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 Damian Saunders set new career highs for points (21) and steals (6) in DU's season-opening win over High Point. |
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Dukes Return to Action Thursday at Saint Francis, Pa.
Nov. 18, 2008
DUQUESNE (1-0) at SAINT FRANCIS, PA (0-2)
Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008 • 7:00 p.m. (EST)
DeGol Arena (3,500) • Loretto, Pa.
DUQUESNE RADIO: KQV-AM (1410) with Ray Goss & George Von Benko
STREAMING AUDIO: redzonemedia.com or GoDuquesne.com
DUKES HEAD TO SAINT FRANCIS, PA: Duquesne, which opened the 2008-09 season with an impressive 84-55 win over High Point last Friday, hits the road for the first time to face Saint Francis, Pa. (0-2) on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7:00 p.m. (KQV-AM 1410). It is the first of four games in nine days for the Dukes who host Furman on Nov. 23 before heading to the Carolinas over Thanksgiving break to face South Carolina Upstate (Nov. 25) and Duke (Nov. 28). Veterans Damian Saunders (21 points), Aaron Jackson (14 points) and Bill Clark (14 points) combined for 36 of Duquesne's first half points as the Dukes jumped out to a 43-15 lead against High Point. DU, which never trailed, held the Panthers scoreless for an 8:17 stretch of the first half while going on an 18-0 run to put the game away. Seven of Duquesne's eight freshman saw action, with B.J. Monteiro and Melquan Bolding leading the newcomers with seven points each. Saint Francis opened its season with an 81-47 loss at Texas Tech. Devin Sweetney and Marquis Ford led the Red Flash with 11 points each. Saint Francis was held to 18.8 percent shooting in the second half (25.9% for the game). SFU dropped a 67-46 decision at American on Monday. The Red Flash once again struggled from the field, shooting 34.7 percent. Through two games, Saint Francis is shooting 30.0 percent overall. Duquesne is looking to open 2-0 for the third straight season under head coach Ron Everhart.
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DUQUESNE LATELY: Duquesne is one of the youngest teams in the nation with eight scholarship freshmen and 12 underclassmen ... seven of the eight freshman saw action in the season opening 84-55 win over High Point ... sophomore Damian Saunders posted career highs for points (21) and steals (6) against HPU ... the 6-7 forward, who went 8-of-11 from the field, also added three blocks in 22 minutes of action ... senior guard Aaron Jackson, who entered the season as the only player on the DU roster with a 20-point game (done three times as a sophomore), added 14 points, seven assists, six rebounds & three steals in 27 minutes ... Jackson's 34 career double-digit scoring games are nine more than the rest of the roster combined (Bill Clark 13, Saunders seven and Jason Duty & Jimmy Sherwood two each) ... DU is 22-10 when scoring 80 or more points in 60 games under Ron Everhart ... two other faces are new to the Duquesne bench in first-year assistant coaches Steve Hall and Scott Rigot ... Bill Barton, who is in his second season, was promoted to Associate Head Coach on Oct. 27.
DUKES & RED FLASH: This is the 72nd meeting between Duquesne and Saint Francis and third since a 67-58 Duquesne win at Loretto on Dec. 20, 1997 ... this is just the second time Duquesne has played at Saint Francis since the `97 meeting ... DU leads the overall series 59-12 including a 25-7 advantage in games played in the Loretto/Johnstown area (11-7 at Loretto, 7-0 at Altoona & 7-0 at Johnstown) ... the Dukes have won 28 of the past 30 meetings, including the past eight in a row ... DU has won the past four meetings at SFU ... Saint Francis' last series win was on Dec. 29, 1990 by an 82-80 count at Loretto ... two years ago, in Duquesne's last visit to Saint Francis, Kieron Achara hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a five-point comeback in the final 44 seconds and give Duquesne a dramatic 72-71 win ... the victory ended a 17-game non-conference road losing streak for the Dukes ... DU played Saint Francis in its second and third games as a program back on Jan. 17 & Jan. 24, 1914 ... the Jan. 24 game was the first on the road for a Dukes basketball squad.
A victory over Saint Francis would:
• Be Duquesne's ninth in a row and 29th in the past 31 meetings against Saint Francis.
• Mark the third straight 2-0 start for Ron Everhart at Duquesne.
HISTORICAL NOTE: In the third and final meeting between Duquesne and Saint Francis during the 1967-68 season, DU's Ron Guziak scored a school record 50 points in a 109-103 Dukes win at Altoona's Jaffa Mosque (Mar.6) ... the two had split the earlier meetings with Duquesne winning at home and Saint Francis winning in double OT at the Quaker City Tournament in Philadelphia ... Guziak, who had 31 points at the half, went 24-of-35 from the field and 2-of-3 from the free thow line in the Mar. 6 win ... Norm Van Lier had 35 for Saint Francis.
CAROLINA DREAMIN': Duquesne's non-conference schedule has a distinct Carolina flair, as the Dukes will play a total of five schools from either North or South Carolina: High Point (High Point, N.C.), Furman (Greenville, S.C.), at South Carolina Upstate (Spartanburg, S.C.), at Duke (Durham, N.C.) and North Carolina Central (Durham, N.C.). The Dukes will also play Charlotte as part of the Atlantic 10 schedule. High Point and North Carolina Central are the only first-time opponents for the Dukes.
CONN MEN: Three Connecticut natives will play key roles for the Dukes in 2008-09. Three-year starter Aaron Jackson, a Hartford native (Northwest Catholic), is DU's top returning scorer (9.0 ppg.) and assist man (104). Sophomore forward Damian Saunders, who attended Waterbury Crosby High School, was a member of the 2007-08 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team. Saunders, Duquesne's top returning rebounder (5.2 rpg.), shot blocker (39) and steals man (45), underwent successful surgery in early May to repair a torn ligament in his left ankle. He was cleared to participate in individual workouts on October 2. DU's third player from the Nutmeg State is true freshman G/F B.J. Monteiro who was named 2008 Connecticut State Player of the Year by the Hartford Courant. Monteiro, was a freshman and Saunders a junior on a Crosby team that won a 2004-05 state title. Monteiro added a second state crown last season. The Connecticut crew accounted for exactly half of Duquesne's 84 points (21 by Saunders, 14 by Jackson and 7 by Monteiro) in the opening day win over High Point.
ON THE TUBE: Some previously released game times have been changed to accommodate the recently released CBS College Sports television schedule. The Dukes, who are scheduled to appear four times as part of the CBS College Sports package, have moved the tip time of the Feb. 15 home game versus Temple from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. In addition, the Jan. 25 game at Fordham, previously listed as TBA, will tip at 1:00 p.m. Both games will be CBS College Sports national telecasts. Duquesne will appear twice as part of CBS College Sports' syndicated package (local affiliates TBA) at Saint Louis on Feb. 4 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and at home versus Xavier on Feb. 7 at 7:00 p.m.. Both game times are unchanged from previously released schedules. The Dukes will also make their first ESPN national television appearance since 1995 when they play at Duke on Nov. 28 at 3:00 p.m. In an additional scheduling note, tip time for the Saturday, Dec. 20 home game against Rice has been moved from 2:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. For the most up-to-date schedule information, please visit www.GoDuquesne.com.
EXTENDED: Duquesne head coach Ron Everhart signed a three-year contract extension on June 25 that secures him as the Dukes coach through 2013-14.
IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY: DU is 177-201 (.468) in non-conference games since 1976-77 as members of the Eastern 8/Atlantic 10 and Midwestern Collegiate Conference (1992-93 only). The Dukes have posted a winning non-conference record five times since 1990 (10-3 in 2008, 6-4 in 1996, 8-4 in 1994, 7-5 in 1993 and 7-4 in 1992). DU, which went 4-8 in its first non-conference season under Ron Everhart, posted 10 non-league wins last year. The 10 non-conference wins were the most by a Duquesne team since the 1979-80 team went 11-6. DU is 1-0 in non-league play this year.
