GAME 12
UC Irvine (10-1) vs. Duquesne (3-8)
Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024 | 2:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh, Pa. | UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (3,500)
 
Stream: ESPN+ with Noah Buono ('22) and Ellis Cannon
Radio: 104.7 HD2 | iHeartRadio with Ray Goss ('58) and Josh Taylor ('08)
 
Game Notes | Media Center | Record Book | Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets
 
Opening Tip
 
- The Duquesne University men's basketball team, winners of three of its last five games, opens a three-game homestand at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse Saturday with a 2:30 p.m. tip against UC Irvine.
 
- The Dukes are coming off a 65-47 victory over Towson (Dec. 14) in the Morgan & Morgan Classic at Lebron James Arena in Akron, Ohio, at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. The Dukes improved to 6-0 in games played in Akron, the hometown of head coach Dru Joyce III, since 2018, including 5-0 in contests at Lebron James Arena.
 
- In his first start on the Bluff, redshirt junior guard Cam Crawford scored all of his game-high 13 points in the first half in the win over the Tigers while also contributing four rebounds, an assist and a steal.
 
- Senior guard Tre Dinkins III added 12 points in the win over Towson thanks to a 4-for-7 performance from beyond the arc, while sophomore forward Jakub Necas recorded his first double-figure scoring effort of the season with 10 points.
 
- In posting their first wire-to-wire victory of the 2024-25 season, the Dukes shot 43.8 percent (21-for-48) from the field, including 42.3 percent (11-for-26) from deep, while knocking down 12 of their 15 attempts (80%) at the free-throw line.
 
- The 2024-25 season marks the 109th year of Duquesne basketball. The Dukes started play in 1913-14 (DU did not field a team in 1944-45-46 due to World War II). Duquesne, which has posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1971 & 1972, is looking to record three consecutive 20-win campaigns for the first time since finishing with four straight 20-win seasons from 1952 to 1955. The Dukes are also 11 wins shy of 1,500 as an NCAA program.
 
- The leading active scorer for the Dukes is senior forward Jahsean Corbett, who owns career totals of 1,399 points and 783 rebounds. Corbett amassed totals of 1,303 points and 725 rebounds in three seasons at Chicago State prior to transferring to Duquesne.
 
- Jahsean Corbett has appeared in 104 career games at the NCAA Division I level, each as a member of the starting lineup. His 100th career start came in a 67-54 win for the Dukes over Old Dominion in the final game of the Cayman Islands Classic.
 
- The closest member of the Dukes to 1,000 career points is redshirt junior guard Maximus Edwards, who enters Saturday's game with 797 career points. Named the 2023 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, Edwards scored 722 in two seasons at George Washington before transferring to Duquesne.
 
- The Dukes, who are hosting UC Irvine for the second consecutive year, will also welcome Cleary Friday, Dec. 27, for a 7:00 p.m. tip as well as open Atlantic 10 play during their three-game homestand. Duquesne and Rhode Island tip at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, in the A-10 opener for both programs to conclude the 2024 calendar year.
 
At The Helm – Dru Joyce III was named the 18th head coach in the 109-year history of Duquesne basketball March 28, 2024. Joyce III, a native of Akron, Ohio, spent two seasons as associate head coach for the Dukes under Keith Dambrot from 2022 to 2024, helping guide Duquesne to an overall record of 45-25 (.643), including a 20-16 (.556) mark in the Atlantic 10, during that span. The Dukes made an appearance in the 2023 College Basketball Invitational (CBI) before earning the automatic bid for the A-10 in the 2024 NCAA Championship by winning four games in five days en route to the 2024 Atlantic 10 Championship crown in Brooklyn, N.Y., at the Barclays Center. Duquesne, as a No. 11 seed, made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1977 and earned its first victory in the championship since 1969 thanks to a 71-67 win over No. 6 seed BYU in Omaha, Neb., at CHI Health Center Arena. 
 
Scouting the Anteaters – Big West member ... located in Irvine, Calif. ... Duquesne earned a 66-62 victory over UC Irvine (Nov. 29) last season at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse behind 15 points from former forward Andrei Savrasov, while forward David Dixon scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds and matched a career high with five blocks ... Facing its largest deficit, 27-16, with under eight minutes to go in the first half, Dixon sparked a 12-0 run to push the Dukes in front, 28-27, with a  one-handed, putback jam ... Three times in the second half Duquesne stretched its lead to double digits, but UC Irvine didn't wilt, using an 8-0 burst that featured a pair of three-pointers from Justin Hohn to close the deficit for the Anteaters to one possession, 61-58, with 1:18 left ... The Dukes were able to seal the victory at the free-throw line, getting a pair from former guard Dae Dae Grant, who scored 11 points, with 28 seconds remaining and two more from Dixon with 4.1 seconds to go that iced the game ... Prior to the meeting last season, the Dukes earned a 76-54 victory over the Anteaters in a game that was played at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, Dec. 19, 2021 ... Leon Ayers III scored 19 of his career-high 24 points in the second half to pace Duquesne in its win over UC Irvine at Lebron James Arena ...UC Irvine is led by head coach Russell Turner (Hampden-Sydney '92), who is in his 15th season ... Turner has led the Anteaters to the postseason eight times, including the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and 2019 as well as four appearances in the NIT (2014, 2017, 2023, 2024) and two appearances in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) (2013, 2016) ... Senior center Bent Leuchten, who stands 7'1", leads the Anteaters in scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.9 rpg) ... Redshirt senior forward Devin Tillis, a transfer from UNLV, adds 13.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest … UC Irvine opened a four-game road trip with a 92-84 win at Belmont (Dec. 19), as Leuchten scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half and the Anteaters dropped 67 points after the break in erasing a 14-point deficit at halftime.
 
Towson Leftovers – The win for Duquesne in Akron, Ohio, against Towson marked the first game in the all-time series between the two programs ... The Dukes held the Tigers to season-low totals for an opponent in points (47), field goals (15), field goal percentage (.283), rebounds (25) and blocked shots (2) ... Duquesne jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never trailed, using an 18-2 run over the final 5:22 of the first half to grab a 34-19 lead at halftime ... The 19 points in the first 20 minutes is a season low by an opponent, matching the 19 points the Dukes held Old Dominion in their final game of the 2024 Cayman Islands Classic ... The 28 points by Towson in the second half is also a season low by an opponent ... Nendah Tarke led the Tigers with 10 points off the bench as Towson owned a 24-16 edge in points from reserves ... Both teams scored 20 points in the paint ... Duquesne owned a 21-15 advantage in second chance points thanks to a 12-11 edge in offensive rebounds.
 
Spot The Difference – Eleven games into a season and trends usually begin to form, emerge and take shape. Tough to spot those for Duquesne, though, especially with a closer look at the numbers. Through the first 11 games of the year, the Dukes and their opponents each have converted 249 field goals, with Duquesne owning 27 more attempts from the field. That is based largely on a 21-rebound advantage (137-116) on the offensive glass, as opponents own two more turnovers (141-139) than Duquesne. Both the Dukes and their opponents have also registered 68 steals through 11 games, while Duquesne owns a slight edge in three-point field goals (85-81), assists (133-127) and blocks (44-35). The lone stark contrast is at the free-throw line, where opponents have converted 162 free throws compared to 135 for the Dukes, with opponents owning nine more attempts (224-215). In a 65-47 victory over Towson (Dec. 14) at the Morgan & Morgan Classic in Akron, Ohio, Duquesne shot a season-high 80 percent (12-for-15) at the stripe, including a 4-for-4 performance from junior forward David Dixon. 
 
Ten – One trend fully formed through 11 games is the depth the Dukes possess. Thanks to 10 points sophomore forward Jakub Necas contributed in a 65-47 win over Towson (Dec. 14) at the Morgan & Morgan Classic in Akron, Ohio, he became the 10th different player to record a double-figure scoring game for Duquesne this season. The leading scorer for the Dukes against the Tigers was redshirt junior guard Cam Crawford, who scored all of his season-high 13 points in the first half in his first career start on the Bluff. He shot 5-for-7 from the field in the opening 20 minutes, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, and after the break attempted just one shot. Crawford, amazingly, became the seventh different player to lead Duquesne in scoring in 11 games this season. The same holds true in rebounding for Duquesne, as well. Senior wing Jahsean Corbett and junior forward David Dixon each posted a game-high six caroms in the win over the Tigers, and through 11 games six different Dukes have led the team in rebounding on at least two occasions, including three times each from the aforementioned duo of Corbett and Dixon.
 
Did You Know? The Dukes have won 30 consecutive games dating back to the 2018-19 campaign when holding opponents to under 60 points thanks to a 65-47 win over Towson (Dec. 14) in Akron, Ohio, at Lebron James Arena at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. Included in that stretch is a perfect 18-0 mark in three years Dru Joyce III has been a member of the coaching staff on the Bluff, including two years as associate head coach from 2022 to 2024. 
 
Defense Wins Championships – The Dukes have rounded into form defensively, as over the last six games opponents are averaging just 59.0 points per contest. The six foes have combined to convert 36.2 percent (121-for-334) of its shots from the field, including a 31-for-107 (29%) performance from beyond the arc. Duquesne enters Saturday's game against UC Irvine at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse ranked sixth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense this season, yielding 67.4 points per game. In holding each of their last six opponents under 70 points, it marks the longest stretch for the Dukes turning the trick in seven years. During the non-conference portion of the 2017-18 campaign, the first for former head coach Keith Dambrot on the sidelines at Duquesne, the Dukes posted a 7-0 span in which they held each opponent under 70 points, allowing just 57.7 points per contest.
 
Open Range – Tre Dinkins III is developing into a consistent scorer for Duquesne, as the senior guard has found his range from deep in recent weeks. In contributing 12 points in a 65-47 triumph over Towson (Dec. 14) at the Morgan & Morgan Classic in Akron, Ohio, Dinkins III nailed four three-pointers for the third consecutive game. Included in that performance was a pair of triples 27 seconds apart with under five minutes left that helped seal the victory. Over his last three games, Dinkins III is averaging 14.0 points per game and has shot 54.5 percent (12-for-22) from deep as well as 44.8 percent (13-for-29) overall. He enters Saturday's game against UC Irvine ranked eighth in the Atlantic 10 in three-point field goals made per game (2.36) as well as 13th in three-point field goal accuracy (.419) and 15th in free-throw percentage (.786).
 
On Point – The accuracy from senior guard Tre Dinkins III in recent weeks has allowed junior guard Kareem Rozier to rack up 20 assists over the last four games, including a season-high six in a 65-47 victory over Towson (Dec. 14) at the Morgan & Morgan Classic in Akron, Ohio, at Lebron James Arena. Rozier owns six assists on three-pointers from Dinkins III over that stretch but, more importantly, has amassed an assist-to-turnover ratio of 6.67 over the last four contests courtesy of 20 dimes against just three turnovers. The surge has Rozier ranked fourth in the Atlantic 10 in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.85 while also sitting 14th in the circuit in assists per game (3.36). During his career on the Bluff, Rozier, who is Duquesne's active leader for consecutive games played (69), is eight assists shy of 200 for his career while owning a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.56.
 
David On The Block – Junior forward David Dixon was a factor in the paint in a 65-47 victory over Towson (Dec. 14) at the Morgan & Morgan Classic in Akron, Ohio, matching a season high with three blocks. The performance leaves him one rejection shy of 100 for his career, which would help Dixon become the eighth player in program history with at least 100 career blocks. The last to reach the threshold was former center Darius Lewis (2013-17), who concluded his career with 105 blocks. Dixon, who is also 20 dunks shy of becoming the second member of the Dukes on record with 100 to his career credit, is tied for ninth in the Atlantic 10 this season with an average of 1.4 blocks per game.
 
Surf Board – Duquesne opens a three-game homestand Saturday against UC Irvine at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in the midst of its best stretch of the year rebounding the basketball. Over the last six games, a stretch in which the Dukes are 3-3 (.500), Duquesne is averaging 38.7 caroms per contest and owns a +5.7 margin on the glass. Included in that stretch is a season-high 46 rebounds in an 80-66 victory over Delaware (Dec. 6) as well as an average of 12.8 offensive boards per game. The Dukes, who posted a season-high 20 offensive rebounds in each of their last two home games against the Blue Hens and Maine (Dec. 11), sit third in the Atlantic 10 in offensive rebounds per game (12.5) and sixth in rebounding defense (34.2 per game).   
 
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