The anticipation has been building for Duquesne, and though the celebration started a bit prematurely, the Dukes are now set to dive into the excitement of March Madness. On a memorable Sunday afternoon, Duquesne clinched its first NCAA Tournament spot since 1977 by overcoming VCU with a score of 57-51 in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament final, held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The last victory of this magnitude for Duquesne, which propelled them into the NCAA Tournament, was when they, led by future NBA All-Star Norm Nixon, triumphed over Villanova in the championship game.
Currently, Duquesne boasts a record of 24-11 and is riding the wave of an eight-game winning streak. Under the guidance of head coach Keith Dambrot, the Dukes found themselves in the conference title game for the first time since 2009. Breaking a 47-year hiatus, Duquesne is now preparing for its sixth venture into the grand tournament.
Despite leading by 14 at halftime, securing their spot in March Madness proved challenging for the sixth-seeded Dukes. They managed only 21 points and had a shooting accuracy of 5 for 29 from the field in the latter half. Nonetheless, this small Catholic institution from Pittsburgh is entering the NCAA Tournament on a high, fueled by an eight-game winning streak.
Joe Bamisile, from the fifth-seeded VCU (22-13), which aimed to defend its A-10 tournament championship title, led his team with 20 points. In the closing moments, Jimmy Clark III sank two free throws, bringing Duquesne’s lead to five points, and shortly after, Fouysseyni Drame added two more to the scoreboard, making it 55-48 in favor of the Dukes.
A late three-pointer by Zeb Jackson offered VCU a sliver of hope. However, as the Dukes faced difficulty inbounding the ball, the Rams fouled Jakub Necas, who missed both shots. Clark’s subsequent free throws with 1.9 seconds left ignited celebrations among Duquesne fans at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Dae Dae Grant, Duquesne’s top scorer with 10 points in the first half, was honored as the tournament’s most outstanding player. An early lead in the second half was disrupted when decorations in Duquesne’s colors descended from the rafters, causing a brief delay for cleanup. This incident seemed to jinx the Dukes, who then struggled to score, starting the second half 1 for 15 from the field.
Despite this setback, Duquesne regained its momentum. Bamisile’s jumper and Necas’s three-pointer widened the gap, and despite a late surge from VCU, the Dukes managed to maintain their lead. Coach Dambrot, who once mentored LeBron James in high school, has led the team to match a historic win record set back in 1953-54, a season his father, Sid, played for Duquesne.
The team eagerly awaits the announcement of their opponents and game location for the tournament. As the host for first-round games at PPG Paints Arena, Duquesne will play elsewhere. For fans looking to experience the thrill of March Madness in Pittsburgh, tickets for the NCAA tournament are available for purchase.