G18 | DUQUESNE (6-11, 1-4) at SAINT LOUIS (13-6, 4-2)      
Sat., Jan. 29, 2022 • 2:00 pm ET • Pittsburgh, Pa. • UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (3,500)

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

Duquesne (6-11, 1-4) returns to Pittsburgh to face Saint Louis (13-6, 4-2) on Saturday, Jan. 29 at 2:00 (ESPN+) in the first of a two-game homestand.

DU, which is coming off a 72-61 loss at Saint Joseph's on Wednesday, is looking to snap a four-game losing streak against a Billikens team picked to finish third in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll.

SLU, which defeated GW, 80-67, at home on Wednesday, is 1-3 on the road (0-2 in A-10 play).

This is the first meeting between the Dukes and Billikens since the 2020 season, as last year's game was not played due to the pandemic. DU, which has won the last two in the series, has won six in a row over SLU at home.

Freshman guards Jackie Johnson III (19 points) and Primo Spears (12 points) were DU's leading scorers at Saint Joe's. The first-year duo leads Duquesne in scoring in conference play, with Spears at 16.6 ppg. and Johnson III at 12.2 ppg.

The Dukes remain home to host Richmond on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

TRENDING

• Freshman guard Primo Spears, a two-time A-10 Rookie of the Week, has led the Dukes in scoring a team-high seven times. He has scored 20 or more in two of five A-10 games (21 at UMass & 20 at Fordham) and leads the team with a 16.6 ppg. average in league play.
• Fellow freshman guard Jackie Johnson III, who has scored 27 points in a game twice (vs. Weber State & at UMass), is coming off a 19-point game at Saint Joe's. Johnson tied his career high with four "3's" vs. the Hawks.
• Spears (9-19) and Johnson III (10-22) are a combined 19-of-41 (.463) from 3-point in conference play.
• First-year Indiana State transfer Tre Williams has pair of seven-block games (vs. Colorado at the Paradise Jam and at Fordham). Williams, an MVC All-Defensive Team member last season, recorded six of his seven blocks at Fordham in the second half. He has 15 blocks in five A-10 games.
• First-year TCU transfer Kevin Easley Jr. saw a streak of nine consecutive double-digit scoring games snapped at Fordham (7 pts.). The Indianapolis native has scored in double digits a team-high 14 times.
•  Junior F/C Austin Rotroff, a key contributor off the bench, is out 4-6 weeks with a foot injury. He averaged 7.0 rebounds in 18 min/g. in the four games prior to the Jan. 20 announcement. DU is already without frontcourt transfer R.J. Gunn Jr. who suffered a preseason ankle injury.
• DU has scored eight total bench points in its first three games without Rotroff.
• Duquesne's 11.2 turnovers/g. average is challenging the lowest mark in program history (11.0/g. in 2014). The Dukes set a school record for fewest turnovers in a game with three vs. New Hampshire on Dec. 11.
• Tre Williams is the only healthy member of the current roster who has played in a game vs. Saint Louis (inj. Rotroff is the other). Williams had 12 points and five rebounds at SLU last year while at Indiana State (L, 59-78).
   

DUKES AND BILLIKENS
Series Record: Duquesne leads 17-15
At Pittsburgh: Duquesne leads 10-5
At St. Louis: Saint Louis leads 8-5
Neutral Site: Tied 2-2
A-10 Regular Season: Tied 13-13
A-10 Championship: Saint Louis leads 2-1
Dambrot vs. Saint Louis: 4-2

• This is the 33rd game between Duquesne and Saint Louis, with the Dukes holding a 17-15 series lead ... the two are tied at 13-13 in Atlantic 10 regular season play ... in games at Pittsburgh, DU leads 10-5 ... Duquesne has won the past six in Pittsburgh, with SLU's last win coming on Jan. 22, 2014 when the No. 19 (AP) Bills took a 76-72 decision at the Palumbo Center ... the Dukes have won two in a row and four of the past five in the series ... this is the first meeting since Feb. 5, 2020 (an 82-68 DU win in St. Louis) as last year's game was not played due to the pandemic.
• Saint Louis had won seven of eight - including five in a row, before DU's upset win over the No. 10 (AP) Billikens at Chaifetz Arena on Feb. 27, 2014. The Dukes have won nine of 14 since, including the upset win.
• SLU was picked to finish third in the conference's preseason poll - eight spots ahead of Duquesne. The Billikens are 13-6, including a 4-2 mark in A-10 play. Saint Louis is 1-3 on the road. This is SLU's third A-10 road game, the others were a 68-63 loss at Dayton (1/11) a 91-85 loss at UMass (1/20).

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK;
LOWEST TURNOVER AVERAGES IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Duquesne's 11.2 turnovers/g. average is just off school record low pace. 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.
2014	30	331	11.0
2022	17	191	11.2
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

LAST GAME
Saint Joseph's 72, Duquesne 61
Jan. 26, 2022 • Hagan Arena • Philadelphia, Pa.
Game 17 Recap

• Duquesne erased a 16-point first half deficit to take a 43-40 lead with 13 minutes left, but couldn't hold on as the Hawks outscored the Dukes 16-7 over the final 6:53 to pull away for the win.
• Freshman guards Jackie Johnson III and Primo Spears led Duquesne with 19 and 12 points respectively.
• Johnson III's four 3-pointers (4-of-5) tied his career high set in a 27-point outing vs. Weber State on Nov. 15.
• DU, which went 8-of-14 from 3-point, shot .407 for the game.
• The Dukes' four assists on 24 field goals tied the Dambrot Era low.
• Saint Joseph's largest lead was 16, at 36-20 with 2:06 left in the first half ... Duquesne's largest lead was three, the last of which was at 46-43 with 12:59 left ... there were two ties and seven lead changes before SJU took the lead for good on a Taylor Funk 3-pointer that made it 56-54 with 8:30 left ... Saint Joseph's led for 34:05 ... Duquesne led for 4:32.