Duquesne basketball holds on to win season opener vs. Cleveland State

A season of promise at Duquesne began Monday night with a heart-throbbing, two-point victory for a college basketball program that has been starving for substantial success.

“That’s pretty much exactly how I thought it would go,” Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot said.

Dae Dae Grant, voted to the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason first team, scored 21 points, and defensive whiz Jimmy Clark III, playing much of the second half with four fouls, added 16 to go with eight assists and three steals, as Duquesne held on to beat Cleveland State, 79-77, at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

The Dukes, picked fourth out of 15 teams in an A-10 preseason poll after winning 20 games a year ago, haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1977, but expectations are high that this could be a special year.

“We’re going to have a good team, but we’re a work in progress,” Dambrot said. “We don’t know who to play, who should be out there at this point. We’re just looking around and trying to figure it out as a staff.”

The Drame twins, transfers from La Salle and the same duo that played for the St. Peter’s Elite Eight team of two seasons ago, also scored in double figures for Duquesne (1-0) — Hassan Drame getting 11 points and Fousseyni Drame finishing with 10.

Drew Lowder led Cleveland State (0-1) with 27 points. Tae Williams added 21 for the Vikings, who lost a late lead on Fousseyni Drame’s 3-point shot that put Duquesne ahead 75-74 with 1 minute, 44 seconds left.

“Fousseyni bopped that 3 in and it changed the game,” Dambrot said.

Clark followed with a bucket to give the Dukes a three-point advantage and Fousseyni Drame hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it 78-74 with 16 seconds left.

But Lowder drained a 3 to pull Cleveland State within 78-77.

David Dixon then converted 1 of 2 free throws — Duquesne was just 18 for 33 (54.5 %) as a team — before Williams’ jumper at the buzzer was short, preserving the Dukes’ third consecutive season-opening victory.

Duquesne got a big stop from point guard Kareem Rozier, who dove on the floor to corral a loose ball following a missed 3-point shot by Cleveland State’s Tevin Smith with the Dukes clinging to a three-point lead.

“Any win is a good win. It was a good team win,” Clark said. “I’m glad we came down to crunch time when it mattered and we got the stop. Kareem did. That was big for him and for us.”

Cleveland State proved to be a formidable opening opponent for Duquesne. The Vikings, who lost to Northern Kentucky in the Horizon League Tournament championship game a year ago, were picked fourth among 11 teams in the Horizon preseason poll.

As early season games go, this one passed the test.

A total of 21 players saw action — 11 for Duquesne — and play was ragged for much of the time from start to finish.

“They’re all good players, but if you don’t play great, you’re not going to play as much,” Dambrot said.

Cleveland State outshot Duquesne, 44% to 42%. The Dukes held a slim 43-41 edge in rebounding.

“I didn’t think we guarded or rebounded very well,” Dambrot said. “That’s all going to get better.”

Duquesne, with a roster that includes several key returning starters and a host of newcomers, saw Dambrot predictably toy with different lineups in search of comfortable combinations he hoped could spark the team to a level not seen in years.

“We’re going to have a rotating lineup,” Dambrot said. “It has to be straight feel and who’s playing well. Obviously, the two guards (Grant and Clark) are going to play. But then, everybody else is pretty much battling to play.”

The Dukes, minus injured North Carolina State transfer Dusan Mahorcic, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound graduate student, came in with familiar names, such as Grant, Clark and Tre Williams — through Williams was not in the Dukes starting lineup — and some unfamiliar ones, such as Andrei Savrasov and Jakub Necas.

With some unfamiliarity to overcome, the night was a grind for both teams. Neither led by more than five points.

The Dukes came out launching to start the second half with Rozier and Clark connecting on 3-point shots in succession to push Duquesne in front 44-41 after the Dukes trailed by three points at halftime.

When Grant was fouled on a long 3-pointer from the left wing, he flashed a smile at a front row of fans before being helped up by teammates.

Duquesne remained in front for most of the time but was unable to shake Cleveland State and trailed late before Fousseyni Drame’s long 3 vaulted the Dukes back into the lead.

Cleveland State rallied from an early 22-15 deficit and took the lead with a 7-0 run that gave the Vikings a 32-27 edge with 6:22 left in the first half.

Duquesne tied it at 38-38 on a basket by Grant before Cleveland State scored three unanswered in the final 1:22 to hold a 41-38 halftime lead.

Duquesne is back on the court Friday in Annapolis, Md., against College of Charleston in the first of two games at the Veterans Classic. The nightcap features Temple at Navy.