GAME 2
Clarion (0-0) vs. Duquesne (0-1)
Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026 | 2:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh, Pa. | UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (3,500)
STREAM: ESPN+ • Alex Panormios (pxp) & Rachel Zimmerman (analyst)

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NOTHING BUT NYLON
- The Duquesne women's basketball team returns to Pittsburgh for its home opener as it welcomes Clarion to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Sunday, Nov. 8, with the opening tip scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

- The Dukes opened their 44th season of NCAA Division I basketball on Monday night, dropping a 109-62 decision at Tennessee inside Food City Center.

- After missing its opening shot, Tennessee jumped out to an early 14-4 lead, connecting on six of its first 10 attempts from the field. The Lady Volunteers extended their advantage to 16-4 before the Dukes responded with a 13-3 run, shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor.

- Redshirt sophomore Nadia Moore sparked the surge with a jumper before redshirt junior Gabby Grantham-Medley and senior Carla Viegas knocked down back-to-back triples. Following a Tennessee three-pointer from Kaylene Smikle, Grantham-Medley answered with another shot from beyond the arc before Moore capped the run with a fastbreak layup, cutting the deficit to 19-17 with 2:46 remaining in the opening quarter.

- Moore later converted a three-point play to pull Duquesne within two at 22-20, but Tennessee carried a 30-24 advantage into the second quarter. The Lady Volunteers regained control early in the second period, opening with a 10-1 run to stretch their lead to 40-25 as the Dukes went without a field goal for the first four minutes. Viegas ended the drought with a long ball before connecting from long range again with 1:21 remaining in the half. Duquesne headed into the locker room trailing 51-33.

- Tennessee featured six players in double figures, led by Kaylene Smikle, who poured in a game-high 31 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. She also grabbed eight rebounds and recorded four steals and three assists. Gabby Minus and Rylie Theuerkauf each added 13 points, with Minus contributing six rebounds and three assists.

The Series vs. Clarion – Sunday's matchup against the Golden Eagles marks the 10th meeting all-time between the two programs and the first since Jan. 10, 1985. Duquesne holds a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series, including victories in each of the last four meetings. The Dukes are 5-1 against Clarion at home and claimed a 70-34 victory in the most recent matchup inside Civic Arena. Duquesne has averaged more than 69 points per game throughout the series.

Scouting The Golden Eagles – A member of the Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), Clarion travels to Pittsburgh after being picked sixth in the PSAC Coaches Preseason Poll. The Golden Eagles are coming off their second consecutive appearance in the PSAC Tournament, marking the first time the program has qualified for back-to-back conference tournaments since 2008-09. Clarion returns two starters from a season ago in Alyssa Terza and Niah Smedley, who each started at least 17 games in 2025-26. Terza averaged 7.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while Smedley contributed 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. Among the Golden Eagles' newcomers is Christiana Gordon, a mid-year transfer who joined the program in 2025-26 but sat out the spring. Gordon was previously a first-team all-state selection at Westmont Hilltop and originally committed to Vermont. Danielle Fleming enters her fourth season at the helm of the Golden Eagles after guiding the program to consecutive PSAC Tournament appearances. Clarion opened the 2025-26 campaign with six straight victories, including wins over Lake Erie and Millersville, before injuries impacted the middle portion of its season. One of the highlights came with a home victory over previously undefeated No. 7 IUP, which went on to finish as the NCAA Division II Championship runner-up. The Golden Eagles finished the season with a 12-15 overall record and a 7-13 mark in PSAC play. Zoe Guice earned Second Team All-PSAC West honors after averaging more than 14 points per game.

Tennessee Remains - Carla Viegas and Nadia Moore led the offensive charge Monday night, pacing the Dukes in scoring. Gabby Grantham-Medley added six points and six rebounds while connecting on a pair of three-pointers. Freshman Amaya Robinson made her collegiate debut, finishing with five points, three assists and two rebounds. Classmate Ayala Oren narrowly missed a double-double, leading Duquesne with nine rebounds and a team-high seven assists while adding four points in 25 minutes in her collegiate debut. Junior De'Naya Rippey grabbed seven rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, in her first appearance in a Duquesne uniform, while junior Maja Rohkohl chipped in five rebounds.

Setting The Pace – A pair of Dukes led the offensive charge in Duquesne's season opener, highlighted by senior Carla Viegas and redshirt sophomore Nadia Moore. Making her Duquesne debut, Viegas recorded the second 20-point performance of her career, finishing with a game-high 24 points behind seven three-pointers. Her seven triples tied for the sixth-most in a single game in program history. She also went 3-of-4 from the free-throw line while adding four rebounds and a steal. The Spain native scored 13 of her 24 points in the first half, including four three-pointers in the second quarter. The performance also marked the eighth time in her career she has connected on five or more three-pointers in a game. Meanwhile, returning from a season-ending injury, Moore made an immediate impact with 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting (50.0 percent) from the field while collecting two rebounds. The effort marked the ninth double-figure scoring performance of her career. Moore was particularly effective in the opening half, knocking down 4-of-7 attempts from the floor over the first 20 minutes.

Debuting In Red and Blue – Several Dukes either made their collegiate debut or took the floor for the first time in a Duquesne uniform Monday night. Freshman Ayala Oren narrowly missed a double-double, collecting a team-high nine rebounds and dishing out seven assists in 25 minutes of action. Junior De'Naya Rippey made her Duquesne debut, grabbing seven rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, while going 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. Freshman guard Amaya Robinson also made her collegiate debut, finishing with five points, three assists and two rebounds. Meanwhile, classmate Dieymarie Joof added two rebounds and a block in her first collegiate appearance.

Defending The Bluff – Sunday's contest marks Duquesne's 2026-27 home opener, where the Dukes own a 37-16 all-time record when defending the Bluff. Duquesne has won six consecutive home openers and 20 of its last 23. The Dukes extended their streak last season with an 89-60 victory over Saint Francis. Under head coach Dan Burt, Duquesne has posted a 10-3 record in home openers.

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