Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University bowling team continued play at the Stormin Blue & White Vegas Classic at South Point in Las Vegas, Nev., Tuesday, posting a record of 3-2 (.600). The Dukes, who own a record of 5-5 (.500) in their first competition of 2024, improved to 41-22 (.651) overall during the 2023-24 season.
Duquesne opened with a 976-821 win over Jackson State Tuesday before splitting four matches against ranked opponents. The Dukes earned a 1,036-999 victory over No. 18 Newman and also claimed a 1,051-875 triumph over No. 19 Valparaiso. Wrapping up play Tuesday, No. 7 Nebraska posted a 1,019-939 decision over Duquesne before No. 12 Tulane clipped the Dukes, 908-841.
Graduate student
Kiearra Saldi and senior
Shannon Small both played all five matches Tuesday, with Saldi finishing 16th in a field that featured almost 125 participants. She recorded an average game of 204.00, including a 223 in the win over Newman as well as a 239 in the victory over the Beacons. She finished the Vegas Classic by knocking down 1,020 pins.
Small, meanwhile, also claimed a finish in the top 25 individually, opening with a 211 in the win over Jackson State and also bolstering the efforts for Duquesne in the win over Valpo by rolling a 226. She accrued 978 total pins and an average score of 195.60. Junior
Morgan Brookover was also a key contributor for the Dukes in wins over Jackson State and Newman, firing scores of 203 and 212, respectively.
As a team, Duquesne ranked fourth in total pins with 9,742, posting an average of 194.8 per game. Jacksonville State, the No. 1 team in NCAA, finished 7-3 during the Vegas Classic with an average score of 204.6 and 10,230 pins, while Vanderbilt (7-2) racked up 9,844 pins. Nebraska is 9-0 through the first two days of action in Las Vegas and has tallied 9,751 total pins.
The Dukes and Cornhuskers will meet again Wednesday to open bracket play in the final day of competition at the Stormin Blue & White Vegas Classic, which is hosted by Mount St. Mary's. The Baker match begins at 11:00 a.m. ET, with the winner advancing to take on the loser of Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt.
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