G18 | (ARV) DUQUESNE (15-2, 5-0) at RHODE ISLAND (12-5, 4-1)  
Wed., Jan. 22 • 7:00 pm ET • Kingston, R.I. • Ryan Center (7,657)

LIVE STREAM: ESPN+ with Stone Freeman & Tyler Davey
RADIO: WJAS-AM 1320 / iHeartRadio with Ray Goss ('58) & Jarrett Durham ('71)

Duquesne (15-2, 5-0) takes a five-game win streak on the road to face Rhode Island (12-5, 4-1) on Wednesday, Jan. 22 (7:00 p.m./ESPN+). The Dukes, who have been idle since a 58-56 overtime home win over Fordham last Wednesday, are looking tie the school record for consecutive Atlantic 10 road wins (three) set in 2010-11. DU's 5-0 A-10 start is the school's best since 2010-11 (8-0) and 15-2 overall record best since 1971-72 (15-2). This is the third of four road games in a five-game stretch for the Dukes who have posted wins at Saint Joseph's and GW and head UMass following the Rhody game. Duquesne, which is among those receiving votes (13) in this week's AP Top 25, is one of five Division I schools yet to suffer a road loss (Baylor, Dayton, Gonzaga & San Diego State are the others).

TRENDING

• DU is among those receiving votes (13) in this week's AP Top 25. It is the fourth time the Dukes have received votes this season (Dec. 9, Dec. 16 & Jan. 13 are the others).
• DU's 15-2 start is the school's best since 1971-72 (15-2). The last team to open 16-2 was the 1970-71 NCAA team which reached an AP rank of No. 8 following its 19-2 start.
• This is the second time in 43 A-10 seasons that the Dukes are 5-0 in league play. The best all-time conference start was 8-0 in 2010-11.
• DU heads to URI looking to tie the school record for consecutive A-10 road wins (3) set in 2010-11.
• The Dukes have won eight in a row at home while playing at three different venues (PPG Paints Arena, D-III La Roche University and Robert Morris).
• DU enters the URI game as one of five Division I teams without a road loss (Baylor, Dayton, Gonzaga and San Diego State are the others).
• The Dukes rank fifth nationally - and first in the A-10 - in blocks/g. at 6.4 and lead the nation in block percentage (18.2) according to Kenpom.
• DU is the nation's 27th-best free throw shooting team at .765 and ranks 29th in 3-point pct. defense (.289) through Jan. 19.
• Duquesne has held four of five A-10 opponents under 40 percent from the field. DU is limiting A-10 opponents to 60.0 ppg.
• Junior Marcus Weathers, who is shooting a team-best .587, saw a streak of nine-straight double-digit games snapped with eight points and 10 rebounds vs. Fordham.
• Junior center Michael Hughes  ranks fifth nationally in blocks per game (3.18) and fourth in block pct. (KenPom). His 54 total blocks rank eighth in Division I.
• The balanced Dukes have six players averaging between 9.0 and 13.9 points per game.
• Seven players have either led, or tied for the team lead, in scoring and six have scored 20 or more in a game: Marcus Weathers, Tavian Dunn-Martin, Sincere Carry, Michael Hughes, Baylee Steele and Lamar Norman Jr..
• Under Keith Dambrot, DU is: 41-3 when leading with 5:00 left ... 38-10 when scoring 70 or more points ... 33-3 when the first to 70 points in a game ... 32-7 when holding opponents under 70 (including 13-0 this year).
• Duquesne is 8-13 in road games - including 8-12 in A-10 play - under Keith Dambrot. Duquesne's four A-10 road wins last season (at Richmond, at GW, at Fordham & at George Mason) tied the program record. It was just the fourth time a Duquesne team posted four A-10 road wins. The Dukes are 2-0 on the road this season, with both wins coming in conference play (at Saint Joe's and at GW).

DUKES AND RAMS
Series Record: Rhode Island leads 33-26
At Pittsburgh: Rhode Island leads 14-13
At Kingston: Rhode Island leads 19-11
Neutral Site: Duquesne leads 2-0
A-10 Regular Season: Rhode Island leads 30-22
A-10 Championship: Duquesne leads 2-1
Dambrot vs. Rhode Island: 1-3
Dambrot vs. Rhode Island at Duquesne: 1-1

• This is the 60th meeting in a series that dates to Jan. 13, 1966. Rhode Island, winner of 20 of the past 27, leads the all-time series 33-26. In games at Kingston, Rhody holds a 19-11 lead. DU has won two of the past four at Ryan Center, with the two losses coming by three points each (77-74 on Feb. 20, 2016 and 61-58 on a last-second 3-pointer on Jan. 27, 2018).
• Eleven of the past 13 meetings between the two (nine URI wins) have been determined by eight or fewer points. The average score of the past 13: Duquesne 71.5, Rhode Island 73.0 (929 points for DU to 949 points for URI).
• In its last trip to Ryan Center, Duquesne took No. 24 (AP) Rhode Island to the wire in a 61-58 defeat. The Dukes led for 29:59 in the game that was decided on a Sanford Robinson buzzer-beating 3-pointer. DU gained a measure of revenge, rallying from a 19-point deficit to defeat the Rams, 75-72, in Pittsburgh last year. Keith Dambrot is 1-3 vs. URI, with the first two meetings coming while at Akron. Jim Baron's Rams defeated the Zips at home, 79-50, on Jan. 3, 2009 and also won the next season in Akron, 68-63 on Jan. 5, 2010.

DENIED
The Dukes are limiting opponents to 61.2 points per game - it is the fourth-lowest average in school history. The 1954 team, which reached No. 1 in the AP poll - with a roster that included head coach Keith Dambrot's father, Sid - and the '55 NIT Champions are two of the three who have given up fewer ppg:
 

OPP. PPG	YEAR
53.5	1953-54
58.2	1954-55
61.1	1961-62
61.2	2019-20
63.4	1955-56
64.0	1958-59
64.9	1956-57

LAST GAME
Duquesne 58, Fordham 56 (OT) • Wednesday, Jan. 15, Pittsburgh, Pa.

• In a game that saw seven ties and 14 lead changes, Duquesne held on to defeat Fordham in a defensive battle at PPG Paints Arena.
• Duquesne, which shot .373, held Fordham to .356. DU went 10-of-25 from the arc to 11-of-27 for the Rams. Both teams had more 3-pointers than two-point field goals.
• The Dukes assisted on 17 of their 19 field goals.
• Lamar Norman Jr., who entered the game averaging 4.6 points per game, led the Dukes with a career high-tying 20 points on 6-of-10 3-point shooting.
• Marcus Weathers (8 points, 10 rebounds) saw a streak of nine consecutive games in double figures snapped.
• Michael Hughes finished with four blocked shots for the third-straight game.
• Fordham's largest lead was six, the last of which came at 36-30 with 16:57 left in the game ... Duquesne's largest lead was nine at 18-9 with 9:23 left in the first half ... there were seven ties and 14 lead changes before Duquesne took the lead for good on Baylee Steele's free throw with 21 seconds left in overtime ... Duquesne led for 22:14 ... Fordham led for 15:10.
• Duquesne is now 6-1 in overtime games under Keith Dambrot.