What to know about Duquesne after its NCAA men's tournament upset of Brigham Young
Just two games into the first round of the men's NCAA men's tournament and we already have our first upset.
The No. 11 seed Duquesne defeated No. 6 seed Brigham Young 71-67 in the first game from the East Region to continue what has been an impressive run for the Dukes in recent weeks.
The win started with Duquesne opening the game on a 9-0 run as BYU missed its first eight shots. The Cougars eventually caught up to lead 20-19 more than halfway through the first half, but Duquesne responded with a 14-1 run to take back a lead it wouldn't give up the rest of the way. Duquesne led by as much as 14 in the second half, but BYU stormed back to tie it with 90 seconds to go. Duquesne was then able to nail its free throw attempts and get a big late layup from Jimmy Clark III to pull away from the Cougars.
The Dukes hounded a BYU team that loves to shoot the 3-pointer, holding the Cougars to just 8-for-24 (33.3%) shooting from beyond the arc. Duquesne also held off a great game by BYU senior guard Jaxson Robinson, who had a game-high 25 points with five made 3-pointers. Dae Dae Grant led the Dukes in scoring with 19 points, including the game-sealing free throws.
The win extends the career of Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot, who said he will be retiring after the NCAA tournament after seven seasons at the school.
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"They just don't want me to retire, I guess," Dambrot said after the victory Thursday. "I'm trying to get to the promised land and they're making me keep coaching."
What is Duquesne's NCAA Tournament history?
Duquesne is a private Catholic university located in Pittsburgh. Founded in 1878, it had an enrollment of 8,179 students in 2023. This is the school's sixth NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Dukes made the tournament after an impressive run to the Atlantic 10 conference tournament title. The No. 6 seed in the conference tournament, Duquesne beat Saint Louis, Dayton, St. Bonaventure and Virginia Commonwealth to clinch its first NCAA berth since 1977.
The last time the Dukes went to the Big Dance was when they won the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League tournament, beating Villanova 57-54. The ECBL would eventually be renamed the Atlantic 10. Two-time NBA champion Norm Nixon was on the team. Duquesne fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Virginia Military Institute.
Thursday was Duquesne's first tournament win since 1969 when it won the third-place game of the East Regional against St. John's when the field was made up of only 25 teams. The Dukes had previously beat Saint Joseph's 74-52 in the East Region quarterfinals and then fell to North Carolina 79-78.
Duquesne made the Final four in 1940 when the tournament was just eight teams, beating Western Kentucky in its first game and then falling to Indiana in the national semifinals.
How to pronounce Duquesne
Duquesne isn't pronounced how it looks. It is pronounced "Doo-Kane."
Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot has connection to LeBron James
The team has a connection to LeBron James.
Dambrot coached James for two seasons at St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School in Akron, Ohio. Also on the staff is associate head coach Dru Joyce III, who played with James in high school and remains a friend of his today.
James congratulated Duquesne when it clinched its spot in the tournament, but that wasn't all. Ahead of Thursday's game, the NBA's all-time leading scorer gifted the team his signature shoes in white and light blue. James then told the team good luck on social media.
James posted congratulations to Duquesne on social media after Thursday win.
Who will Duquesne face next?
Duquesne will await the winner of No. 3 seed Illinois and No. 14 Morehead State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That game will take place on Saturday at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
Contributing: Victoria Hernandez