Duquesne needed a good start to this season to erase the stink of last year's disastrous finish, and sure enough, the Dukes have been even better so far than just about anyone could have expected.
Duquesne was in control throughout Tuesday night against a solid UC Santa Barbara team and picked up a 72-61 victory at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
The Dukes improved to 6-1 with the win, matching last season's victory total. They got off to a 6-7 start a year ago, then lost their final 17 games to finish 6-24.
This also was Duquesne's fifth consecutive victory, since a loss at Kentucky in the second game of the season.
Keith Dambrot put together a non-conference schedule with a lot of home games early, including some challenging but winnable games to help the team -- which is loaded with transfers -- build some confidence. This game was the team's third of nine straight at home.
The Dukes were picked to finish last in the Atlantic 10, but so far in non-con play, they have looked like a team that could surprise a lot of people.
Duquesne built a 37-27 halftime lead over UCSB, which came in with a 4-1 record. The Gauchos made a push in the second half, closing within 57-53 with 7:19 to go, before the Dukes answered back to pull away.
Dae Dae Grant poured in 26 points to lead the Dukes, hitting 9 of 14 shots overall and 6 of 9 from 3-point territory. Grant, a Miami of Ohio transfer, is averaging 20.1 points per game.
Tevin Brewer added 13 points, and David Dixon had 12.
The Dukes' five-game winning streak is their longest since opening the 2019-20 season with 10 in a row, on their way to a 15-2 start that season. They tied the program record for victories in November with six, matching 2008 and 2020 totals.
Duquesne's next game is Saturday against Ball State at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. Tipoff is 2 p.m.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Box score
• Standings
• Schedule
• Statistics
