Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University men's basketball team saw its run in the 2026 Atlantic 10 Championship come to an end Friday as No. 2 VCU posted a 71-66 victory in the quarterfinals at PPG Paints Arena. The Dukes conclude the 2025-26 campaign with an overall record of 18-15 (.545).
 
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Terrence Hill, Jr., hit a pair of jumpers on consecutive possessions with under five minutes to play to help the Rams stay in front, 64-57, the second of which came with 3:38 to play and answered a driving layup from redshirt junior guard Brandon Hall. The Dukes would close to within 64-60 after a 1-for-2 performance from senior guard Tarence Guinyard at the free-throw line and a driving layup by forward Alex Williams, who tied Hill, Jr., for game-high honors with 20 points. VCU sealed the win at the free-throw line, as the field goal with 3:38 remaining was the last for VCU (25-7) as the Rams 7-for-8 at the stripe in the final 2:13. Duquesne also trimmed its deficit to 66-64 with just 37.6 seconds to go thanks a layup from junior guard Jimmie Williams, and Hill, Jr., would hit the front end of a pair at the stripe to keep it a one-possession game. The Dukes got past half-court but suffered a turnover and were forced to foul, with VCU sealing the triumph with four free throws in the final 23 seconds.
 
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"It's important to give praise to my guys," head coach Dru Joyce III said. "No matter what the results show, they deserve the story lines, the accolades and the credit because they put the time and effort into making this thing work. It's important for me to give them my thanks. It's not possible without their commitment. You don't know necessarily know where the journey is going to take you, but regardless of the win or the loss, that's the special part of my job. I get to work with them, I get to partner with them, to motivate them, and to love them, too. You find some relationships that go beyond basketball, and these guys will have that with me."
 
MOVING FORWARD
The Dukes, after a wire-to-wire win in the second round over Rhode Island (March 12), didn't trail Friday until 3:59 mark of the first half, as a pair of free throws from Hill, Jr., pushed the Rams in front, 27-26. It was part of a 22-5 run that helped VCU grab a 39-29 edge at halftime. The Dukes closed to within 42-38 early in the second half after a floater from Jimmie Williams, and his layup at the 15:55 mark of the second half made it a one-possession contest, 43-40. Duquesne was unable to tie it, however, as six consecutive possessions came up empty before a driving layup from Michael Belle extended the lead to 45-40 with 12:11 remaining.  
 
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"We played like our backs were against the wall and didn't have anything to lose," Alex Williams said. "It was crazy how the game shifted, creating those turnovers, hitting shots and trying to get that momentum. We just tried to fight, but we came up short. I can't be too upset because I know everybody gave everything they had."
 
THANK YOU, DAVE
Dixon fouled out with 2:13 to play and in just over 24 minutes Friday scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked a pair of shots. He concludes his career as the program's all-time leader in games played (129) while ranking fourth in blocked shots (184). Dixon finished 4-for-4 from the field against the Rams and closes the 2025-26 campaign with a field goal percentage of 60.2 percent (103-for-171). That mark ranks fourth in the single-season record book and the highest since Alan Watkins shot 60.9 percent (126-for-207) as a sophomore in 1990-91. The performance against the Rams helped Dixon set a career record for field goal percentage. Over four seasons he shot 56.6 percent (324-for-572) to break the mark of Michael Hughes (2018-21), who converted 56.2 percent of his shots in three seasons for the Dukes. Dixon also wraps up his career with totals of 839 points and 606 rebounds.
 
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"I just want to say thank you from the bottom of the heart, for accepting me," Dixon said. "From when I was a freshman barely playing until now. I appreciate all of the love. I really do. Never in a million years did I imagine them chanting my name like that. That moment was very emotional for me. I loved it. The fans have been there since the beginning, and I needed to show some love to them."
 
NOTES
The Dukes owned a 33-29 edge in rebounds, including a 10-8 cushion in offensive boards … Senior guard Tarence Guinyard finished with eight points and seven assists and had his streak of double-figure scoring games snapped at 13 … Alex Williams concluded his career on the Bluff by reaching the 20-point plateau in each of his final three games after shooting 8-for-15 from the field against the Rams, including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc … Alex Williams also added a team-high eight rebounds … Jimmie Williams contributed 13 points, four rebounds and five assists … The Dukes owned a 32-26 edge in points in the paint … VCU finished with more free throws (18) than Duquesne finished with attempts (12) from the charity stripe … The Dukes shot 43.6 percent (24-for-55) from the field compared to 46.9 percent (23-for-49) for the Rams … The game featured one tie and one lead change … Duquesne's biggest lead came at the 9:59 mark of the first half, 20-13, after a three-pointer from Alex Williams.
 
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