https://goduquesne.com/news/2020/2/28/mens-basketball-preview-duqmbb-vs-george-mason.aspx:
"Duquesne (19-8, 9-6), coming off an 81-77 overtime win at St. Bonaventure, returns to Pittsburgh to host George Mason (15-13, 4-11) at UPMC Events Center on the campus of Robert Morris University on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+). This is the second-to-last home game - and final home game at RMU - for the Dukes who are 9-3 at home (2-1 at RMU) despite playing at three different venues due to renovation work to the on-campus UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. DU enters Saturday's game needing one win to reach 20 for the first time since 2009 (21-13). Look for a tight one on Saturday, as two of the past three Duquesne/George Mason games have been decided by one point, with the third decided by six - in double overtime. Saturday will be Duquesne's annual UPMC
Red Out game.
TRENDING
- This is the first time since 1971 (21-4) & 1972 (20-5) that Duquesne has had 19 or more wins in back-to-back seasons (DU was 19-13 last year).
- It is also the first time DU has produced back-to-back seasons with 9+ Atlantic 10 wins (10-8 last year).
- Duquesne's 19-8 record is the school's best through 27 games since 1980-81.
- The Dukes are holding opponents to 65.4 points per game - the lowest opponent average in 58 years.
- The Dukes rank 9th nationally - and first in the A-10 - in blocks/g. at 5.59. DU is eighth in the nation in block percentage (15.5 according to KenPom).
- Duquesne is 28th nationally and second in the A-10 in fewest fouls per game (15.2).
- Sophomore Sincere Carry is averaging 14.4 points and 7.9 assists in DU's past seven g.. DU is 15-4 when Carry, DU's assist leader at 5.3 apg., hands out five or more assists. Carry has a 4.2-to-1 assist/turnover ratio (55a/13to) over that 7g. span.
- Junior Marcus Weathers, who went over the 1,000 career point mark on Feb. 22 at Dayton, has 17 traditional three-point plays this season. It is the most by a Duke since Aaron Jackson converted 20 in 2009. Weathers leads DU with 124 free throw attempts.
- Junior center Michael Hughes ranks 8th nationally in blocks/g. (2.85) and 8th in block pct. (12.98 according to KenPom). DU is 8-1 (4-1 in A-10 play) when Hughes blocks four or more shots.
- Grad transfer Baylee Steele has made 66.7% of his two-point attempts (24-of-36) and scored in double-digits four times in DU's past six games.
- Under Keith Dambrot, DU is: 43-3 when leading with 5:00 left ... 41-12 when scoring 70 or more points (13-2 this year) ... 35-3 when the first to 70 points in a game ... 35-7 when holding opponents under 70 (16-0 this year).
DUQUESNE AT HOME
The Dukes have won nine of 12 at home while playing at three different venues (PPG Paints Arena, D-III La Roche University and Robert Morris). DU has been displaced by season-long renovation work which is being done to the on-campus UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. Duquesne has had to board a bus for 22 of its 27 games this season (La Roche is 10 miles from DU's downtown campus & Robert Morris is an 18-mile trip). Duquesne is 36-14 in home games under Dambrot, including a 23-8 mark over the past two seasons. The Dukes are 10-5 in A-10 home games over the past two seasons.
DUKES AND PATRIOTS
Series Record: Duquesne leads 7-6
At Pittsburgh: Tied 3-3
At Fairfax: Duquesne leads 4-3
Neutral Site: 0-0
A-10 Regular Season: Duquesne leads 5-2
A-10 Championship: 0-0
Dambrot vs. George Mason: 2-0
- This is the 14th meeting in a relatively new series that dates to New Year's Eve of 2001 ... DU leads the series is tied at 7-6, with the two having split six games in Pittsburgh ... this is the eighth meeting between the two as members of the Atlantic 10 ... Duquesne leads 5-2 in A-10 regular season games.
- Duquesne has won six of the past eight meetings, including the past two at home.
- George Mason (15-13, 4-11), which is in its fifth-year under head coach Dave Paulsen, was picked to finish ninth in the A-10 preseason poll.
- Mason is 2-7 on the road, including a 2-5 mark in A-10 games. The two A-10 road wins came at La Salle (76-63) and at vcu (72-67).
- DU head coach Keith Dambrot is 2-0 all-time vs. George Mason with a 95-89 2OT win in Pittsburgh in 2018 and a 79-78 win at Fairfax, Va. last year. The Dukes came back from the 19-point deficit in last year's road win. DU led for just 1:14 of the game.
A DU WIN WOULD ...
- Secure Duquesne's first 20-win season since the 2009 NIT team went 21-13. It would be just the third time in the past 48 years that DU posted 20 or more wins (20-10 in 1981 is the other).
- Tie the school record for A-10 wins accomplished four times: 1981 (10-3), 1991 (10-8), 2011 (10-6) & 2019 (10-8).
- Clinch back-to-back winning A-10 seasons for just the second time in school history (1980 & 1981 are the others).
- Secure DU's seventh winning season in A-10 play.
- Clinch a winning February record (5-3) for just the seventh time in DU's 43 A-10 seasons. DU's last five-win February was in 1994 (6-3)."
