PREVIEW: @DuqMBB vs. American

Dukes back home for Sunday matinee

G7 | AMERICAN (2-4) at DUQUESNE (2-4)
Sun., Nov. 28, 2021 • 2:00 pm ET • Pittsburgh, Pa. • UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (3,500)

LIVE STREAM: ESPN+ with Josh Taylor & Ellis Cannon
RADIO: 104.7 HD2 / iHeartRadio with Ray Goss ('58) & Jarrett Durham ('71)

Duquesne (2-4), which went 1-2 at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands last week, returns home to face American University (2-4) on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 2:00 p.m. at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (ESPN+).

This is the first meeting between the Dukes and Eagles since 1976. DU leads the overall series 18-2, including a 10-0 mark at home.

American, who has played just one home game this season, comes to Pittsburgh looking to snap a four-game losing streak.

DU on the other hand has dropped its past two home games (to Hofstra and Weber State). Despite the two losses, Duquesne is 43-19 at home under Keith Dambrot, including a 22-6 mark in non-conference games. The Dukes are 14-4 in non-conference home games - including wins at four different "home" venues since 2018-19.

The Dukes are coming off a 78-70 win over Bradley last Monday. DU, led by Leon Ayers III 23 points off the bench, had five double-digit scorers in their top shooting day of the young season (.483).

TRENDING

Duquesne shot a season-best .483 in its 78-70 win over Bradley last Monday. DU which shot under 40 percent in its first four games: .393 vs. Rider, .379 vs. Hofstra, .356 vs. Weber State & .311 vs. Northeastern, is shooting .448 in its past two.
The Dukes have gone 17-of-38 (.447) from 3-point in their past two games.
First-year TCU transfer Kevin Easley Jr. has scored in double digits in five of DU's first six games. Easley Jr. leads the Dukes with a 12.7 ppg. scoring average and 10 3-pointers (.455).
Easley Jr. is one of four Dukes averaging in double figures: Tre Williams (12.0), Primo Spears (11.3) and Leon Ayers III (10.7) are the others.
Ayers III came off the bench to score a game-high 23 points in 34 minutes vs. Bradley. Ayers III averaged 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals at the three-game Paradise Jam. Ayers III has had three or more steals in four of DU's first six games (he has 16 in four games).
First-year Indiana State transfer Tre Williams, who led the Missouri Valley Conference in blocks last season (37), leads the Dukes with 18 rejections. The 6-7 F/C blocked seven shots vs. Colorado on Nov. 20. Williams averaged 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game at the Paradise Jam.
Williams, who went 3-of-10 from the 3-point arc in 55 games at ISU, is 3-of-18 from the arc through six games at Duquesne.
Freshman guard Jackie Johnson III, who had six points in DU's first two games, scored 27 off the bench vs. Weber State on Nov. 15. It was the most points off the bench by a Duke since Jordan Stevens had 27 at Abilene Christian on Nov. 22, 2014. Johnson III scored 18 of DU's 27 second-half points vs. WSU. Johnson III is shooting .450 (9-20) from the 3-point arc.
Freshman guard Primo Spears was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week on Nov. 15 after averaging 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals in DU's first two games. Spears leads the Dukes with 15 assists.

DUKES AND EAGLES
Series Record: Duquesne leads 18-2
At Pittsburgh: Duquesne leads 10-0
At Washington, D.C.: Duquesne leads 8-2
Neutral Site: Never met
Keith Dambrot vs. American: Never met

Duquesne leads the series 18-2, including a 10-0 advantage in games played in Pittsburgh ... this is the first meeting between the two since a 79-75 DU road win on Dec. 18, 1976 ... the two schools met eight times (four home-and-away series) in the decade of the 1970's ... the series dates back to 1928.
American is in the middle of a stretch of eight consecutive games at road or neutral sites (AU opened with a 77-73 OT home win over Marist).
Mike Brennan is in his ninth year as head coach of the Eagles. He notched his 100th win at AU at William & Mary on Nov. 12. Brennan was an assistant at Princeton (seven years), American (two years) and Georgetown (four years) before taking over at American in 2013-14. Brennan led the Eagles to a 20-13 record and NCAA Tournament appearance in his first season.
American was picked to finish fifth in the 10-team Patriot League
This is Keith Dambrot's first meeting with American.

LAST GAME
Duquesne 78, Bradley 70
Nov. 22, 2021 • U. of Virgin Islands Arena • St. Thomas, V.I.

Game 6 Recap

Leon Ayers came off the bench to lead five Dukes in double figures with a career high-tying 23 points to help DU snap a four-game losing streak.
Tre Williams had 15 points (3 blocks), Primo Spears scored 14 and Jackie Johnson III and Kevin Easley Jr. added 12 and 10 respectively for the Dukes.
DU, which was down 10-0 early, took the lead for good with 6:46 left in the first half. It was the 16th time Duquesne has erased a double-digit deficit under Keith Dambrot. All 16 of the comebacks have occurred since 2018-19.
Duquesne's largest lead was 16, at 53-37 with 12:59 left ... Bradley's largest lead was 10-0 at the game's outset ... there were five ties and five lead changes before Ayers III gave Duquesne the lead for good on a pair of free throws with 6:46 left in the first half ... Duquesne led for 27:32 ... Bradley led for 9:38.

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