G14 | DUQUESNE (6-7, 1-0) at FORDHAM (8-5, 1-0)    
Wed., Jan. 12, 2022 • 7:00 pm ET • Bronx, N.Y. • Rose Hill Gym (3,200)

LIVE STREAM: ESPN+ with Andrew Bogusch (pxp) & Andrew Posadas (analyst)
RADIO: 104.7 HD2 / iHeartRadio with Ray Goss ('58) & Jarrett Durham ('71)

Duquesne (6-7, 1-0), which came off a 19-day pause to defeat UMass, 78-74, in Amherst on Saturday, takes a three-game win streak to the Bronx, N.Y. to face Fordham (8-5, 1-0) on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+).

The Rams, who are 4-1 at home, have not played since a 69-61 win at La Salle on Dec. 30.

DU, which has won its past three A-10 openers (including a 5-0 start in 2020), hasn't opened conference play with back-to-back road wins since 1979-80 (the Dukes have opened with back-to-back road games a total of nine times in their A-10 history, including last year).

Freshman guards Jackie Johnson III (27 points)  - the Jan. 10 Rookie of the Week - and Primo Spears (21 points) led the Dukes to their first win at UMass since 2011. Kevin Easley Jr. added 10 points and a career-high five steals for the Dukes, who outscored the Minutemen 22-10 off turnovers.

Duquesne, whose 10.9 turnover/g. average is currently the lowest in school history, will be facing a Fordham defense that is forcing an average of 14.2 turnovers per game.

TRENDING

• DU's 10.9 turnovers per game average is the lowest in program history (11.0/g. in 2014 is the record). The Dukes set a new school record for fewest turnovers in a game with three vs. New Hampshire.
• Duquesne (Tyson Acuff, .500; Jackie Johnson III, .439 and Kevin Easley Jr., .415), Davidson & UMass are the only three A-10 teams with three players ranked among the Top 15 in 3-point percentage.
• Four Dukes enter Wednesday's game with 17 or more 3-pointers: Jackie Johnson III (18), Kevin Easley Jr., Tyson Acuff and  Leon Ayers III (17 each).  
• First-year TCU transfer Kevin Easley Jr. has scored in double digits in 12 of DU's 13 games - including the last nine in a row. He posted a career-high five steals to go along with 10 points on Saturday at UMass.
• First-year Mercer transfer Leon Ayers III, the Nov. 29 A-10 Player of the Week, has scored 20 or more a team-high four times.
• Second-year freshman Tyson Acuff has come off the bench to score in double digits in three of DU's past five games, including a career-high 16 points - with a career-high four 3-pointers (4-of-5) - vs. UC Irvine.
• Primo Spears, the Nov. 15 A-10 Rookie of the Week, has led the Dukes in scoring four times (tied with Leon Ayers III for team high). He posted his third 20-point game at UMass (21 points).
• Freshman guard Jackie Johnson III, the Jan. 10 A-10 Rookie of the Week, has scored 27 points in a game twice this season (vs. Weber State & at UMass). He is the first DU freshman to score 27 or more in multiple games since Robert Mitchell had 29 at Robert Morris and 28 at GW on the way to earning 2006-07 A-10 Rookie of the Year honors.
•  Junior Austin Rotroff, who is recovering from an early-season foot injury, has averaged 7.3 rebounds in 20 min/g. off the bench in DU's past three games.

DUKES AND RAMS
Series Record: Duquesne leads 28-16
At Pittsburgh: Duquesne leads 14-7
At Bronx: Duquesne leads 13-7
Neutral Site: Fordham leads 2-1
A-10 Regular Season: Duquesne leads 21-13
A-10 Championship: Fordham leads 1-0
Dambrot vs. Fordham: 7-1

• This is the 45th game in a series that dates to Dec. 22, 1949. Duquesne leads 28-16. In games played in New York, the Dukes lead 13-7. DU has won the past six meetings, with five of the six decided by eight or fewer points.
• DU has won eight of the past nine at Rose Hill Gym, including the past six in a row. Last year, Duquesne swept the season series (48-45 in Pittsburgh and 86-62 in the Bronx). The 24-point margin of victory at Fordham was DU's largest in an A-10 road game, eclipsing the previous mark of +23 (64-41) set at Fordham on Jan. 6, 2018.
• Duquesne's current six-game win streak matches the longest by either team in the series.
• This is the sixth consecutive season the two are playing home-and-home. The two split the regular-season series in 2017 & 2018, prior to DU sweeps in 2019, 2020 & 2021.
• Duquesne is 21-13 against the Rams in Atlantic 10 regular-season play.
• Keith Dambrot is 7-1 against Fordham with all eight meetings coming while at Duquesne.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
Duquesne's 10.9 turnovers per game average is on pace to be a school record low. Keith Dambrot-coached DU teams (in bold below) have posted four of the eight lowest turnover averages in school history:
 

Year	G	Turnovers	Per.G.
2022	13	142	10.9
2014	30	331	11.0
1995	28	322	11.5
2018	32	383	12.0
2012	31	374	12.1
2015	31	381	12.3
2020	30	379	12.6
2021	18	240	13.3

BALANCING ACT: The Dukes have five players averaging within three points of each other: Kevin Easley Jr. (12.6), Leon Ayers III (12.5), Primo Spears (11.7), Tre Williams (10.4) & Jackie Johnson III (9.6). Ayers III (four times), Spears (three times) and Johnson III (twice) have scored 20 or more this season. Seven Dukes have posted double-digit scoring games this season.

CLOSE CALLS: Duquesne led for 99:29 of a possible 125 minutes in three of its losses this season: 36:58 (never trailing in regulation) of its 84-76 OT loss to Colorado at the Paradise Jam, 32:45 in the loss to Bowling Green and 29:46 in the setback at Marshall. Colorado hit a 3-pointer to tie it with :03 left in regulation and Marshall hit a game-deciding "3" with :10 left.

FOR STARTERS: The Dukes used seven starting lineups in 12 non-conference games, with no fivesome starting more than two consecutive games. Eight players started at least once in non-conference play. Kevin Easley Jr., Tre Williams and Primo Spears are the only players to start every game this season.


LAST GAME
Duquesne 78, Massachusetts 74
Jan. 8, 2022 • Mullins Center • Amherst, Mass
Game 13 Recap

• Freshman guards Jackie Johnson III (27 points) and Primo Spears (21 points) combined for 48 points in helping the Dukes rally from an early 20-8 deficit to defeat the Minutemen in Amherst.
• The Dukes, playing their first game in 19 days, took the lead for good with 1:12 left in the first half.
• DU, which shot 51.4 percent in the second half and 46.3 percent for the game, outscored UMass 22-10 off turnovers.
• Kevin Easley Jr. added 10 points and a career-high five steals for the Dukes who posted their first win in Amherst since 2011 (ending a streak of five-straight losses).
• It was the 17th time the Dukes came back from a double-digit deficit to win under Keith Dambrot.
• Duquesne's largest lead was eight, the last of which came at 59-51 with 8:28 left ... UMass's largest lead was 12, at 20-8 with 8:25 left in the first half ... there were zero ties and three lead changes before Jackie Johnson III gave the Dukes the lead for good on a jumper with 1:12 left in the first half ... UMass led for 17:55 ... Duquesne led for 21:45.