SOUTH BEND, Ind. — On Wednesday evening, Pitt missed an opportunity to clinch a double bye within the ACC match, shedding 88-81 to Notre Dame. Nelly Cummings tied with teammates Jamarius Burton and Nike Sibande to tempo the Panthers with 19 factors.

Hear from Cummings, in addition to coach Jeff Capel, following the sport.

Duquesne fell to Massachusetts on Jan. 28 on the street 87-79 in a recreation that put them beneath .500 in Atlantic 10 play.

After an ideal begin to the season, Duquesne struggled to play persistently, good basketball in convention play, going 3-4 within the month of January and 4-5 total in A-10 video games.

Towards UMass, Duquesne dedicated 29 fouls and noticed three gamers foul out. UMass took benefit of this and made 30 of their 39 makes an attempt on the foul line en path to their victory over Duquesne. UMass’ 39 free throw makes an attempt in that recreation is tied for probably the most head coach Keith Damrbot has confronted from an opponent in his lengthy profession.

The Dukes (19-10 total, 9-7 Atlantic 10)  performed a few of their greatest basketball of the season within the month of February following this loss. They began the month with a 4-0 file, their greatest begin to a season since they joined the Atlantic 10 in 1976-77.

Duquesne has misplaced two of its final three video games, however competed to the ultimate second in these losses. They fell to an excellent Saint Louis squad on the street, 85-80, on Feb. 18 and misplaced late to Davidson at residence final trip, 71-67, on Sunday, Feb. 26.

These losses will most certainly forestall the Dukes from incomes a double-bye within the Atlantic 10 Match that begins subsequent Tuesday, March 7 on the Barclays Middle in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Dukes do have an opportunity to complete with a No. 5 spot in the event that they win their last two video games to complete the common season.

Duquesne takes on UMass in a rematch on Wednesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at UPMC Cooper Area Home, the ultimate residence recreation of the season. The venue has functioned as a “stronghold” for Duquesne throughout this season, as they maintain a 15-4 total file and 5-2 in Atlantic 10 play.

The Minutemen (14-14 total, 5-11 Atlantic 10) have performed a few of the worst basketball within the convention since their victory over the Dukes on Jan. 28.

They misplaced the subsequent 5 video games and misplaced six of their seven video games within the month of February. Their lone win got here towards rival Rhode Island, a group that’s 8-20 total, 4-12 in convention play and at the moment on a seven-game shedding streak. The Minutemen misplaced 5 of these video games by double-digits, together with their most up-to-date loss, a 72-54 blowout on the street to Dayton on Feb. 22.

UMass is the third worst defensive group in Atlantic 10 play, permitting a median of 75.4 factors per recreation. In addition they enable the fifth worst defensive discipline purpose share, as their convention opponents shoot 45.4% towards them.

The Minutemen do rebound the ball nicely, rating No. 1 within the convention with 36.9 rebounds per recreation. They rank No. 7 in defensive rebounds at 34.1 per recreation, however are tied at No. 2 with Fordham for 12.1 offensive rebounds per recreation, each in Atlantic 10 play, respectively.

In addition they shoot a strong 74.1% from the foul line in convention play, good for No. 4 within the Atlantic 10

First-year guard RJ Lewis scored a profession excessive 31 factors for UMass within the win over Duquesne, making 17 of his 18 free throws alongside the way in which. He at the moment leads UMass in scoring in convention play and ranks No. 18 within the A-10 averaging 13.9 factors per recreation.

Junior ahead Dyondre Dominguez scored 13 factors and grabbed 11 rebounds towards the Dukes of their first matchup. He additionally made three of his 4 makes an attempt from 3-point vary, displaying his versatility in lots of aspects of the sport.

First-year guard Keon Thompson is the facilitator for the Minutemen. His 3.2 assists per recreation and 1.8 help/turnover ratio is sweet for No. 15 and No. 8 in Atlantic 10 play, respectively.

UMass additionally possesses a dominant presence within the paint in senior ahead/heart Wildens Leveque, who averages 1.1 blocks per recreation in A-10 play, which ranks No. 8.

Duquesne wants their greatest play from junior guards Dae Dae Grant and Jimmy Clark II going into this matchup towards UMass

Grant scored a team-high 23 factors and grabbed 10 rebounds for his first profession double-double within the loss towards UMass. He additionally scored 20 factors towards Davidson on Sunday, making 4 of his seven makes an attempt from behind the arc. Clark scored 14 of his 15 factors within the last 5:42 of the sport to assist mount a Duquesne comeback from down 16 factors early on within the second half.

The Dukes additionally have to play higher basketball to start with video games and never fall behind. They fell behind to each the Billikens and the Wildcats and needed to make large comebacks to place themselves in rivalry to attempt to win these video games. That methodology will not be sustainable and gained’t result in nice outcomes if the Dukes are to do nicely the remainder of this week and on the Atlantic 10 Match subsequent week.

A win for Duquesne towards UMass Wednesday night time would seal a bye from the primary day of the convention match, that means they wouldn’t play till subsequent Wednesday, March 8.

It might additionally make it the sixteenth residence win on the season, tying it with the 1949-50 and 1971-72 seasons for many residence wins, the eighth profitable season in program historical past within the Atlantic 10, 10 convention wins for the primary time since 2018-19 and 20 wins for the third time 42 years.

The Dukes ought to depend on their sturdy protection, significantly as they’re No. 2 in steals in A-10 play, averaging 8.75 per recreation. It will enable them to construct an early lead and get the followers to construct their confidence all through the sport and onto victory.

The Duquesne Girls’s Basketball Group begins what it affectionately calls a 3rd season Wednesday when it faces Loyola Chicago within the first spherical of the Atlantic 10 Championship.

Duquesne most just lately fell in Saturday’s regular-season finale at Saint Joseph’s falling to the ten seed, which means it could begin play Wednesday versus a day later.

“I feel they’ve responded effectively,” Duquesne Affiliate Head Coach Cherie Lea stated. “I believed we had a very good follow Monday, good vitality, good focus, aggressive, speaking. Going into the (convention championship) something can occur. It doesn’t matter what your common season document was, proper now we’re in a very good house and have been taking part in laborious and competing. Anyone can win this event and that’s the perspective we have now going up there.”

Sophomore guard Megan McConnell agreed with Lea that the vitality is there and believes the Dukes displayed good short-term reminiscence in leaving Saturday behind.

Now it’s go time.

“All of us undoubtedly have that mindset, it’s win or go dwelling,” she stated. “I feel we received the aspect of the bracket that we needed, we’re proud of it and we expect we will make a long term. We simply must be dialed in and preserve doing what we do greatest.”

That aspect of the bracket McConnell refers to would have Duquesne taking part in George Washington if it have been to win Wednesday, with second-seeded Rhode Island awaiting that winner.

The Atlantic 10 has displayed extra depth than fairly presumably ever with a number of staffers reminding the group that it was three possessions away from a fourth seed and the double bye which have include that, if all video games are examined underneath the microscope.

Duquesne simply performed Loyola Chicago this previous Wednesday, successful 71-61. The Ramblers positioned final throughout common season play.

“They’re probably the greatest in turning protection to offense, they transfer that ball up the court docket backward and forward,” stated Lea. “They’re a well-coached group, it was very aggressive once we performed them final week, so we’re not taking them calmly. We all know they’ll are available in and pack a punch. We now have to be ready and able to go. Defensively we have now to remain true to who we’re, sit, guard, defend the basket and rebound. Offensively we have now to belief one another, transfer the ball, don’t let it stick and play at a excessive degree.”

McConnell agreed with Lea understanding that now it was watching movie on what errors have been made within the earlier recreation and persevering with to work to develop into one of the best model of themselves.

“It’s undoubtedly refreshing realizing we got here off with a win at our place, however they have been in it the entire time,” the guard replied. “They have been up for a lot of the recreation, and we ended up pulling away within the fourth quarter, so we all know that is going to be a canine battle. We simply must play our recreation and we’ll be effective.”

Earlier than McConnell left halfcourt, she was requested how Duquesne would discover enjoyable in what it hopes to be an extended week in Wilmington and whereas she smiled, her reply was very telling.

“We’re strictly there for enterprise,” McConnell matter-of-factly acknowledged.

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