PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The first Power Six basketball program to play on Duquesne’s campus since 2008, DePaul ran into a Dukes team committed to playing defense. Duquesne ends a two-game losing streak with a 66-55 win at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
“I never worked a team in 40 years of coaching harder after a game than I did after the last game,” said Duquesne Head Coach Keith Dambrot as the Dukes broke a two-game losing streak. “Our big guys beat their brains in, when you really analyze it.”
“Coach pushed us and put the emphasis on defense,” said forward Joe Reece. “We’ve been getting back to basics. Getting back to moving our feet in practice and today it showed.”
Duquesne held DePaul to 31% from the floor, a plus 16 rebounds and owning the paint with a 22-point advantage.
“They took what we told them,” Dambrot said. “We said you’ve been relying on offense all year and we have a couple of below average offensive nights and we lose. When are you going to listen and trust us and get better defensively and make it matter to you? That tells you a lot about the group.”
Dukes led by three in double figures-Reece with 15 points, Dae Dae Grant with 15 points/8 rebounds, Jimmy Clark with 13 points.
Reece’s Piece
Reece had 11 points and five rebounds at key times in the second half. The 6’8” senior transfer from Old Dominion and Bowling Green is in his third game back from injury and has consecutive double-figure scoring games.
“It’s a big gap, a space that is needed when he’s on the floor,” Grant said. “He brings so much tenacity on the offensive glass. Joe brings so much to our team and we really appreciate all he does.”
“He did a good job tonight and he’s a talented guy,” Dambrot said, adding there is much more he can give them.
“The chemistry here is so amazing,” Reece said of being at Duquesne. “We’ve always stuck together. It’s a brotherhood here and I think that brotherhood is going to stay strong for many years to come. Even the young guys are getting into it.”
“I feel like the tradition here at Duquesne is changing and it shows.”
2-decade win
It was Duquesne’s first home win against a Big East team since beating West Virginia 86-82 in 2002. It was the first time Duquesne had hosted a Power Six school since 2008.
“Anytime you can beat a solid team, it’s good for you,” Dambrot said. “I wish we could get more teams in the building.
We haven’t been able to. We caught them at a time they needed a home game, so we two for one’d it.”
“We need to get more games. There are more teams in our league that are getting more home games than we are.”
Up Next
Home against Indiana State at 2p on Saturday.