Duquesne (8-8, 1-2) returns home to face Saint Louis (4-11, 0-3) on Wed., Jan. 11 at 7:00 p.m. (Facebook Live with Tim Benz and Bob Healy on the call). This is the first of two in a row at home for the Dukes, who are coming off an 88-81 defeat at La Salle on Saturday. Saint Louis, in its first season under head coach Travis Ford, comes to Pittsburgh looking for both its first road win (0-3) and first Atlantic 10 victory.
QUICK NOTES
- 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 - all starters - are first-year players: freshman Mike Lewis II (12.7 ppg.), graduate transfer Emile Blackman (11.7 ppg.), freshman Isiaha Mike (9.9 ppg.) and Nebraska transfer sophomore Tarin Smith (9.9 ppg.). None of DU's top eight scorers averaged more than 9.2 minutes per game last year.
- Emile Blackman (18.0 ppg.) and Mike Lewis II (16.3 ppg.) are the fourth-highest scoring duo in the Atlantic 10 in conference games only.
- Lewis II, who has scored in double digits in DU's past 10 games, and Isiaha Mike have combined to earn Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week five times - three for Lewis II and two for Mike.
SERIES QUICK NOTES
- This is the 24th game between Duquesne and 12th-year Atlantic 10 member Saint Louis ... Duquesne leads the overall series is 12-11 ... in A-10 regular season play, the Billikens lead 10-8 ... in games at Pittsburgh, the Dukes lead 6-5
- DU head coach Jim Ferry is 5-3 vs. SLU.
- Saint Louis had won seven of eight - including the last five in a row, before DU's upset win over the No. 10 (AP) Billikens at Chaifetz Arena on Feb. 27, 2014 ... the Dukes have won five of six since, including the past four in a row ... DU's average margin of victory in the four games has been +10.0 ppg.
- This is the eighth time the Dukes and Billikens will play home-and-home ... DU swept the series last season (2016) ... the two have split four times (2009, 2011, 2014 & 2015) and SLU has swept twice (2010 & 2012).
- This year's return match-up will be on Sat., Feb. 11 at Chaifetz Arena.
LAST GAME
LA SALLE 88, DUQUESNE 81
- Duquesne cut a 13-point deficit to three in a span of 4:08 of the second half, but couldn't pull out the victory.
- The Dukes had two possessions down three with under four minutes remaining.
- Rene Castro, who logged 28 minutes off the bench, scored all 19 of his points in the final 8:12 to lead the DU charge. Castro hit five 3-pointers during his scoring spree.
- La Salle quelled DU's comeback attempt from the foul line, hitting 20-of-20 in the second half, including 12-of-12 in the final 2:46.
- La Salle's 24-of-25 (.960) performance from the line was the best by a DU opponent in head coach Jim Ferry's five years at Duquesne.
- Emile Blackman (18 points), Isiaha Mike (14), Mike Lewis II (11) and Nakye Sanders (10) also scored in double figures for DU.
- There were five ties and eight lead changes before La Salle took the lead for good with 16:20 left.
- Duquesne had four more field goals - including four more 3-pointers - than La Salle ... the Dukes were outscored 24 to 5 from the foul line.
- DU had its second-straight strong 3-point shooting night, going 14-of-30 from the arc ... Castro (5-7) and Blackman (4-7) were a combined 9-of-14 ... the 14 3-pointers were a season high.
- Duquesne's largest lead was nine (20-11) with 10:50 left in the first half ... La Salle's largest lead was +13 (66-53) with 8:13 remaining ... Duquesne led for 16:39 and La Salle led for 18:30 ... the game was tied for 4:51.
TRENDING
- The Dukes are 23-of-46 from the 3-point arc in their past two games ... DU's 14 "3s" at La Salle on Saturday were a season high.
- Duquesne has scored 70 or more in its past six games (the Dukes are 4-2 over that span).
- DU has had five double-digit scorers in two of its three A-10 games (at Fordham & at La Salle).
- Freshman Mike Lewis II (12.7 ppg.), DU's first three-time Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week since Derrick Colter in 2013, has scored in double digits in DU's past 10 games. The St. Louis, Mo. native is averaging 15.7 ppg. over that span. Lewis II, who went 5-of-21 from 3-point in his first six games, is 22-of-55 (.400) from the arc in his past 10.
- 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 five of DU's past six games. He is averaging 13.2 ppg. over that span.
- Guard Rene Castro is averaging 12.7 ppg. off the bench in conference play. He is 13-of-26 from the field (7-of-13 from 3-point) and 5-of-6 from the line in three A-10 games.
- First-year grad transfer Kale Abrahamson, who missed DU's first nine games with a broken bone in his hand, is averaging 8.0 ppg. in conference play. He posted his first career double-double (12-10) in 25 minutes of the A-10 opener at Fordham.
- The Dukes are 5-2 with sophomore forward Nakye Sanders in the starting lineup. Sanders, who made his first career start vs. Pitt on Dec. 2, is shooting .633. He has scored in double digits in two of three A-10 games. His 8.0 rpg. average in conference play leads the team.
- Duquesne, which averaged 16.8 turnovers in going 3-5 in its first eight games, has turned it over just 12.1 times/g in winning five of its past eight.
- DU has held seven teams under 40 percent 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.
NEXT UP
Duquesne hosts Dayton at Noon on Saturday, Jan. 14 at PPG Paints Arena (CBSSN). The game is part of DU's Hall of Fame Weekend as the class of 2016-17 will be honored at halftime. Among those to be recognized are the 1969 & 1971 NCAA Tournament men's basketball teams, the 1936 football team (which played in the 1937 Orange Bowl), swimmer Katrina Streiner A'09 and football player Steve Sherer A'74.
