GAME 11
Santa Clara (8-5) vs. Duquesne (8-2)
Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023 | 5:00 p.m.
Las Vegas, Nev. | Orleans Arena (9,500)
 
Stream: FloSports with Tim Bender
Radio: 104.7 HD2 / iHeartRadio with Ray Goss ('58) & Jarrett Durham ('71)
 
Game Notes | Record Book | Media Center | TV/Radio Spotter Chart | Watch | Listen | Live Stats
 
Opening Tip
 
- The Duquesne University men's basketball team heads to Las Vegas, Nev., in search of its fifth consecutive win with its second straight game at neutral site. The Dukes will face Santa Clara Saturday, Dec. 23, in a 5:00 p.m. ET tip at Orleans Arena.
 
- Duquesne stretched its winning streak to a season-high four games with a 69-67 victory over Bradley in Akron, Ohio, at Coach Dru Joyce Court at Lebron James Arena. Forward David Dixon converted a layup with 0.2 seconds left on a feed from guard Jimmy Clark III to help lift the Dukes to the win. Clark III had come up with a steal with just over five seconds left and raced down the court before finding a streaking Dixon for the winning basket.
 
- Guards Jimmy Clark III (21) and Dae Dae Grant (17) and forward Andrei Savrasov (17) combined for 55 of the 69 points for the Dukes in the win over the Braves.
 
- Clark III is pacing Duquesne during its four-game winning streak with per game averages of 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals while shooting 42.6 percent (20-for-47) from the field. 
 
- Grant, who has scored in double figures in each of Duquesne's 10 games this season and 12 consecutive dating back to last year, ranks second in the Atlantic 10 in scoring (18.8 ppg) as the Dukes also rank fifth as a team in the conference with a scoring offense of 76.5 points per game.
 
- Forward Tre Williams is 59 points shy of 1,000 for his career and is one of four Dukes that could eclipse the plateau this season. Twins Fousseyni Drame and Hassan Drame own career totals of 974 and 744 career points, respectively, while forward Andrei Savrasov has scored 943 career points.
 
- Guard Dae Dae Grant looks to score 1,000 points in two seasons with the Dukes after pacing Duquesne last year with 511 points, an average of 15.5 per contest. Grant has scored 1,870 points at the NCAA Division I level. He is also 130 points shy of 2,000 for his career.
 
- When holding opponents to less than 70 points under head coach Keith Dambrot, Duquesne has posted a record of 61-16 (.792), including a 5-0 mark during the 2023-24 season.
 
- Duquesne will have a week off after taking on Santa Clara, returning home to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse Saturday, Dec. 30, to host Cleary in a 2:00 p.m. tip.
 
Scouting the Broncos – Located in Santa Clara, Calif., and a member of the West Coast Conference (WCC), Duquesne and Santa Clara tip for the sixth time in the all-time series, and Saturday marks the second consecutive contest between the two programs at a neutral site. Duquesne owns a 4-1 (.800) advantage overall against Santa Clara, but in the last meeting between the two programs Nov. 12, 2004, the Broncos earned a 74-65 win over the Dukes at The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M., as part of the NABC Classic. That game also marked the 2004-05 season opener for both programs. Jack Higgins (2004-06) led four Dukes in double figures the last time out against the Broncos by scoring 12 of his 15 points in the first half while adding seven rebounds and a pair of assists, while Bryant McCallister (2003-06) scored all 12 of his points against Santa Clara in the second half. The last win for Duquesne in the all-time series came Feb. 1, 1971, with an 84-73 road win as the Dukes entered the game ranked 17th.
 
Head Coach Keith Dambrot (Seventh Year at Duquesne | 26th Year Overall) – Keith Dambrot, who built Akron into one of the most successful - and most respected - programs in the Mid-American Conference over 13 seasons, was named head men's basketball coach at Duquesne University on March 28, 2017. The veteran coach wasted no time making an impact on the DU program with 65 wins in his first four seasons. His 99 wins already are tied for fourth on the all-time victory list for the Dukes and his two 20-win seasons - in just six years - are tied for the third-most in program history. Dambrot reached a significant career milestone on Feb. 8, 2023 when he posted his 500th career victory with a 75-52 triumph over George Mason. Dambrot owns an overall record of 512-295 (.634) during his career as a head coach, and his father, Sid, was part of Duquesne teams that finished ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 in 1952 (No. 4), 1953 (No. 9) and 1954 (No. 5). The 1954 team, which went 26-3, made it to No. 1 in the AP poll for two weeks in February of 1954. The Dukes played in both the NCAA tournament and NIT in 1952 and the NIT in both 1953 and 1954.
 
Bradley Leftovers – Duquesne improved to 7-2 (.778) all-time against Bradley, including 2-0 under head coach Keith Dambrot ... Both wins for the Dukes over the Braves under the tutelage of Dambrot has witnessed Duquesne erase a 10-point deficit on a neutral court ... Bradley owned a 52-42 lead with 15:10 remaining, while in the previous meeting at the 2021 Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands, the Braves grabbed an early 10-0 lead before falling to the Dukes, 78-70 ... In seven years under Dambrot, Duquesne has come back from a double-digit deficit to win 21 times ... Malevy Leons registered a double-double thanks to 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds for Bradley and also rejected three shots ... Duquesne established a season high in points off turnovers (24), outscoring the Braves by 15 in the category. 
 
It's a Team Game – Duquesne enters Saturday's game against Santa Clara in Las Vegas, Nev., with an overall record of 8-2 (.800), the fourth time in the last nine years the Dukes have opened a season with at least eight wins in their first 10 games. Three of those occasions have come under head coach Keith Dambrot. Duquesne opened the 2018-19 season with a ledger of 8-2, followed by a perfect 10-0 mark to open the year in 2019-20. The Dukes also opened the 2015-16 campaign with an 8-2 record, as well. The four instances are the only occasions Duquesne has won eight of its first 10 contests in the last 35 years.
 
Fantastic Four – Riding a four-game winning streak into Saturday's game against Santa Clara at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., the Dukes are averaging 72.0 points per game during that span while also holding opponents to just 65 points per contest. Duquesne is 5-0 this season when holding foes to under 70 points and has also won 10 consecutive games when turning the trick dating back to last season. Guard Dae Dae Grant is averaging 15.8 points during DU's four-game surge, while forward Andrei Savrasov has produced averages of 13.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while converting 69 percent (20-for-29) of his attempts from the field, including 50 percent (4-for-8) from beyond the arc.   
 
You Just Made The List – Sophomore forward David Dixon came up big in a 69-67 victory over Bradley at Lebron James Arena in Akron, Ohio, converting a layup with 0.2 seconds left to help propel Duquesne to victory. He joins a short list of Dukes that have come up clutch in the last 25 years, hitting a game-winning shot with under three seconds remaining. Dixon is also the second student-athlete for Duquesne to provide late-game heroics in as many years, joining teammate Jimmy Clark III, who coincidentally came up with the steal and dime for Dixon's bucket against the Braves. A look at the most recent Dukes to provide fireworks in the waning moments ...
 

Player, Opponent	Date	Shot	Time	Final
Aaron Lovelace vs. Pitt	12/12/00	layup	:02.2	71-70
Kieron Achara at Saint Francis U	12/22/06	3FG	:00.0	72-71
Derrick Colter vs. St. Bonaventure	1/25/14	3FG	:00.0	83-81
Micah Mason at Saint Francis U	12/12/15	jumper	:03.5	67-65
Primo Spears vs. New Hampshire	12/11/21	jumper	:03.5	64-62
Tevin Brewer vs. North Florida	11/21/22	floater	:01.0	83-82
Jimmy Clark III vs. Ball State	12/3/22	3FG	:00.0	78-77
David Dixon vs. Bradley *	12/18/23	layup	:00.2	69-67

* Coach Dru Joyce Court at Lebron James Arena (Akron, Ohio)
 
Chalk Talk – Senior guard Dae Dae Grant has proven to be adept at the free-throw line during his career, and those numbers have only been amplified in his two seasons at Duquesne. Having established a new program record for consecutive free throws (43) made this season, Grant enters Saturday's game against Santa Clara having knocked down each of his last 14 attempts at the line in the last two games. Grant has successfully converted 57 of his last 58 chances (98.3%) at the free-throw line since the season opener against Cleveland State and overall this season is shooting 93.9 percent (62-for-66) from the stripe. In addition to ranking second in the Atlantic 10 in free-throw percentage, Grant sits 12th in NCAA Division I and 20th in total free throws made.
 
Did You Know? Senior Dae Dae Grant, who has hit at least one three-pointer in 18 consecutive games dating back to last season, has drained 120 triples in 43 career games at Duquesne, an average of 2.79 per contest. Grant is 14 three-pointers shy of cracking the top 10 in program history in the category, as former guard Jimmy Tricco (2002-04) sits 10th in three-point field goals with 134.
 
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