G13 | DAYTON (10-4, 6-3) at DUQUESNE (6-6, 5-5)
Tues., Feb. 2, 2021 • 9:00 pm ET • Pittsburgh, Pa. • UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse

TELEVISION: ESPN2 with Doug Sherman & Tim Welsh
RADIO: WJAS-AM 1320 / iHeartRadio with Ray Goss ('58) & Jarrett Durham ('71)

PLEASE NOTE: game has been moved to ESPN2

Duquesne (6-6, 5-5), winner of three of four, looks to move above .500 for the first time since Jan. 2 when it hosts Dayton (10-4, 6-3) on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2) in the first game at DU's newly renovated UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

This is the first game on campus for the displaced Dukes since Mar. 9, 2019 (a span of 694 days). Duquesne played home games at three venues - Division III La Roche University's Kerr Fitness Center, Robert Morris' UPMC Events Center and PPG Paints Arena - during the 22-month renovation project.

Located on the site of the former A.J. Palumbo Center, UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse - named after DU alumnus and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Chuck Cooper - the first Black player drafted by an NBA team - will serve as the home for men's and women's basketball as well as volleyball.

The Dukes, who are coming off back-to-back wins at Fordham and vs. Saint Joseph's are looking to avenge a 72-63 loss at Dayton on Jan. 23. Dayton, winner of two in a row, is 3-2 on the road including A-10 victories at Davidson and at Saint Louis.  

TRENDING

• This is Duquesne's first game on campus since Mar. 9, 2019 (vs. Dayton) - a span of 694 days. The Dukes had to board a bus for 36 of their past 42 games (including "home" games) dating back to last season.
• DU has led for 76:14 of a possible 80 minutes in its past two games.
• The Dukes have outscored their past two opponents (at Fordham and vs. Saint Joseph's) 64-32 in the paint.
• The Dukes, who have held eight A-10 foes under 70 points, rank 2nd in scoring defense in conference play (62.4 ppg.) thru Saturday.
• DU ranked 9th nationally in 3-point pct. defense (.273) thru Saturday's games.
• Marcus Weathers, the only Duke to start all 12 g., has scored in double digits 11 times. He is coming off back-to-back double-doubles (19-12 at Fordham & 24-12 vs. Saint Joe's).
• Michael Hughes has posted double-doubles in three of DU's past four games: 15-10 vs. URI, 15-12 vs. St. Bonaventure & 13-11 at Fordham. The 6-8 Hughes, who has emerged as one of the better passing big men in the A-10, ranks second on the team with 24 assists.
• DU is getting significant contributions from five true freshmen in swingmen Chad Baker & Toby Okani, forward Andre Harris and guards Tyson Acuff & Mike Bekelja.
• Tavian Dunn-Martin ranks 9th on DU's career 3-pointers list with 139. He needs two to pass Courtney Wallace (140) and take over the No. 8 spot.
• Freshman Chad Baker has hit five or more 3-pointers in two of DU's past four games (5-5 vs. URI & 7-11 at Fordham). He is 17-of-38 from the arc (.447) on the season.

DUKES AND FLYERS
Series Record: Dayton leads 58-24
At Pittsburgh: Dayton leads 22-15
At Dayton: Dayton leads 35-6
Neutral Site: Duquesne leads 2-1
A-10 Regular Season: Dayton leads 36-10
A-10 Championship: Tied 1-1
MCC Regular Season: Tied 1-1
Dambrot vs. Dayton/at Duquesne: 1-10/1-6

• This is the 83rd meeting in a series that dates to Jan. 5, 1953. Dayton leads the series 58-24, including a 36-10 lead in Atlantic 10 regular season games. In games at Pittsburgh, UD leads 21-15. Duquesne is 1-2 against the Flyers at home under Keith Dambrot including a 70-62 Palumbo Center win in 2017-18, a 78-67 loss in the last game at Palumbo on Mar. 9, 2019 and a 73-69 loss to the #7 (AP) Flyers at PPG Paints Arena last year.
• Duquesne, which lost 16 in a row to Dayton from 1997 through 2004, is 9-20 against the Flyers in the past 29 games.
• Duquesne head coach Keith Dambrot is 1-10 vs. Dayton (1-6 at DU), with four losses coming when the DU coach was at Akron. Last year, Duquesne, down 55-36 with 12:45 left, pulled to within two in the final minute, but couldn't close the gap in falling to No. 7 (AP) Dayton, 73-69, at PPG Paints Arena.

THE ROAD TO THE FIELDHOUSE

• UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse is named in honor Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and Duquesne alumnus Chuck Cooper - the first African-American drafted by an NBA team in 1950 (Boston Celtics).
• Construction began on the facility - located on the same site of the former A.J. Palumbo Center - began in March of 2019. The project, which was interrupted for nearly two months in the summer of 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, took 22 months to complete.
• Duquesne's went 694 days without an on-campus "home" game. The last game the Dukes played at A.J. Palumbo Center was against Dayton on March 9, 2019.
• DU compiled a 13-6 record in 19 "home" games at three different venues over the past two seasons: La Roche University's Kerr Fitness Center (7-2), Robert Morris University's UPMC Events Center (3-1) and PPG Paints Arena (3-3).
• The Dukes had to board a bus for 36 of 42 games while displaced (La Roche is 10 miles from DU's downtown campus & Robert Morris is an 18-mile one-way trip). The only games DU did not have to bus to were those at PPG Paints Arena - home of the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins - which is located adjacent to the Duquesne campus.
• The playing floor from the old Palumbo Center was moved to the fourth floor of the campus' Power Center to provide the team with a practice venue during construction. The Power Center serves as the recreation center for the student body. The configuration of the Power Center did not allow for a locker room for the team.
• UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse features the Joe and Kathy Guyaux Player Development Center which includes two regulation practice basketball courts as well as the main arena floor.

LAST GAME
Duquesne 67, Saint Joseph's 50
Jan. 30, 2021 • Kerr Fitness Center • McCandless, Pa.

Game 12 Recap

• Duquesne never trailed in holding Saint Joseph's to season lows for points (50) and field goal percentage (.283).
• Marcus Weathers led the Dukes with a 24-12 double-double.
• Duquesne, which never trailed, held Saint Joseph's scoreless for over six minutes in building a 25-7 lead.
• DU held SJU to six field goals in building a40-17 halftime lead.
• The Dukes, who assisted on 17 of 26 field goals, finished with six turnovers. The six turnovers tied the Keith Dambrot Era low.
• Five Duquesne freshmen saw action in the game's first six minutes.
• Duquesne's largest lead was 25 on multiple occasions, with the last coming 46-21 with 10:23 ... Saint Joseph's never led ... Duquesne led for 37:41.