G7 | VMI (3-6) at DUQUESNE (6-0)
Wed., Dec. 4, 2019 • 7:00 pm ET • McCandless, Pa. • Kerr Fitness Center (1,200)

LIVE STREAM: ESPN+ with Tim Benz & Ellis Cannon
RADIO: WJAS-AM 1320 / iHeartRadio with Ray Goss ('58) & Jarrett Durham ('71)
IN-GAME STATS: Sidearm

Duquesne (6-0), off to its best start since 2007-08, returns from Thanksgiving break to face VMI (3-6) on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 7:00 p.m. at Kerr Fitness Center on the campus of La Roche University (ESPN+). This is the third of four non-conference home games the Dukes will play at La Roche while renovation work continues on the on-campus UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (scheduled to open in 2020-21). The Dukes, who are coming off wins over Indiana State, Air Force and Loyola Marymount at the Junkanoo Jam in Bimini, Bahamas (Nov. 21-24), are looking to go 7-0 for the first time in 39 years (7-0 by the 1979-80 NIT team). Leading scorer Sincere Carry was named the Junkanoo Jam MVP, while Michael Hughes (11 blocks in DU's last two games) earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

TRENDING
Duquesne is looking to open 7-0 for the first time in 40 years

Last 7-0	1979-80
Last 8-0	1971-72
Last 9-0	1968-69
Last 10-0	1953-54*

* The 1953-54 team opened a school-record 22-0

• DU's six-game win streak is the longest since Dambrot's first Duquesne team reeled off seven in a row in December of 2017.
• The Dukes rank fifth nationally in 3-point defense (.238) & 12th in scoring defense (57.2). Indiana State is the only team to score over 70 against Duquesne this year (74-71 DU win).
• The balanced Dukes five players averaging between 9.5 and 13.0 points per game, led by preseason Third Team All-A-10 pick Sincere Carry (13.0 ppg). Five players have either led, or tied for the team lead, in scoring through six games.
• Carry, who was named the Junkanoo Jam MVP, is shooting 52 percent from the field. His .455 success rate from 3-point is 14% better than last year's .315.

DU has outscored opponents 248-173 in the second half on the young season:

Points	1st	2nd	Difference
Duquesne	30.7	41.3	+11.4
Opponent	28.3	28.8	+0.5

 

• Junior center Michael Hughes has 11 blocks in DU's past two games (five vs. Air Force and six vs. LMU).
• Six-eleven grad transfer Baylee Steele leads the Dukes with 11 3-pointers (11-of-27, .407). He entered the season 2-of-11 from the arc in 68 career Division I games.
• DU's Nov. 12 win over Lamar was the 450th for third-year DU coach Keith Dambrot, who is in his 22nd season.
• The Dukes are 32-3 when leading with 5:00 left under Keith Dambrot.

THE SERIES vs. VMI
Series Record: Tied 1-1
At Pittsburgh: Duquesne leads 1-0
At Lexington, Va.: Never met
Neutral: VMI leads 1-0
 

Mar. 12, 1977	N1	L	66-73
Nov. 14, 2017	H	W	77-61

N1 - NCAA Tournament East Regional, Raleigh, N.C.

NOTES
Southern Conference ... located in Lexington, Va. ... this will be the third meeting between the Dukes and Keydets and second in the past three years ... DU defeated VMI, 77-61, in Keith Dambrot's second game at Duquesne on Nov. 14, 2017 ... the 2017 meeting was the first between the two since VMI's 73-66 win over DU in the first round of the NCAA East Regional at Raleigh, N.C. on Mar. 12, 1977 ... the Keydets return five of six players who started 16 or more games for last year's 11-21 team led by senior G Garrett Gilkeson (10.9 ppg., 88 assists, 48 3-pointers, 52 steals) and junior G Myles Lewis (10.5 ppg.) ... 6-9 sophomore C Jake Stephens (7.0, 3.5, 41 3-pointers) and 6-10 senior C Tyler Creammer (5.5, 5.4) are also back ... Dan Earl, a former player at Penn State, is in his fifth season as head coach of the Keydets ... Earl came to VMI after serving as an assistant at both PSU and Navy.

VMI THIS YEAR

• VMI opened the season with nine games in a 21-day span.
• The Keydets are 0-3 on the road with losses at East Carolina, Arkansas State and in a Southern Conference game at UNCG.
• VMI had three losses by three or fewer points in its first five games (0-5).
• The Keydets are getting over 45 percent of their scoring from a quartet of true freshmen: Kamdyn Curfman (12.1), Travis Evee (8.3), Sean Conway (7.6) and Louis Tang (5.8).
• Dan Earl, who is in his fifth season at VMI, is 0-5 all-time against Atlantic 10 schools.