Here's a more in-depth look at Duquesne, the Falcons' opponent Wednesday, Dec. 28, in Pittsburgh. ...
OVERVIEW: The Dukes of coach Ron Everhart enter this contest with a 7-5 record, having split their last eight games. Duquesne finished with a 19-13 record last season, including a 10-6 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference. This season the Dukes were predicted to finish ninth in the A-10. Duquesne is 1-1 against MAC schools this year with a win over Akron and a loss to Western Michigan. BG is 1-1 against A-10 schools with a win over Temple and a loss to George Washington.
ALL-TIME MEETINGS: Duquesne holds a 16-9 advantage all-time over the Falcons, and the Dukes have won the last three meetings in the series. Last year Duquesne claimed a lopsided 90-54 win over BG at Anderson Arena.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Dukes are led by junior guard Sean Johnson, who averages a team-best 15.5 points and has made a team-high 17 3-pointers while shooting 37.0 percent from behind the arc, and has a fine 50.4 percent shooting mark from the field overall. ... Senior swingman B.J. Monteiro is second on the team in scoring with 13.4 points per game and leads the team with 4.8 rebounds per contest. Monteiro also is second on the team with 12 blocked shots. ... Senior guard Eric Evans also is in double figures in scoring with 11.4 ppg. He ranks third on the team with 10 3-pointers made, and he is second on the team with 34 assists. ... Sophomore guard T.J. McConnell is a fourth Dukes player scoring in double figures, averaging 10.6 points per game. McConnell leads the team with 6.0 assists per game and ranks second nationally in steals with 3.2 per contest. ... Duquesne has a solid 46.5 shooting percentage from the field but is making just 30.2 percent of its 3-pointers. The Dukes' struggles have been on defense, where opponents are making 45.9 percent of their shots and 38.4 percent of their 3's. ... Duquesne also has been outrebounded by more than eight boards per game (29.3 for the Dukes, 37.8 for opponents). ... The Dukes do a fine job of forcing turnovers, creating almost 19 per game while turning the ball over just 12 times per contest.
BG KEYS TO VICTORY: 1. Hang onto the ball. Duquesne is scoring more points than opponents not because it shoots better, but because it gets more shots -- by creating turnovers. BG needs to limit its turnovers and get the Dukes to commit more to turn the tables. 2. Pass the boards. In recent games, rebounding has been a key stat for BG: when it outrebounds the opposition, it wins, and when it doesn't, it doesn't. Duquesne has struggled on the boards, so outrebounding the Dukes gives the Falcons a chance for more points. 3. Keep it rolling. The Falcons earned their first road win of the season in their last game, and this would be a good time to keep that momentum flowing. BG can really win add a quality win to its resume with a victory over the Dukes.
GAME NOTES: Tipoff is at 7 p.m. local time. ... This game will not be televised but can be heard on 99.1 FM, 1470 AM and 1280 AM. … The Falcons are 1-4 on the road this season, while Duquesne is 4-1 at home. ... The next game for BG is on the road as the Falcons play at Texas-San Antonio on Sunday, Jan. 1. ... The next contest for BG at the Stroh Center is in the Falcons' Mid-American Conference opener against Ohio on Saturday, Jan. 7 starting at 6 p.m.
Comments