GAME 28
Duquesne (11-16 | 6-8 Atlantic 10) at La Salle (12-15 | 4-10 Atlantic 10)
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025 | 6:30 p.m.
Philadelphia, Pa. | John E. Glaser Arena (3,000)
 
Stream: ESPN+ with Kale Beers & Richie Tarr
Radio: 104.7 HD2 | iHeartRadio with Ray Goss ('58) & Noah Buono ('22)
 
Game Notes | Media Center | Record Book | Watch | Listen | Live Stats
 
Opening Tip
 
- The Duquesne University men's basketball team concludes a two-game road trip as well as the month of February Wednesday with a 6:30 p.m. tip against La Salle in Philadelphia, Pa., at John E. Glaser Arena.
 
- The Dukes opened their swing with a 70-63 loss to St. Bonaventure (Feb. 22) in Olean, N.Y., at the Reilly Center. Against the Bonnies, the Dukes closed to within 61-60 with just over five minutes play before falling behind, 63-60, but had five attempts from beyond the arc in the span of 1:05 and couldn't get the tying basket to fall.
 
- Senior guard Tre Dinkins III hit the 1,000-point plateau with a three-pointer in the first half and led Duquesne against St. Bonaventure with 15 points. He shot 5-for-9 from the floor, including 3-for-6 from deep, while going 2-for-2 at the free-throw line.
 
- Redshirt junior guard Cam Crawford added 12 points and four rebounds against the Bonnies, while junior forward Matúš Hronský finished with 11 points and six rebounds.
 
- Twelve of the 16 losses for Duquesne during the 2024-25 season have been by seven points or less, including eight by five points or fewer. The six losses in Atlantic 10 road games for the Dukes have been by a combined 25 points, an average margin of defeat of 4.17.
 
- 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, are three 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 1,550 points and 872 rebounds. Corbett, who eclipsed 1,500 career points with a layup in the first half at Saint Joseph's (Jan. 29), amassed totals of 1,303 points and 725 rebounds in three seasons at Chicago State prior to transferring to Duquesne.
 
- Duquesne, which ranks fourth in the A-10 in scoring defense (66.7 ppg), returns home to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse for its final two home games of the 2024-25 regular season after taking on the Explorers. The stretch opens Saturday, March 1, with a 2:00 p.m. tip against George Mason. 
 
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 Explorers – La Salle and Duquesne tip for the 83rd time in an all-time series that dates to Feb. 10, 1940, with the Explorers owning a 47-35 (.573) advantage … The Dukes, winners of two of the last three in the series, have dropped 28 of their 38 games vs. La Salle in Philadelphia, Pa. … La Salle has outscored Duquesne by just 10 points in the last 23 meetings (1,828-1,818) dating back to 2006-07 … The Explorers own a 13-10 edge during that span, including an 81-70 win in the 2023 Atlantic 10 Championship in Brooklyn, N.Y., at the Barclays Center … In the lone meeting between the two programs last season, Duquesne opened the second half on a 17-4 run to turn a 34-31 deficit at halftime into a 48-38 lead with 14:17 remaining at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse … Former guard Jimmy Clark III would score 22 points and dish out eight assists in a 75-63 victory … Forward Dusan Mahorcic contributed 13 points in 16 minutes, converting five of his nine shots from the floor.
 
St. Bonaventure Leftovers – The Bonnies snapped a five-game losing streak against Duquesne in the all-time series ... St. Bonaventure shot 50 percent (13-for-26) from the field in the first half and 50 percent (11-for-22) from the floor after the break ... The Dukes held a 39-24 advantage in rebounds, matching its highest margin (+15) of the 2024-25 season ... In a 93-45 win over Cleary (Dec. 28), Duquesne outrebounded the Cougars, 36-21 ... Redshirt junior guard Maximus Edwards grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for the Dukes, his first double-figure rebounding effort on the Bluff ... Guards Lajae Jones (24), Melvin Council, Jr. (20) and Chance Moore (12) combined for 80 percent (56-of-70) of the offensive output for the Bonnies ... Jones and Council, Jr., combined to shoot 16-for-25 (64%) from the field, including 6-of-11 (54.5%) from beyond the arc ... Duquesne shot 9-for-32 (28.1%) from deep, the seventh occasion during the 2024-25 season the Dukes have launched at least 30 attempts from beyond the arc ...Duquesne is 2-5 (.286) this year when attempting 30 or more three-pointers in a game.
 
Dink and Dunk – Senior guard Tre Dinkins III stretched his streak for double-figure scoring games to 12 by pacing the Dukes at St. Bonaventure (Feb. 22) with 15 points and in the process eclipsed 1,000 points for his career. His three-pointer at the 17:38 mark of the first half that gave Duquesne an early 6-4 lead helped him reach the plateau in his 89th career NCAA Division I game. The streak for Dinkins III of double-figure scoring efforts matches the longest by a Duquesne student-athlete since Jimmy Clark III also scored 10 or more points in 12 consecutive games during the 2022-23 season. Dinkins III, who scored 669 points in two seasons at Canisius prior to transferring to the Bluff, owns a career scoring average of 11.4 points entering Wednesday's game at La Salle and ranks ninth in the Atlantic 10 in three-point field goals made per game (2.41) as well as 13th in three-point field goal accuracy (.389). Over the last 12 games, Dinkins III is producing averages of 15.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 44.8 percent (65-for-145) from the field, including 38.8 percent (33-for-85) from beyond the arc, and 83.9 percent (26-for-31) at the free-throw line. He also owns an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.55 during that same stretch.     
 
Point Break – Junior guard Kareem Rozier eclipsed 250 career assists thanks to five dimes against just one turnover at St. Bonaventure (Feb. 22) and has been one of the best in NCAA Division I this season protecting the rock. In Atlantic 10 games, Rozier has handed out 51 assists against just 13 miscues in 14 games of conference action, an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.92. Not only does Rozier lead the Atlantic 10 in assist-to-turnover ratio overall this year (3.59), the total ranks fifth in NCAA Division I. During his career on the Bluff, Rozier, who is Duquesne's active leader for consecutive games played (85), has compiled a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.83. He has handed out at least five assists on eight occasions so far during the 2024-25 season, including a career-high seven dimes in an 85-81 overtime win over Saint Joseph's (Jan. 8), with the Dukes 5-3 (.625) in those contests. A closer look at the NCAA Division I leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio ...
 

Player, School (Conference)	Assists	APG	TO	Ratio
CJ Fulton, Charleston (CAA)	179	6.39	38	4.71
Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga (WCC)	280	9.66	67	4.25
Matt Allocco, Notre Dame (ACC)	66	3.00	18	3.67
Milos Uzan, Houston (Big 12)	130	4.64	36	3.61
Kareem Rozier, Duquesne (Atlantic 10)	97	3.59	27	3.59
Trevan Leonhardt, Utah Valley (WAC)	144	5.33	41	3.51
Kam Jones, Marquette (Big East)	160	5.93	46	3.48
Michael O'Connell, NC State (ACC)	94	3.48	28	3.36
Elijah Hawkins, Texas Tech (Big 12)	168	3.27	51	3.29
Dajuan Harris, Jr., Kansas (Big 12)	154	5.76	48	3.21

 
Interchangeable Parts – Duquesne was without forwards Jakub Necas and Jahsean Corbett at St. Bonaventure (Feb. 22), as junior forward David Dixon earned his first start since Jan. 4, 2025, at Davidson, providing three points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Dixon became the eighth different player for the Dukes this year to start at least 10 games, a category that is led by senior guard Tre Dinkins III with 25 starting assignments. The starting five against the Bonnies also marked the ninth different starting lineup used by Duquesne during the 2024-25 season. The Dukes have also used three different starting lineups in each of the last three games due to injuries. As the stretch run of the 2024-25 season commences, only five players for Duquesne have played in all 27 games this year. In addition to Dixon and Dinkins III, they are joined by junior guards Kareem Rozier and Maximus Edwards and junior forward Matúš Hronský.
 
Defense Wins Championships – Duquesne snapped a five-game losing streak with a 69-56 victory over Loyola Chicago (Feb. 8) in much the same way it has earned victories all season: Defending. The Dukes have given up 80 or more points just three times this year and currently rank fourth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense (66.7 ppg). Duquesne, which held nine consecutive opponents under 70 points earlier this season, the longest streak by the program in over 60 years, owns a record of 10-5 (.667) this season when holding opponents to under 70 points, including a perfect 6-0 when yielding less than 60 points in a contest.
 
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