Duquesne men’s basketball starts season with historic win

PITTSBURGH — The Duquesne University men’s basketball team celebrated a historic victory on Monday, defeating Niagara 83-63 at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse to secure the program’s 1,500th win in its 110th NCAA Division I season opener.

Duquesne’s triumph was marked by a strong start, as center John Hugley and senior guard Tarence Guinyard combined for a quick layup just two seconds into the game, sparking a 9-0 run. The Dukes’ defense held Niagara scoreless from the field for the first 10 minutes, with the Purple Eagles breaking their drought with a layup from Justin Hawkins.

“The mindset of making sure we progress still stays the same,” said head coach Dru Joyce III. “We want to accomplish things when we go into the game in terms of ‘Are we better than we were yesterday?’”

Duquesne’s bench played a crucial role in the victory, with 10 players seeing at least nine minutes of action. Redshirt senior guard Brandon Hall returned from injury to contribute six points, while freshman Lazar Milošević added seven points and two rebounds in just over six minutes of play.

The Dukes shot an impressive 56.4% from the field and 42.3% from three-point range, with Guinyard and junior guard Jimmie Williams leading the scoring effort. Guinyard finished with 19 points and Williams added 15, combining for a 12-for-18 shooting performance.

Duquesne’s defense was effective in disrupting Niagara’s offense, resulting in both teams scoring 20 points off turnovers. The Dukes also held a 36-30 advantage in points in the paint and a 32-25 edge in rebounding.

The victory was significant not only for its historic milestone but also for the team’s performance, as noted by Joyce III.

“Offense is supposed to put you in a bind and create advantages, and defensively we have to pressure, disrupt and dictate,” he said. “It starts with ball pressure, but I saw a lot of guys locked in and doing their job.”

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