The A10 Tournament championship guaranteed Duquesne a first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 47 years. Thursday another milestone was reached. The 11th seeded Dukes scored their first victory since 1969 in what is now known as the Big Dance, with a 71-67 victory over sixth seeded BYU at Omaha’s CHI Health Center.
Possessions: 67
Offensive efficiency: Duquesne 106, BYU 100
Four Factors:
| Duquesne | BYU | |
| eFG Pct. | 53 | 44 |
| FT Rate | 29 | 30 |
| OREB Pct. | 20 | 32 |
| TO Rate | 16 | 18 |
Kenpom.com MVP: Dae Dae Grant. The senior guard paced the Dukes with 19 points. Grant logged 36 minutes without a turnover while hitting several clutch free throws down the stretch.
Leading scorers:
BYU- Jaxson Robinson 25 points
Duquesne- Dae Dae Grant 19 points
Records: Duquesne 25-11, BYU 23-11
The difference. Toughness. Keith Dambrot’s group had a 14 point lead early in the second half. The Cougars of the Big 12 were able to respond and tie the game at 60 with just under two minutes to play. Having senior guards is a significant advantage in tournament play. Having senior guards as Grant and Jimmy Clark is a monumental asset. Both exude toughness and calm under pressure. That sets the tone and example for their teammates to follow. The Dukes’ poise was evident as they went 9 of 10 from the charity stripe in the final 88 seconds to seal the contest and put coach Dambrot’s retirement on hold.
History. Duquesne now has their most wins since the 1954 team finished 26-3. This was their first NCAA Tournament win since a 75-72 East Regional consolation game (they were played back then) at Cole Field House on the University of Maryland campus. Duquesne 21-5 that season, defeated Saint Joseph’s before dropping a 79-78 heartbreaker to North Carolina in the regional semis. Dean Smith’s Tar Heels would eventually go to the Final Four and get eliminated by Purdue in the semis.
The ‘69 Duquesne team was coached by Red Manning. Among the notable names were sophomore Jarret ‘the jewel’ Durham, the leading scorer at 17 ppg. Durham later had a successful run coaching Robert Morris. Junior Bill Zoph was a solid point guard. Senior forward Moe Barr, finished second in scoring at 15 ppg. The 6’10” Nelson twins, Barry and Garry, were sophomore forwards. Gary Major, a 6’9” senior, was listed at center.
Next: Duquesne, currently on a nine game winning streak, will face third seeded Illinois on Saturday. The Fighting Illini was an 85-69 winner over Morehead State in the opening round.
