PITTSBURGH – On Thursday, the Duquesne women's basketball team announced its non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2019-20 season. The non-conference slate is highlighted by the Dukes' first-ever game at PPG Paints Arena, four additional home contests at local venues, the City Game against Pitt and a trip to Oklahoma State to close out the 2019 calendar year.

Due to renovation of the on-campus UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, the Dukes will play a single home game at PPG Paints Arena and Oakland Catholic High School, while La Roche University's Kerr Fitness Center will serve as a host site for the remaining three non-conference contests.

"The non-conference schedule that we have put together will challenge our team to get better and be well prepared for  Atlantic 10 play," said Duquesne women's basketball head coach Dan Burt. "We are excited to have Power-5 teams such as Pitt and Oklahoma State on the schedule along with always difficult Toledo and Kent State from the MAC."

The Dukes open up the campaign at PPG Paints Arena against Kent State in the second game of a doubleheader on Nov. 5. The Duquesne men's team will take on Princeton in the first game of the doubleheader, which tips off at 6:00 p.m.

The contest will serve as the first-ever game at PPG Paints Arena for the Duquesne women. However, it won't mark the first time the Dukes have played in the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, having played in 86 games at Civic Arena from 1974-1975 season to 1997-98. In its final game at the Civic Center, the Dukes defeated Pitt by a score of 68-62 on Feb. 5, 1998.

Kent State put together a 20-13 record a season ago, advancing to the second round of the WNIT. Duquesne topped the Golden Flashes by a score of 77-72 last season, to extend its lead in the all-time series to 5-2.

After the contest at PPG Paints Arena, Duquesne begins a five-game road trip with matchups against Temple (Nov. 8) and Manhattan (Nov. 10). Temple and Duquesne went down to the wire in 2018-19, as a free throw with seven seconds remaining proved to be the difference in a 54-53 Dukes victory at the Palumbo Center. The meeting between the Dukes and Jaspers will mark the first meeting in program history between the two schools.

The following week, the Dukes will be back in New York, taking on Iona on Nov. 15. The Dukes and Gaels played a home-and-home in 2016-17 and 2017-18, with Duquesne earning wins in both contests. The Dukes close out the weekend at Lafayette (Nov. 17) in Easton, Pa. The Dukes look to improve 4-0 all-time against the Leopards, after posting victories in 1997, 2015 and 2016.

The Dukes wrap up the road stretch back in the Steel City, taking on Pitt in the City Game at Peterson Events Center on Nov. 6. The Dukes have won eight of last 10 matchups against the Panthers.
Duquesne returns as a host just before the Thanksgiving holiday, taking on Central Connecticut State at Oakland Catholic High School's Donahue Pavilion on Nov. 26. DU and CCSU met two seasons ago, with the Dukes earning an 83-58 victory at the Palumbo Center.

Up next for the Dukes is Akron on Dec. 4. The Dukes will then play their first game at La Roche on Dec. 7, welcoming Toledo to the North Hills.

On Dec. 10, the Dukes will trek to the Finger Lakes region to face Ivy League foe Cornell, before returning home to take on Saint Francis (Dec. 15) and Kennesaw State (Dec. 20) at La Roche.

Duquesne will close out the non-conference slate at Oklahoma State on Dec. 30. The Dukes look to record a win over a Power-5 conference opponent for the sixth-consecutive season, having taken down six over the past five years. The game will mark the first meeting in program-history against Oklahoma State. Duquesne holds wins over Big 12 foes Kansas (80-63, 3/19/11) and West Virginia (62-54, 12/20/12).

Admission to games at La Roche University and Oakland Catholic will be free of charge. Game times along with the Atlantic 10 Conference Schedule will be announced at a later date.

2019-20 HOME NON-CONFERENCE GAMES BY VENUE

PPG Paints Arena
Tues., Nov. 5 – Kent State

OAKLAND CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL (Donahue Pavilion)
Tues., Nov. 26 – Central Connecticut State

La Roche University (Kerr Fitness Center)
Sat., Dec. 7 – Toledo                                                                                                                                                                                               
Sun., Dec. 15 – Saint Francis                                                                                                                                                  
Fri., Dec. 20 – Kennesaw State