Photo Credit: Loyola Chicago Athletics
 
Chicago, Ill. – The Duquesne University men's basketball team concluded a two-game road trip to open Atlantic 10 play Saturday, falling to Loyola Chicago, 72-67, at Gentile Arena. The Dukes slipped to 9-5 (.643) overall during the 2023-24 season, including 0-2 in the Atlantic 10.
 
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Tied, 57-57, the Ramblers used an 11-3 burst to open up a 68-60 lead with 3:16 remaining. Jayden Dawson snapped the tie with a jumper and, after a couple of empty possessions from both teams, sophomore forward David Dixon pushed the Dukes on top, 60-59, with a three-pointer. Loyola Chicago (10-5 / 2-0 A-10) responded by scoring the next eight points of the game to take control. Des Watson gave the Ramblers the lead for good with a pullup jumper at 5:31, and Loyola Chicago also got a jumper from Brayden Norris and another from Dawson. Dixon led the charge for Duquesne against the Ramblers, setting a career-high with 19 points off the bench while also grabbing seven rebounds.
 
DIXON DUNK SHOW
Duquesne owned a 40-36 lead at halftime behind the exploits of Dixon, who matched a career high in the opening 20 minutes of action with 14 points. Converting six of his nine shots from the floor before the break, three of his field goals were of the flush variety, two off lobs from sophomore guard Kareem Rozier. The two teams combined for six dunks in the first 20 minutes of action, with guard Jimmy Clark III adding a slam with 5:30 to go before halftime to give the Dukes a 29-20 edge. Dixon pushed his season-high total in dunks during the 2023-24 season to 16 thanks to his performance Saturday against the Ramblers.
                                                                                                                                   
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The Dukes got a boost from freshman guard Jake DiMichele, who saw his most extended run of the 2023-24 season against the Ramblers. He came off the bench in the first half and buried a three-pointer on the break to give Duquesne an early 14-9 advantage. The triple ignited a 10-1 surge that gave the Dukes their biggest advantage of the contest, 21-10, with 10:44 to go before halftime. DiMichele finished with seven points on a 3-for-4 shooting performance against the Ramblers and added two rebounds in a career-high 17 minutes of work. Clark III and guard Dae Dae Grant each scored 13 points for Duquesne, while Rozier added 11 points, five assists and a steal. Grant also set a season-high with eight boards as Duquesne owned a 38-35 advantage in rebounding.
 
UP NEXT
The Dukes return to the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse Friday, Jan. 12, for a 7:00 p.m. tip against Dayton. The game can be seen live on ESPN2 and is sold out, with limited standing room only tickets remaining.
 
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