Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University men's basketball team capped a perfect 3-0 homestand Wednesday with a 65-60 victory over Chicago State in a non-conference tilt at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The Dukes improved to 12-8 (.600) overall during the 2023-24 season with the win.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Tied, 57-57, with 2:49 remaining after a three-pointer from Brent Davis of the Cougars, senior guard
Dae Dae Grant missed a three-pointer on the other end, with Noble Crawford grabbing the rebound for Chicago State. The defense tightened for Duquesne, forcing a Jahsean Corbett turnover with an errant pass. The Dukes capitalized on the ensuing possession, with senior guard
Jimmy Clark III feeding forward
Fousseyni Drame for an alleyoop to push Duquesne on top for good, 59-57. Clark III followed by picking the pocket of Wesley Cardet on the next possession and helped seal the triumph with a driving layup. He added two free throws with 26 seconds left to increase the advantage to 63-58.
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"It might not look pretty, but we came out with the W, and that's all that matters at the end of the day," Clark III said. "That's been our motto. We've been telling each other to have pride in guarding the ball. We get a defensive stop then we can go on the other end and operate. Having teammates that can make those effort plays and know that's what they're about, that really helps our team grow and get better every day. We knew what we had to do to get the job done, especially with their athletic ability. Credit to them, especially being an independent school."
CLOSE OUT
Cardet entered Wednesday's game leading Chicago State in scoring at 18.8 points per contest, but the Dukes made him a non-factor, holding him to five points on 2-of-14 shooting. Corbett was the beneficiary for the Cougars, reaching a double-double at the 16:30 mark of the second half. He finished with game high totals in points (21) and rebounds (11) but didn't score in the final nine-and-a-half minutes of the contest. Duquesne held the Cougars to 40.7 percent (22-for-54) from the floor and also forced 17 turnovers. The Dukes owned a 21-14 edge in points off miscues while also outscoring Chicago State, 40-24, in the paint.
ARMY RESERVE
On a night when Duquesne honored veterans and first responders with 412 Heroes Night presented by Giant Eagle, 63 percent of its offensive production for the Dukes came from their reserves. The bench finished with 41 points, including 17 from Grant, who was one of four to reach double figures. Also off the bench, forward
David Dixon finished with 10 points, six rebounds and a pair of blocks, while Drame registered his second double-double of the 2023-24 campaign thanks to 10 points and 10 rebounds. The lone starter to score in double figures was Clark III, who scored 16 points and added four rebounds, four steals and a pair of blocks.
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"It's a weird game, because they have two really good players and then some good length and athletes around them," head coach
Keith Dambrot said. "It kind of surprised me how athletic some of their guys were. Their quickness bothered us. We were good enough defensively to win and made enough plays when it mattered. I think all the games are going to be like that until we make a couple. We had some open looks, we just didn't make them. When you have offensive struggles, which we've had, no game is easy. We're better offensively than we've shown, but at least we have an identity now. No matter who we play, if we defend at a high level, we're going to be in the game."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Duquesne used a 14-2 run in the first half to turn a 19-14 deficit into a 28-21 lead with 3:43 left before halftime. Clark III ignited the run with a three-pointer, while Grant knocked down a pair of triples. The Cougars answered with a 7-0 spurt to tie the game at the break, 28-28. The contest featured 11 ties and 11 lead changes, the most in either category since the 2023-24 season opener, a 79-77 win over Cleveland State at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. That game featured 13 ties and 13 lead changes. Thanks to the win, Duquesne improved to 32-8 (.800) in non-conference home games over the last five seasons under Dambrot and 40-10 (.800) overall.
UP NEXT
Duquesne returns to Atlantic 10 play Saturday, Feb. 3, with a 12:30 p.m. tip in South Kingston, R.I., against Rhode Island at the Ryan Center in a game that can be seen live on the USA Network.
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