Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University Department of Athletics mourns the loss of James Fallon ('55), a three-year letterwinner for the men's basketball team who passed away June 24, 2025, at the age of 94. Known as the "Try Guy," Fallon was a key member of the 1955 Dukes, which finished with an overall record of 22-4 (.846) and won the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) with a 70-58 win over No. 9 Dayton in New York, N.Y., at Madison Square Garden.
Fallon, a native of Carrick, Pa., appeared in 75 games for Duquesne during his career on the Bluff, with his best season coming as a senior in 1954-55. That year Fallon played in all 26 games, averaging 7.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest while converting 42.2 percent (79-for-187) of his attempts from the field and 84.4 percent (27-for-32) of his opportunities at the free-throw line. He was one of four players to appear in all 26 games during the 1955 NIT Championship season, joining legendary Dukes Dave and Dick Ricketts as well as Mickey Winograd.
Featured on the cover of ROTO Magazine Feb. 6, 1955, from the
Pittsburgh Press, Fallon provided Duquesne with a solid outside shot as well as tenacious defense as the Dukes posted a 10-game winning streak during the regular season that was bookended by a pair of losses to the Flyers.
In the 1955 NIT, Duquesne opened the tournament with a 74-66 victory over Louisville before defeating Cincinnati, 65-51, setting up a fourth opportunity to square off against Dayton during the year, and this time for a title. Fallon scored four points in the win over the Flyers, each in the second half, as the Dukes pulled away after consensus All-Americans Sihugo Green and Dick Ricketts combined to score the first 44 points of the game for Duquesne, including all 35 in the first half. The Dukes finished 2-2 (.500) against Dayton during their historic 1954-55 campaign, with both wins coming at Madison Square Garden. Under the tutelage of Donald "Dudey" Moore, Duquesne closed the year ranked No. 6 in the final
Associated Press poll.
The 1955 Dukes were inducted into the Duquesne Athletics Hall of Fame in 1978 and were honored at halftime of a 73-58 victory over Robert Morris Dec. 3, 2005, at the A.J. Palumbo Center for the 50th anniversary of the championship season. Fallon was among those in attendance at the 50th anniversary.
Fallon earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Duquesne in 1955 and spent his career as a CPA and Director of Accounting at Allegheny Ludlum Steel until his retirement. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary, a 1956 graduate of Duquesne who passed Feb. 10, 2025. Fallon and his wife had four children, including Dr. Ann Fallon, James Fallon ('83), Maureen Zeher and Christine McKenna.
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