When the Duquesne Dukes take the floor for Tuesday night’s game at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, they’ll be doing so under unique conditions.
It’ll be the first time Duquesne hosts a basketball game on that court against a ranked opponent.
That’s because the Saint Louis Billikens are coming to town just a day after clawing into the AP Top 25 for the first time this season. On Monday, they slipped into the rankings at No. 24 with a 17-1 record, 5-0 in Atlantic 10 play.
According to the Dukes’ pregame press release, this is the first time a ranked team has played on campus since Jan. 22, 2014. That was a 76-72 Billikens win at the A.J. Palumbo Center. Saint Louis entered that game ranked 19th.
Dayton beat Duquesne (73-69) as the seventh-rated team in the country on Jan. 29, 2020. That game was played at PPG Paints Arena.
“It’s about being prepared for the moment. We understand what Saint Louis has done this season and how well they have played,” head coach Dru Joyce said Monday.
The Billikens are 10th in NCAA scoring average (92.8 points per game), ninth in assists per game (19.3), eighth in field-goal percentage (52.1%) and third in scoring margin (plus-25.5).
“I think (head coach Josh Schertz) has the kind of team he has been wanting to build from the standpoint of having more options to play in a motion-concept type offense,” Joyce said of the Billikens. “He is finding his groove with what he has.”
Containing that offense may be difficult. Duquesne (10-8, 2-3) gives up the most points per game in the conference at 77.7. But after a 74-63 win at Fordham on Saturday, the players believe they’ve found something on that side of the ball.
“It was a good win. We’ve been building up our defense the last few games,” guard Tarence Guinyard said. “We can’t give up 90 and 80 points per game. If we can hold the game to the 60s or 70s, we’ll be in good shape.”
Guinyard had six steals in that contest against the Rams. In their most recent home game, the Dukes also limited Dayton — which is also 5-0 in conference play — to 71 points in a 71-65 loss. That had been the club’s third straight A-10 loss.
According to forward Alex Williams, though, the victory in the Bronx came at the perfect time to reset the team’s bearings before Tuesday night’s challenge.
“I thought we played with unbelievable energy and togetherness. We have to do that again,” Williams said. “This is going to be a good team. But we are also ready. We have been preparing for them. If we play to our principles, we should be fine.”
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The Dukes won’t see George Mason until Feb. 4. The Patriots are 6-0 atop the conference and are also receiving votes in the AP poll. Dayton and SLU are the other two teams unbeaten in conference play at 5-0.
Along with playing Dayton tight last week, the Dukes also faced defending conference champion VCU on Jan. 3. That was a one-possession game midway through the second half as well.
But Joyce says his teammates don’t need to draw on confidence from “close but no cigar” efforts versus the A-10’s best when they tip against the Billikens on Tuesday night.
“I don’t think it is important at all, honestly. Each team features something different within the conference,” Joyce said. “I’m just looking for my team to progress. I don’t measure (against opponents). Every game that we go into is a battle.”
Winners of 11 in a row, SLU’s only defeat this season was a 78-77 loss to Stanford on a neutral floor during a Thanksgiving tournament in Palm Springs. It came on a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left after an intentionally missed free throw in a game that Saint Louis once led by 15 points.
BENNY GEALER DRAINS A THREE TO WIN IT FOR @StanfordMBB ???????? pic.twitter.com/xz3UyZT74c
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) November 29, 2025
That said, transfer guard Jimmie Williams isn’t intimidated by the challenge — so long as the team locks into the scouting report as it did against Fordham.
“As long as we pay attention to the scout, we can make it easier,” Williams said. “We are really dangerous at our best. If we can put 40 minutes together, we can be a great team.”
Duquesne’s last win over a ranked foe was against BYU in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, 71-67. Their most recent home victory against a ranked team was a 78-66 defeat of No. 19 Temple in 2011.
SLU clipped Duquesne in a 90-88 overtime affair last season at Chaifetz Arena. The Dukes handled the Billikens twice in 2024, including an 83-73 Round 1 victory in Brooklyn, en route to an Atlantic 10 Tournament title.