Senior forward David Dixon's tip-in as time expired helped the Duquesne University men's basketball team snap a four-game losing streak Saturday with a 79-77 victory over Richmond at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Senior Day. The Dukes, who became the fourth team in NCAA Division I history to erase a deficit of 30 points or more, clinched their third winning season in the last four years by improving to 17-14 (.548) overall while concluding the regular season at 9-9 (.500) in the Atlantic 10.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
The Spiders shot 66.7 percent (20-for-30) from the field in the first half and jumped out to leads of 14-4, 28-8 and 38-8 with 6:43 to go before the break after Will Johnston buried a three-pointer. The Dukes were able to close to within 49-28 at halftime and still trailed by double digits, 77-66, with 3:11 to play before closing the game on a 13-0 run. Senior guard Tarence Guinyard started the deciding burst with a driving layup and scored seven points during the surge, including a three-pointer that cut the deficit to 77-73 with 1:54 left. AJ Lopez followed with a turnover for Richmond (15-16 | 5-13 Atlantic 10), and off an offensive rebound forward Alex Williams was fouled. He hit both free throws to close Duquesne to within 77-75. The Spiders suffered another turnover, one of 11 in the second half, and Williams again drew a foul with 48 seconds to go and hit both to tie the game for the first time, 77-77. Richmond had an opportunity to jump back on top, but Dixon blocked a turnaround jump shot from Jaden Daughtry before grabbing the rebound. Out of a timeout by the Dukes, Guinyard sprung free on the wing in front of the Duquesne bench and tried to connect from deep but was strong. Dixon followed from the weak side, curling around a teammate, elevating and tipping the ball off the glass and through the cylinder to give the Dukes their biggest comeback in program history.
QUOTABLE
"Words can't explain it," Dixon said. "It's crazy. I believed that we were going to win the game, but I didn't know how. I'm happy to have my career at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse end in a fashion like this. It means everything to me, especially doing this in front of my family. It's my dad's first game here since he had a stroke last year. To be able to win a game in front of him and playing as well as I did, means the world to me. It's an amazing feeling. I read somewhere that the best ability is availability. To be available to play and give my hardest. I don't know how long I have on this Earth, so I'm just going to do the best I can and play the hardest I can while I'm here."
ENTERING THE RECORD BOOK
The largest deficit erased in NCAA Division I history occurred Feb. 22, 2018, when Drexel trailed Delaware, 53-19, with 2:36 left in the first half before charging back to win, 85-83. That broke the record that was held by Duke, which trailed Tulane, 54-22, with two minutes remaining in the opening 20 minutes before earning a 74-72 triumph Dec. 30, 1950. Kentucky also trailed LSU, 68-37, with 15:34 to play before outscoring the Tigers, 62-27, to earn a 99-95 victory Feb. 15, 1994. The largest halftime deficit to be erased in the NCAA Division I record book came when the Blue Devils trailed the Green Wave, 56-27, at the break. For Duquesne, the largest deficit erased in the last 30 years was 19 points, which happened twice under former head coach Keith Dambrot and once under former head coach Scott Edgar. During the 2018-19 season, the Dukes trailed at George Mason (Feb. 23, 2019), 33-14, before charging back to earn a 79-78 win, a victory that came 24 days after Duquesne trailed at home to Rhode Island, 41-22, with 19:39 to play before posting a 75-72 victory over the Rams.
SENIOR SALUTE
Duquesne wouldn't have completed the comeback without contributions from a number of Dukes playing their final home game at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. Williams scored 13 of his game-high 22 points in the second half and also added five rebounds, two assists and two steals. He shot 5-of-8 from deep and was 5-for-5 at the free-throw line. Guinyard contributed 13 of his 16 points after halftime and also notched five rebounds, an assist and a pair of thefts, but the afternoon belonged to Dixon. In addition to moving into a tie atop the career records for games played (127) with former forward Damian Saunders (2008-11), Dixon registered his third double-double of the year and fourth of his career with 17 points and 11 rebounds. He, like Williams and Guinyard, was also 5-for-5 at the free-throw line while posting with two assists, two steals and a pair of blocks.
QUOTABLE
"We got blitzed," head coach Dru Joyce III said. "That first half we got rocked, but our attention in the timeouts was still good. When you have the ball in your hands in a tie game you couldn't ask to be in a better position, with a chance to win the game on your home floor. The big key was to get the last shot. Credit to Dave. That was a big-time effort. Not watching the basketball but going to attack it. Good touch. It wasn't a tip dunk this time. He had to put some touch on it. I think this team has Dave's will and resilience. He keeps fighting every game and every practice, and they're carrying that energy with them. It was an all-around team win when you really sum it up. The fight from different pieces was crucial."
NOTES
Five of the last six meetings between Richmond and Duquesne have been decided by five points or less, three of those which have been decided by just two points … The Dukes snapped a four-game slide in the all-time series against the Spiders … Duquesne led just once, which came after the tip-in from Dixon that won the game … Lopez led Richmond with 15 points, while Mikkel Tyne and Johnston each scored 14 … The Dukes held a 32-22 edge in rebounding, including a commanding 15-3 edge on the offensive glass … Six of the 11 caroms for Dixon were offensive rebounds … Duquesne shot 94.4 percent (17-for-18) at the free-throw line, with junior guard Jimmie Williams missing the first attempt at the 2:50 mark of the first half before the Dukes hit 17 consecutive to close out the contest … Jimmie Williams finished with 12 points for Duquesne … The Dukes outscored the Spiders, 42-26, in the paint, improving to 6-2 (.667) this season when scoring at least 40 points in the paint.
UP NEXT
Duquesne earned the No. 7 seed for the 2026 Atlantic 10 Championship at PPG Paints Arena and will take on No. 10 seed Rhode Island Thursday, March 14, in a 5:00 p.m. tip. The Dukes and Rams split the 2025-26 season series, with each team winning on its own home floor.
THE ASYLUM
Dukes' historic comeback win
Senior forward David Dixon's tip-in as time expired helped the Duquesne University men's basketball team snap a four-game losing streak Saturday with a 79-77 victory over Richmond at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Senior Day. The Dukes, who became the fourth team in NCAA Division I history to erase a deficit of 30 points or more, clinched their third winning season in the last four years by improving to 17-14 (.548) overall while concluding the regular season at 9-9 (.500) in the Atlantic 10.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
The Spiders shot 66.7 percent (20-for-30) from the field in the first half and jumped out to leads of 14-4, 28-8 and 38-8 with 6:43 to go before the break after Will Johnston buried a three-pointer. The Dukes were able to close to within 49-28 at halftime and still trailed by double digits, 77-66, with 3:11 to play before closing the game on a 13-0 run. Senior guard Tarence Guinyard started the deciding burst with a driving layup and scored seven points during the surge, including a three-pointer that cut the deficit to 77-73 with 1:54 left. AJ Lopez followed with a turnover for Richmond (15-16 | 5-13 Atlantic 10), and off an offensive rebound forward Alex Williams was fouled. He hit both free throws to close Duquesne to within 77-75. The Spiders suffered another turnover, one of 11 in the second half, and Williams again drew a foul with 48 seconds to go and hit both to tie the game for the first time, 77-77. Richmond had an opportunity to jump back on top, but Dixon blocked a turnaround jump shot from Jaden Daughtry before grabbing the rebound. Out of a timeout by the Dukes, Guinyard sprung free on the wing in front of the Duquesne bench and tried to connect from deep but was strong. Dixon followed from the weak side, curling around a teammate, elevating and tipping the ball off the glass and through the cylinder to give the Dukes their biggest comeback in program history.
QUOTABLE
"Words can't explain it," Dixon said. "It's crazy. I believed that we were going to win the game, but I didn't know how. I'm happy to have my career at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse end in a fashion like this. It means everything to me, especially doing this in front of my family. It's my dad's first game here since he had a stroke last year. To be able to win a game in front of him and playing as well as I did, means the world to me. It's an amazing feeling. I read somewhere that the best ability is availability. To be available to play and give my hardest. I don't know how long I have on this Earth, so I'm just going to do the best I can and play the hardest I can while I'm here."
ENTERING THE RECORD BOOK
The largest deficit erased in NCAA Division I history occurred Feb. 22, 2018, when Drexel trailed Delaware, 53-19, with 2:36 left in the first half before charging back to win, 85-83. That broke the record that was held by Duke, which trailed Tulane, 54-22, with two minutes remaining in the opening 20 minutes before earning a 74-72 triumph Dec. 30, 1950. Kentucky also trailed LSU, 68-37, with 15:34 to play before outscoring the Tigers, 62-27, to earn a 99-95 victory Feb. 15, 1994. The largest halftime deficit to be erased in the NCAA Division I record book came when the Blue Devils trailed the Green Wave, 56-27, at the break. For Duquesne, the largest deficit erased in the last 30 years was 19 points, which happened twice under former head coach Keith Dambrot and once under former head coach Scott Edgar. During the 2018-19 season, the Dukes trailed at George Mason (Feb. 23, 2019), 33-14, before charging back to earn a 79-78 win, a victory that came 24 days after Duquesne trailed at home to Rhode Island, 41-22, with 19:39 to play before posting a 75-72 victory over the Rams.
SENIOR SALUTE
Duquesne wouldn't have completed the comeback without contributions from a number of Dukes playing their final home game at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. Williams scored 13 of his game-high 22 points in the second half and also added five rebounds, two assists and two steals. He shot 5-of-8 from deep and was 5-for-5 at the free-throw line. Guinyard contributed 13 of his 16 points after halftime and also notched five rebounds, an assist and a pair of thefts, but the afternoon belonged to Dixon. In addition to moving into a tie atop the career records for games played (127) with former forward Damian Saunders (2008-11), Dixon registered his third double-double of the year and fourth of his career with 17 points and 11 rebounds. He, like Williams and Guinyard, was also 5-for-5 at the free-throw line while posting with two assists, two steals and a pair of blocks.
QUOTABLE
"We got blitzed," head coach Dru Joyce III said. "That first half we got rocked, but our attention in the timeouts was still good. When you have the ball in your hands in a tie game you couldn't ask to be in a better position, with a chance to win the game on your home floor. The big key was to get the last shot. Credit to Dave. That was a big-time effort. Not watching the basketball but going to attack it. Good touch. It wasn't a tip dunk this time. He had to put some touch on it. I think this team has Dave's will and resilience. He keeps fighting every game and every practice, and they're carrying that energy with them. It was an all-around team win when you really sum it up. The fight from different pieces was crucial."
NOTES
Five of the last six meetings between Richmond and Duquesne have been decided by five points or less, three of those which have been decided by just two points … The Dukes snapped a four-game slide in the all-time series against the Spiders … Duquesne led just once, which came after the tip-in from Dixon that won the game … Lopez led Richmond with 15 points, while Mikkel Tyne and Johnston each scored 14 … The Dukes held a 32-22 edge in rebounding, including a commanding 15-3 edge on the offensive glass … Six of the 11 caroms for Dixon were offensive rebounds … Duquesne shot 94.4 percent (17-for-18) at the free-throw line, with junior guard Jimmie Williams missing the first attempt at the 2:50 mark of the first half before the Dukes hit 17 consecutive to close out the contest … Jimmie Williams finished with 12 points for Duquesne … The Dukes outscored the Spiders, 42-26, in the paint, improving to 6-2 (.667) this season when scoring at least 40 points in the paint.
UP NEXT
Duquesne earned the No. 7 seed for the 2026 Atlantic 10 Championship at PPG Paints Arena and will take on No. 10 seed Rhode Island Thursday, March 14, in a 5:00 p.m. tip. The Dukes and Rams split the 2025-26 season series, with each team winning on its own home floor.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits!
We’d love to have you!