The clock read 3:30 Thursday morning when Keith Dambrot finally dragged himself and Duquesne’s four-game losing streak into bed.

This, after a 72-61 loss at St. Joseph’s and a six-hour bus ride home (routine for most Atlantic 10 teams traveling from Philadelphia).

Dambrot’s fifth season as the steward of Duquesne’s basketball program has been a struggle. The Dukes are 6-11 (1-4 in the A-10), with an almost totally rebuilt roster. But Dambrot makes no excuses.

“I don’t ever want anyone to say he’s lost his competitive edge,” he said. “There are teams that are shaking up their roster like that that are winning at a high level.”

Yet, it’s different for Dambrot. The most recent time one of his teams lost more games than it won occurred during the 1992-93 season at Central Michigan (8-18). Since then, in 21 seasons (high school and college), the worst has been 16-16 in his first season at Duquesne and 9-9 during a covid-shortened 2020-21.

But he can feel the shadow of a losing season following him while he prepares for a difficult stretch, starting Saturday at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse against Saint Louis (13-6, 4-2). Richmond (13-7, 4-3) is in town Tuesday. Then, it’s back on the road to VCU (12-6, 5-2) and Dayton (13-7, 5-2). All have at least doubled Duquesne’s victory total.

“It was risky business that most people wouldn’t do,” he said of rebuilding the roster. “Especially if (the coach was) 40 or 45 or 47. I thought it was a good long-range plan.”

Dambrot did it at the age of 63, unafraid of the consequences while believing it was the right thing to do.

“You make decisions based on how it should be done versus how to make a paycheck,” he said. “You wouldn’t have rebooted it. You would have just gone with the flow.”

He said he’s never coached for the money, remembering making $15,000 a season as a young coach at Tiffin in 1984.

“I just didn’t feel like we had the character (last season) to win a championship,” he said.

He believes his current roster is different.

“For the most part, yes,” he said. “We’re not perfect. No family of 15 is ever going to be perfect.”

Duquesne’s five leading scorers — Primo Spears, Leon Ayers III, Kevin Easley Jr., Tre Williams and Jackie Johnson III, plus the injured R.J. Gunn Jr. — are new to the program.

“We didn’t miss on any of those guys,” Dambrot said. “I think they all showed they’re good players. We got them all back (next season).

“The biggest thing is keeping your nucleus when things aren’t going well. Guys have good years, and they’re young and people poach. Especially with the NIL (name, image and likeness opportunities), they can really poach.”

The landscape of college athletics has changed, but Dambrot is willing to change with it. At least, until he turns 70.

“I’ll retire before I’m 70. I promise you that,” he said. “I’ve got an unbelievable wife who’s made a lot of sacrifices.

“I just don’t see the point in it. Especially the way I do it. I do it hard. I don’t delegate much. I do it like a small-college coach. Unless I change the way I am, which I don’t think is going to change much.”

Dambrot’s 40-victory total in 2019 and 2020 is the most in 50 years in consecutive seasons at Duquesne. It won’t be a surprise if the administration gives him the necessary time to rebuild.

“Let’s be honest. They may not want to take time,” said Dambrot, a man who learned long ago never to assume. “We have a new arena, good finances in the building. They may think they can get better than me.

“I think my record over time has been pretty good. I don’t think I forgot how to coach. I don’t worry about it, though. I’ve worked hard enough that whatever happens happens.”

His greatest skill might be not allowing the losses to distract him.

“Do I get upset? I just keep coaching them every day,” he said. “That’s what I get paid to do. I’m sure the fans hate it. I haven’t delivered what I told the fans I was going to do.

“So, until I do, they can be mad. I don’t blame them. But I’m still working hard. I’m not some old man collecting his check.”

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