Nov. 15, 2015
QUICK NOTES
• Duquesne, coming off a 96-71 season-opening win over Seton Hill on Friday, plays its second game in four days when it hosts New Orleans on Monday, Nov. 16 at 7:00 p.m. at Palumbo Center. UNO opened its season with a 79-61 loss at Bowling Green on Saturday night.
•The Dukes are in their fourth season under head coach Jim Ferry. Ferry, who came to DU after leading LIU Brooklyn to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances (2011 & 2012), is the 16th coach in school history. This is the 100th season for Duquesne basketball.
• DU is 71-39 in non-conference games at Palumbo Center (28th season). The Dukes are 41-12 in non-conference home games since 2007-08.
• The Dukes return four starters - senior Gs Derrick Colter & Micah Mason, senior F Jeremiah Jones and junior C Darius Lewis - from last year's 12-19 team (6-12 in the A-10/11th place). Duquesne was picked to finish 11th in the 2015-16 Atlantic 10 annual preseason poll of coaches and media. Colter, Mason and Lewis had 15 points each in Friday's win over Seton Hill.
• DU's roster consists of: 4 seniors, 2 juniors, 6 sophomores and 4 freshmen. Four scholarship players made their debut on Friday: sophomore transfer Rene Castro (Butler), freshman transfer Mar'Qywell Jackson (UTEP) and true freshmen Nakye Sanders and Josh Steel.
DUKES vs. NEW ORLEANS
Series Record: Duquesne leads 1-0
At Pittsburgh: Duquesne leads 1-0
At New Orleans: Never Met
UNO is a member of the Southland Conference ... this is the second meeting between the Privateers and Dukes ... DU defeated New Orleans 88-70 on Dec. 8, 2012 at Palumbo Center ... Derrick Colter (17 points), Jeremiah Jones (8 points) and Nick Foschia are the only current roster members who saw action in that game ... UNO finished 11-18 last season, its second as a member of the Southland Conference ... the Privateers return three double digit scorers in junior guard Christavious Gill (12.3), senior forward Kevin Hill (10.6 ppg., 6.7 rpg.) and junior guard Nate Frye (10.3 ppg., 76 assists) ... averaged 71.1 points and forced 15.4 turnovers per game last season ... in its fifth season under head coach Mark Slessinger.
LAST GAME: Bowling Green jumped out to a 20-8 lead in going on to defeat the New Orleans at home, 79-61, on Saturday ... Christavious Gill scored a game-high 21 points (7-of-15) in the defeat ... Kevin Hill came off the bench to grab a game-high 13 rebounds in 23 minutes ... UNO shot 35.5 percent from the field and 28.6 percent (4-of-14) from the 3-point arc ... New Orleans, which trailed 37-27 at the half, never got within single digits in the second 20 minutes ... UNO, which was whistled for 27 fouls, was outscored 23-13 at the foul line ... the Privateers had eight assists and 15 turnovers.
NOTING THE DUKES
• 2015-16 marks the 100th season for Duquesne basketball.
• Duquesne returns four starters - 5-11 Sr. G Derrick Colter (13.2, 2.9 last year, 92 career g.), 6-2 Sr. G Micah Mason (12.8, 4.0 last year, 87 career g.), 6-4 Sr. F Jeremiah Jones (7.3, 4.5 last year, 92 career g.) & 6-11 Jr. C Darius Lewis (3.5, 3.1 last year, 42 career g.) from last year's 12-19 (6-12, 11th in Atlantic 10) team. Colter & Jones - who were part of Jim Ferry's first recruiting class - have played in every game in their Duquesne careers. Mason, who transferred to DU after one season at Drake, is on pace to be the second most-accurate 3-point shooter in NCAA history (.491). Colter entered his senior year with 1,086 points.
• DU's five other returning lettermen include: 6-11 Jr. C Darius Lewis (3.5, 3.1), 6-8 Jr. F L.G. Gill (6.9, 4.1), 6-5 So. F Eric James (4.6, 2.4), 6-8 So. F TySean Powell (6.9, 3.2) and 6-8 So. C Jordan Robinson (3.9, 2.1).
• Two transfers who practiced with the team while sitting out last season are eligible in 2015-16: 6-2 So. G Rene Castro (Butler) and 6-5 Fr. G Mar'Qywell Jackson (UTEP).
• The Dukes added a three-man recruiting class in 6-8 Fr. F Nakye Sanders (Staten Island, N.Y.), 6-4 Fr. G Josh Steel (Harlow, England) and University of Nebraska transfer 6-2 So. G Tarin Smith (Ocean Township, N.J.). Smith, who played in all 31 games for the Cornhuskers last season, will sit out in 2015-16.
• Colter (1,101), Mason (838) and Jones (652) have played in a combined 271 games with 241 starts.
• Colter & Mason shot a combined .438 from the 3-point arc in finishing one & two on the team in scoring last season. A guard either led, or tied for the team lead in scoring, in 28 of 31 games in 2015. The lone non-guards to lead the Dukes in scoring outright were returnees L.G. Gill (twice) and Jeremiah Jones.
• The 3-point shooting of Colter (60-141, .426) and Mason (88-197, .447) helped the Dukes finish with the third-best single-season mark in school history (.370) - and best by a DU team since 1992 - last season. DU's 7.9 3-pointers per game was the fifth-best mark in school history.
• Mason, who led the nation in 3-point shooting percentage in 2014 (65-116, .560), finished seventh nationally last season (88-197, .447). Mason has hit five or more "3s" in a game nine times (seven at Duquesne and two as a freshman at Drake). Mason is the second most-accurate 3-point shooter in NCAA history (195-of-397, .491).
• Despite its 12-19 record in 2015, Duquesne was outscored by an average of just 2.9 points per game. Duquesne was 1-4 in games decided by three or fewer points, including a 1-2 mark in Atlantic 10 play.
• In conference play, DU averaged 74.7 ppg. at home and 67.7 on the road. The Dukes outscored A-10 opponents by +1.3 ppg. at home and were outscored by 14.7 ppg. on the road. DU held A-10 opponents to .411 shooting at home. On the road, A-10 foes shot .490.
• Three of DU's A-10 games - all at home - came down to the last possession: a 71-68 win over Saint Joseph's, a 61-60 loss to Rhode Island and a 100-97 OT loss to St. Bonaventure (the Dukes led Rhody by 13 and the Bonnies by 15 in the second half). In addition, DU had the ball down two with under two minutes left in a 70-64 "home" loss to No. 17 (AP) VCU at CONSOL Energy Center on Jan. 17. The Dukes were also tied with UMass with under three minutes left at Mullins Center on Feb. 14.
• The Dukes prepared for the 2015-16 season with a nine-day, three-game trip to Ireland August 4-12. It was the second foreign tour by a DU team (the Dukes played four games in three days in Toronto over Labor Day weekend in 2007).
• DU's five home-and-home Atlantic 10 opponents are unchanged from last season. The Dukes will face Davidson, Dayton, George Washington, St. Bonaventure and Saint Louis twice as part of the 18-game Atlantic 10 schedule.
• Duquesne will participate in the eight-team Gulf Coast Showcase Nov. 23-25 at Germain Arena in Estero, Fla. The field includes: Central Michigan, Drake, Milwaukee, Murray State, Pepperdine, Weber State and Western Kentucky. Duquesne will face Pepperdine in the opening round and either Milwaukee or Murray State on day two. The third round opponent is TBD. The Dukes will also face two Atlantic Coast Conference schools (at Georgia Tech and vs. Pitt) and one Big Ten school (Penn State) in non-conference play. The Pitt and Penn State games will both be played at CONSOL Energy Center.
