first career double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds off the bench vs. Robert Morris on Dec. 6.
- Duquesne, which averaged 16.8 turnovers in going 3-5 in its first eight games, has turned it over just 11.7 times/g in winning five of its past six.
- DU has held seven teams under 40 perent shooting this season: Loyola, Md. (.365), UT Martin (.348), Cleveland State (.385), Pitt (.333), Jackson State (.355), Colgate (.371) & at Fordham (.388). The Dukes are 6-1 in those games.
- Duquesne is holding opponents to .408 shooting. The mark is the best by a DU team since 1971 (.389).
NEXT UP
Duquesne heads to Philadelphia to face La Salle on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 8:00 p.m. (ASN).
