GAME 8 | DUQUESNE (3-4) vs Canisius (2-4)
Wed. Dec. 1, 2021 • 4:00 p.m.
UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (4,242), Pittsburgh, Pa.
TV: ESPN+

The Dukes have won each of the past 12 meetings against teams from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

The last time a MAAC team defeated Duquesne was Siena in 2004.

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. CANISIUS

• The Dukes and Golden Griffins are playing for the seventh time overall and first time since 2010.
• Duquesne has won each of the past three meetings, including both ends of a home-and-home series with Canisius in 2009 and 2010.
• The Dukes edged out the Griffins 72-70 in double-overtime in 2009 at the Palumbo Center, before handling Canisius 59-35 in the 2010 contest in Buffalo.
• Canisius won each of the first three games in the series, including a 75-71 victory over the Dukes in the 1982 Pennwood West Conference Tournament at the Civic Arena

SCOUTING CANISIUS

• After starting the season with three-straight losses, the Golden Griffins have won two of their last three games.
• Canisius scored wins over Colgate and Detroit Mercy, before falling to Robert Morris this past Saturday in Buffalo.
• Leading scorer Dani Haskell (16.2 ppg.) led the team with 24 points in the win over Detroit Mercy. She also finished with a team-high 18 in the loss to Robert Morris.
• Kayla Jackson (9.0 rpg.) has recorded double-digit rebound totals in four of the team's six games, including a season-high 12 in a loss to St. Bonaventure earlier in the season.
• The Golden Griffins were picked to finish 11th in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll.

DUQUESNE vs. THE MAAC

• The Dukes are 20-3 all-time versus teams from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
• Duquesne has won each of the past 12 contests against foes from the league, including a win at Siena this past Saturday afternoon.
• The Dukes last loss to a team from the MAAC was in 2004 at Siena, 62-58.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Dukes out-scored Siena 17-9 in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 59-49 win in Loudonville Saturday afternoon.
• Megan McConnell led the Dukes with 17 points, four assists, four steals and three rebounds. She played all 40 minutes of the game.
• Libby Bazelak was one point shy of a double-double with nine points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
• The Dukes were an efficient 11 of 12 at the line, while the Saints did not attempt any free throws.
• It was the first-time in the Dan Burt-era that an opponent did not go to the charity stripe and the lowest foul total (4) for the Dukes during that time span.
• Duquesne and Siena each committed 26 turnovers, apiece.
• The 26 turnovers for the Dukes match a single-game high since 2013, while the 26 takeaways also equal a single-game high for Duquesne under Coach Burt.

TAKING AWAY THE TOP OPTION

• Duquesne held the leading scorers for Akron and Siena below their season-average in those victories.
• Akron leading scorer Jordyn Dawson (24.0 ppg.) was limited to just four points on 1-of-11 shooting against the Dukes.
• Siena leading scorer Rayshel Brown (13.5 ppg.) was held to 11 points on a 5-of-14 performance from the field.

HITTING THE GLASS

• Guards Megan McConnell and Libby Bazelak lead the team with 5.4 rebounds per game, apiece.
• Bazelak finished with 10 rebounds in the team's most-recent win over Siena. It was the seventh game of Bazelak's career with 10 rebounds or more and just the first in which she did not record a double-double.
• McConnell has hauled in at least three rebounds in all seven games this season, including a career-high 13 rebounds in the win over Lafayette.

CONFERENCE LEADER

• Megan McConnell leads the Atlantic 10 and ranks 42nd in the nation with 2.86 steals per game.
• Her 20 total steals are the most in the league and slots her 17th overall.
• McConnell has posted four steals in each of the team's past two games.

CIRQUE DU "SOLE"

• Laia Sole was 9-of-12 (75 percent) from the field in her 22-point outing in the team's win over Akron last week.
• Sole, who is just 16 points away from 1,000 for her career, was averaging 1.8 ppg. through four appearances this season prior to the game against the Zips.
• It was the ninth career game of 20 points or more for the native of Spain, and her first since she scored 23 at Kent State on Dec. 21, 2020.
• Sole has scored 666 points as a member of the Dukes. Before transferring to Duquesne, she was the 2016-17 America East Sixth Man of the Year as a freshman at Maine.
• She scored 318 points during her lone season with the Bears.

LIKE FATHER LIKE DAUGHTER

• Tess Myers leads the Dukes in scoring with 11.4 ppg. and has already knocked down as many three-point shots through seven games this season (21) as she did during the entire 16-game 2020-21 season (25).
• She currently leads the A-10 and ranks 27th in Division I with 3.0 three-point field goals made per game.
• Although Myers did not score in double-figures in either of the past two games against Akron and Siena, she has still managed to convert multiple three pointers in every game this season.
• 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).

WELCOME BACK HALLE

• After missing each of the past two seasons, Halle Bovell made her season-debut for the Dukes vs. Pitt on Nov. 20, playing five minutes and posting one rebound.
• Bovell did a little bit of everything in the team's win over Akron three days later.
• Bovell played 25 minutes and finished with seven rebounds, three assists and a steal.
• Prior to the game against Pitt, Bovell's last time on the floor in an actual game was on March 9, 2019 in an A-10 Championship Semifinal loss to Fordham at the A.J. Palumbo Center.
• She appeared in 32 games with nine starts for the Dukes in the 2018-19 season.
• Bovell went 987 days between appearances on the floor for the Dukes.

ONE MILESTONE DOWN

• Libby Bazelak became the first player since Paige Cannon in 2019 to reach 500 career rebounds when she pulled in the milestone board in the team's loss at Pitt.
• Bazelak, who currently ranks third all-time in school history with a .377 three-point field goal percentage, is only 104 points away from 1,000 career points.

LOCK DOWN D

• In all three of their wins, the Dukes have held opponents to under 50 points and won by double digits.
• Duquesne held an opponent to under 50 points just once during the 2020-21 season (George Mason) and did not win any games by double digits.

 LOOKING BACK AT 2020-21

• 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 to earn the No. 9 seed in the A-10 Championship.
• Duquesne had 10 different players start at least one game.
• Amanda Kalin was averaging 17.0 ppg. through the first five games when she was lost for the season due to an injury in the team's sixth game at Dayton.
• Libby Bazelak - a 2020 Second Team A-10 All-Conference guard - was limited to eight 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.
• 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 161 wins. Only Dayton (170) and Fordham (168) 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.