Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University men's basketball team opened a three-game homestand at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse Wednesday, racing to a 101-80 victory over Central State. The Dukes improved to 5-2 (.714) overall during the 2025-26 season en route to their first effort of 100 or more points since 2018.
 
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Keionte Cornelius, who led all scorers with 22 points, buried a three-pointer with 6:38 to go in the first half to give the Marauders a 32-30 lead, but the Dukes closed the half on a 14-4 run to grab a 44-36 edge at the break. Redshirt senior guard Cam Crawford answered the triple from Cornelius with one of his own to push Duquesne back on top, while redshirt senior guard Maximus Edwards scored six points during the key burst, including a tip-in with under a minute to go. Forward John Hugley IV opened the scoring in the second half with a three-pointer to give the Dukes a double-digit advantage, 47-36, and the lead swelled to 60-43 at the 16:41 mark of the second half after a three-pointer from senior guard Tarence Guinyard, forcing Central State (3-2) to call timeout.
 
QUOTABLE
"Every game we're not going to jump out to a 10- or 15-point lead," Crawford said. "We would have liked to do that today, but it took us a little longer to get going. We were able to do that with our defense. Get stops. Once we started guarding, we were able to get some separation and keep that separation. We know we have to set the tone defensively. Coaches have been emphasizing that. We just have to control what we can control. Being physical, not fouling and being in gaps, helping each other and rotate."
 
FIVE HORIZONS
For the second consecutive game and third time this season Duquesne had five players reach double figures, led by junior guard Jimmie Williams, who scored a career-high 20 points. The Marauders closed to within 77-65 with just under nine minutes to play, but Williams answered with a three-pointer, and his triple with 7:39 remaining stretched the advantage for the Dukes to 85-65. Williams finished 7-for-11 shooting, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. Duquesne shot 70 percent (21-for-30) from the field in the second half and 64.4 percent (38-for-59) overall, its highest mark since the 2022-23 season opener, a 91-63 triumph over Montana (Nov. 8, 2022) at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. In that contest against the Grizzlies, the Dukes also finished 38-for-59 from the floor.
 
QUOTABLE
"Our pace is fast," head coach Dru Joyce III said. "Scoring is going to be up. We're not playing in the 60s. We're playing in the 90s, almost. I'm not sure, but it feels like scoring is up across the country. I think that's been an emphasis, too. That's the message from the commissioner, the officials. They want to see more scoring. It's a fine line with your aggressiveness. It has to be calculated. We try to play the ball through our discipline. Our principle is to move your feet first and absorb the contact. If you win the spot with your position, you give yourself the opportunity for the steal. It's something we have to manage and get better at."
 
HUNDRED ACRES MANOR
The 101 points in the win over the Marauders is the first time the Dukes have reached the 100-point plateau since a 101-94 win over La Salle Jan. 13, 2018, in a game that went three overtimes. The last time the Dukes scored at least 100 in regulation was in the 2016 College Basketball Invitational (CBI), a 120-112 victory over Omaha in a track meet at the A.J. Palumbo Center March 16, 2016. Crawford added 17 points in the win over Central State, knocking down six of his 10 shots from the floor, including a 5-for-8 performance from deep. Off the bench, Edwards scored 14, while Guinyard added 13 and Hugley IV 11.
  
NOTES
The Dukes held their biggest lead with 13:17 left, as a driving layup from redshirt sophomore guard Jake DiMichele opened up a 69-48 lead … DiMichele checked in at the 15:25 mark of the first half, marking his first game action in exactly one year, as his last appearance for Duquesne came in the final game of the 2024 Cayman Islands Classic, a 67-54 victory over Old Dominion (Nov. 26, 2024) … DiMichele finished with two points, two rebounds and a block in just under 16 minutes of action … The Dukes held a commanding 54-34 edge in points in the paint and also scored a season-high 30 points on the fast break … The contest featured six ties and 12 lead changes … Cornelius scored 22 points for Central State but took 17 shots, with six of his eight field goals from beyond the arc … Ramar Pryor added 17 points, four rebounds and four steals for the Marauders … Duquesne held a 32-27 edge in rebounding and also finished with 23 assists on its 38 field goals.
 
UP NEXT
The Dukes continue a three-game homestand Tuesday, Dec. 2, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against William & Mary at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
 
FOLLOW THE DUKES
For the latest news and information on Duquesne basketball, follow the Dukes on X and Instagram.