GAME 4 | DUQUESNE (1-2) at Longwood (0-2)
Wed. Nov. 17, 2021 • 11:00 a.m.
Willett Hall (1,807), Longwood, Va.
TV: ESPN+

Longwood is the only first-time opponent for the Dukes this season. The Lancers are the 174th unique opponent in Duquesne women's basketball history.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
• The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
• Live stats are available here.
• Follow @DuqWBB on Twitter and Instagram for in-game updates.

THE SERIES vs. LONGWOOD

• The Dukes and Lancers will be meeting for the first-time ever on the basketball court Wednesday morning.
• The matchup is also just the second time ever that the two schools are meeting on the hardwood
• The Duquesne and Longwood men's teams have only ever met one time - an 80-71 win for the Dukes on Dec. 9, 2018 at the former A.J. Palumbo Center.

SCOUTING LONGWOOD

• The Lancers were picked to finish third in the Big South Conference Preseason Poll - their highest preseason ranking ever.
• Longwood returns Big South Defensive Player of the Year Akila Smith and two-time All-Big South First Team selection Kyla McMakin this season.
• McMakin led the Big South in scoring for the second-straight season in 2020-21, dropping 17.9 ppg.
• She is averaging 14.5 points through two games this season, including 22 points in the season-opener at Maryland.
• McMakin was limited to seven points on 3-of-17 shooting by Stony Brook last week.
• McMakin was the 2019-20 Big South Freshman of the Year after averaging 18.8 ppg. that season.
• Smith was a First-Team All-Big South selection last season after averaging a double-double (15.7 points, 10.2 rebounds).
• Smith led the Lancers with 18 points in the loss to Stony Brook.

LONGWOOD VERSUS THE ATLANTIC 10

• Longwood has played against an A-10 member school in three of the past four seasons.
• The Lancers have lost each of their last three meetings against teams from the A-10, including a 77-65 setback to George Mason on Dec. 1, 2020.

DUQUESNE VERSUS THE BIG SOUTH

• The Dukes are 4-2 all-time versus schools from the Big South Conference, including wins in each of the last three games against league members.
• The last time Duquesne played a Big South member was an 81-54 win at Winthrop on Nov. 12, 2017.
• The Dukes' meeting with Longwood is just the third game against a Big South member since 2012.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Dukes picked up a 60-47 win over Lafayette in the home opener at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse Sunday afternoon.
• The Dukes led wire-to-wire after opening up the game with 16-straight points.
• The Dukes shot 22 of 64 (34 percent) from the field, but held the Leopards to just 16 of 55 (29 percent) on the defensive end.
• Duquesne was credited with 12 second-chance points and allowed only three to Lafayette.
• The Dukes improved to 34-16 in home openers all-time, including a 6-3 mark under Dan Burt.

SEEING DOUBLE

• Megan McConnell became the first Dukes player in the last 12 games to record a double-double when she posted 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in the team's win over Lafayette.
• It was the first-career double-double for McConnell, who had eight rebounds in the first half alone.
• She leads the team through three games with 7.7 rebounds per game.
• The last player to register a double-double was Amaya Hamilton, who finished with 12 points and 10 boards at VCU on Jan. 9, 2021.

LIKE FATHER LIKE DAUGHTER

• Tess Myers is leading the Dukes in scoring through three games with 14.7 points per game.
• Myers dropped 16 points in the opener at UCF and posted 17 in the setback at Tulsa on Thursday.
• Tess's father, Joey starred at Duquesne from 1980-83 playing for two NIT teams. He scored 831 points as a career .455 shooter. The 6-8 forward was one of the top shooting big men in the Atlantic 10 and had the nickname "Sonar Joey Myers" for his range. He played in the pre-3-point era until his senior season, where he moved inside as one of the big men Duquesne had (5-13 3PT) . He was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in the eighth round (179th overall).

ONE DEGREE OF SEPARATION

• Longwood Head Coach Rebecca Tillett was a successful high school coach for 15 years before getting her first collegiate job in 2013 as an assistant at Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania under Head Coach Tom McConnell - the uncle of Duquesne guard Megan McConnell.
• In addition to Tillett, Longwood Associate Head Coach Ryenn Micaletti also served as an assistant coach under Tom McConnell at IUP in 2013.

LOOKING BACK

• After dropping seven in a row at one point last season, the Dukes capped the 2020-21 regular-season with three victories in five games.
• Precious Johnson ranked second in the A-10 in field goal percentage, shooting 53.0 percent from the floor (44-of-83) on the season.
• In the Dukes' last five regular-season games, Megan McConnell dished out 12 assists compared to just three turnovers. At 5-7, she also pulled down 20 rebounds during that span.
• Tess Myers ranked fifth in the A-10 in three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 39.7 pct. of attempts from long range (25-of-63).

STORY LINES

• This will be Duquesne's first full season at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The Dukes scored a 71-63 victory on Feb. 18 over Rhode Island in the team's lone game at the newly-renovated facility last season. Duquesne was forced to play off campus the past three seasons and responded by going a combined 13-9 in "home games" at La Roche University, PPG Paints Arena, UPMC Events Center and Oakland Catholic High School.  
• Since taking over as head coach in 2013-14, Dan Burt has led the Dukes to 159 wins. Only Dayton (167) and Fordham (166) have amassed more wins during that span in the Atlantic 10. The Dukes are also one of three A-10 programs to post a winning season in six of the past seven seasons (Dayton, Fordham, & VCU).
• Since 2013-14, the Dukes have led the Atlantic 10 in scoring offense (2x), scoring margin, field goal percentage (2x), free throw percentage and assists per game (2x). Duquesne has ranked at least fourth in the conference in points per game, field goal percentage and assists per game in all but one season since 2014-15.
• The Dukes have earned wins against a Power-5 conference school in five of the past six seasons. Duquesne has defeated Pitt (5x), Penn State, and Virginia in that span.
• Head Coach Dan Burt's time on The Bluff has brought unmatched success. The Dukes have earned 10 postseason appearances and 10 20-win seasons in 14 seasons in the Steel City. Prior to joining the coaching staff in 2007-08, the Dukes had never earned a trip to the postseason or eclipsed 20 wins in a single season. In 2015-16, Duquesne earned its first bid to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed and earned dominant 21-point win over No. 8 Seton Hall.
• Duquesne has posted five 20 win seasons and five trips to the postseason since 2013-14. Burt has coached six of the 11 top scorers in program history and 11 of the 30 1,000-point scorers at Duquesne. Under his tutelage, the Dukes have earned 21 all-conference honors.
• Duquesne's top-eight scorers all return in 2021-22. The Dukes scored 999 points last season and 845 of those points were scored by players returning to the fold this season.  
  • AMANDA KALIN: Started each of the first six games, before suffering a season-ending injury ... Expected to return to the team later this season ... Led team with 15.5 points per game and scored in double figures four times ... Finished with 25 points and a season-high seven rebounds at Saint Francis (Pa.) ... Tallied 11 points and a season-best five assists versus Saint Bonaventure ... Dropped a career-high 32 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including a career-best five three-point shots, at Toledo ... Averaged 10.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 0.94 blocks per game in 2019-20 … Posted fourth triple-double in program history with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in win over La Salle … One of 23 players in the nation and only A-10 player to accomplish the feat during the 2019-20 season.
  • LIBBY BAZELAK: Limited to eight games with five starts ... Finished the season second on the team with 8.4 points per game ... Led the team with 3.3 assists per game ... Tallied 18 points and five rebounds at George Mason ... Established a season high with seven assists at La Salle ... Registered a season-high 19 points with five rebounds and four assists in an A10 Championship game versus La Salle  ... 2020 A-10 All-Conference Second Team  … Led Duquesne in scoring (13.2 ppg), rebounding (6.5 rpg), assists (3.9 apg), steals (1.3 spg), 3-point field goal percentage (.444) and free throw percentage (.758) in 2019-20.
  • LAIA SOLE: Appeared in all 16 games with 12 starts ... Ranked third on the team with 8.1 points per game ... Tied for the team lead with 5.7 rebounds per game ... Led team in total offensive (26) and defensive (65) rebounds ... Slotted fourth on the team with 1.4 assists per game ... Registered a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds at Ohio State ... Registered a season-high with 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting at Kent State ... Finished with 17 points and eight rebounds against Richmond ... Established a new career-high with 13 rebounds at George Mason ... Ranked second on the Dukes with 11.8 points per game in 2019-20 ... Recorded 38 of Duquesne's 72 points in a overtime win over Saint Francis, the most points for a Duke in the Dan Burt era.
  • PRECIOUS JOHNSON: Appeared in 14 games with 13 starts ... Slotted fourth on the team with 7.6 points per game ... Ranked second in the A10 with a 53.0 field-goal percentage ... Tied for the team lead and ranked 21st in the A10 with 5.7 rebounds per game ... Ranked fourth in the A10 with 1.5 blocked shots per game ... Finished just shy of a double-double with nine points, 10 rebounds and a season-high five blocks versus St. Bonaventure ... Established a season-high with 20 points to go with nine rebounds versus Rhode Island ... Registered a double-double with 15 points and season highs of 11 rebounds and five steals in an A10 Championship game versus La Salle
  • MEGAN McCONNELL:  Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Week (12/14/20) ... Appeared in all 16 games with nine starts ... Led the team and ranked 17th in the A-10 with 2.8 assists per game ... Led the team and ranked 12th in the A-10 with 1.4 steals per game ... Played a team-high 28.7 minutes per game ... Dished out a season-high six assists versus St. Bonaventure ... Finished with nine points, and season highs of six rebounds and three blocks while making her first start against VCU ... Established a season-high with 16 points to go with six rebounds and six assists versus Richmond ...  Scored 15 points and matched a season-best six rebounds against La Salle ... Registered a season-high four steals at George Washington

PROS ACROSS THE SEA: The following Duquesne graduates are playing professionally overseas.

• Nina Aho '20 (Aluinvent DVTK Miskolc / Hungary-A Division)
• Paige Cannon '20 (CAB Madeira / Portugal-Liga Feminina)
• Jose-Ann Johnson '15 (SIG Strasbourg / France-LF2)
• Eniko Kuttor '19 (Cegledi EKK / Hungary A-Division)
• Kadri-Ann Lass '19 (Embutidos Pajariel Bembibre /Spain-Liga Feminina)

FAMILY TIES

• Libby Bazelak: Brother, Connor is the starting quarterback at Mizzou. He was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2020 ... Sister, Maddy, played volleyball and graduated from Duquesne in 2019. In 2019-20 she played basketball at Ohio University as a graduate transfer.
• Amaya Hamilton: Father, Brian, played defensive tackle and was a captain at Notre Dame (1994) under legendary coach Lou Holtz. He signed as a free agent with the Atlanta  Falcons after graduation.
• Precious Johnson: Father, Stew, is the ninth all-time leading scorer in the history of the ABA. He played for seven different franchises (Kentucky Colonels, New Jersey Americans/New York Nets, Houston Mavericks, Pittsburgh Pipers/Condors, Carolina Cougars, San Diego Conquistadors, Memphis Sound, Baltimore Claws, San Diego Sails and San Antonio Spurs). He was a 3x all-star in the ABA. The Clairton, Pa. native went on to play professionally in Iceland and Sweden, where Precious was born and raised.
• Megan McConnell: "Pittsburgh's First Family of Hoops" Brother, TJ, a Duquesne (2010-12) and Arizona (2013-15) basketball standout is currently a member of the Indiana Pacers. He previously played for the Philadelphia 76ers ... Brother, Matty, was an 1,000- pt. scorer at Robert Morris ... Father, Tim, is one of the most successful basketball coaches in Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) history with eight combined WPIAL championships at Chartiers Valley High School as the boys (1992-2018) and girls (2018-present) coach ... Aunt, Suzie McConnell-Serio was an All-American at Penn State, Olympic Gold Medalist, and WNBA standout as a women's basketball Hall of Famer. She posted an 123-68 record as the Duquesne's women's basketball head coach, before taking the head job at Pitt (2013-18). Before coming to Duquesne, she was the head coach of the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx ... Aunt, Kathy McConnell-Miller, went to four NCAA tournaments at Virginia and has been a Division I head coach at Tulsa and Colorado and an  assistant coach at Pitt, Rutgers, and Illinois ... Uncle, Tom, is the head coach at Division II contender Indiana University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team. He previously served as the head coach of Saint Francis (Pa.) men's team and was an assistant coach for the men's teams at Wake Forest, Marquette, Dayton. He served as an assistant coach for Colorado and Old Dominion's women's teams.
• Tess Myers: Father, Joey, graduated from Duquesne and played basketball on two NIT Teams in 1980 and 1981, totaling 831 points. He was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in  1983 ... Sister, Natalie, was a Class 2A All-State selection at Burrell High School and led IUP in rebounding and ranked third in scoring as a senior on a team that ranked 8th in the nation in DII prior to the COVID-19 pandemic ... Sister, Taylor, was an 1,000 pt. scorer at Burrell High School.
• Aniya Walker: Father, Myron, is Robert Morris' all-time leading scorer (1,965 pts, 1990-94). He is a member of the Northeastern Conference Hall of Fame, RMU's Hall of Fame and Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame ... Cousin, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, played at Maryland and was the sixth overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft. She earned a spot on the WNBA All-Rookie Team in 2017 and won the WNBA Championship with the Washington Mystic in 2019.Walker-Kimbrough is one of only three players in WNBA history to hold a career free-throw percentage of at least 90 percent (Elena Delle Donne and Tiffany Mitchell) ... She currently plays for the Washington Mystics.

UP NEXT

• The Dukes will return home to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse for the "City Game" against rival-Pitt on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m.
• Last season marked the first time since 1982-83 that the City Game was not played.
• Although the Panthers hold the all-time series edge with 23 wins in 40 contests, the Dukes have enjoyed recent success in the City Game by taking nine of the past 11 meetings.
• In 2019 at the Petersen Events Center, Duquesne posted a 81-62 win -  its largest margin of victory over Pitt in the City Game series.
• The City Game will broadcast live on ESPN+.
• The contest will be preceded in the afternoon at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse by the Atlantic 10 Volleyball Championship Semifinal matches.