Kingston, R.I. – The Duquesne University men's basketball team wrapped up the road portion of its 2025-26 regular season Wednesday, falling to Rhode Island at the Ryan Center, 64-52. The Dukes slipped to 16-14 (.533) overall during the 2025-26 season, including 8-9 (.471) in the Atlantic 10, in suffering their fourth consecutive defeat.
 
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Senior guard Tarence Guinyard tied the game, 37-37, with 10 minutes go with a layup, but URI used a 7-2 burst to open up a 46-39 edge with 5:47 remaining. The run was capped by a three-point play from Tyler Cochran for the Rams. Junior guard Jimmie Williams would stem the tide with a three-pointer for Duquesne, but a dunk from Keeyan Itejere, a layup from Cochran and a jumper from RJ Johnson stretched the lead for Rhode Island (16-14 | 7-10 Atlantic 10) to 53-42.
 
LOCK UP
Duquesne owned a 24-19 advantage at halftime thanks to its defense, which held the Rams scoreless over the final 5:59 of the first 20 minutes. During that stretch URI was 0-for-5 from the field and suffered five turnovers, and the Dukes were able to use a 12-2 surge to grab the lead at the break. Rhode Island finished just 1-for-11 from beyond the arc in the first half, while the Dukes were 3-for-9. Redshirt junior guard Brandon Hall snapped a 19-19 tie with a triple from the corner that gave Duquesne the lead, while Guinyard scored seven points in the first half on the strength of a 4-for-6 showing at the free-throw line.
 
NOTES
The 19 points Duquesne allowed are the fewest an opponent has scored in the opening 20 minutes in two years under head coach Dru Joyce III … The Dukes also held Old Dominion to 19 points in the first half of a 67-54 win as part of the Cayman Islands Classic (Nov. 26, 2024) and again in the opening 20 minutes of a 65-47 triumph over Towson (Dec 14, 2024) in a game played at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio … The Dukes were led by Guinyard, who scored 18 points … Guinyard reached the 1,000-point plateau in the first half with the second of two attempts at the free-throw line that gave him six points in the game, reaching the mark … Guinyard owns 1,012 career points … Williams added 10 for Duquesne … Senior forward David Dixon established a career-high with five steals … The Dukes had a four-game winning streak in the all-time series against URI snapped … Both teams finished with 31 rebounds and nine assists.
 
UP NEXT
Duquesne will host Richmond Saturday, March 7, in a 2:00 p.m. tip at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in its final game of the regular season. It marks Senior Day, as the Dukes will honor six players in their final year with the program prior to the game.
 
CHUCK COOPER CLASSIC
Saturday marks the return of the Chuck Cooper Classic as Duquesne hosts the Spiders. Chuck Cooper (1947-50) was a pioneer in the game of basketball, as he was the first African-American player drafted by a National Basketball Association (NBA) team when he was selected as the first pick of the second round (13th overall) April 25, 1950, by the Boston Celtics after a stellar playing career with the Dukes. A captain of the 1949-50 squad, Cooper helped lead Duquesne to a record of 23-6 (.793) and a No. 6 national ranking. The Chuck Cooper Classic began in 2009 and has included meaningful community involvement throughout its history. To honor his legacy, fans are asked to bring traditional school supplies to the game Saturday, which will be donated to local Pittsburgh schools in need. Collection bins will be located at both entrances of the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. Fans can also get post-game autographs with the Dukes after the game.  
 
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