The Duquesne Dukes (15-8) will have their chance to upend the Atlantic 10’s best team when they play the No. 19 Dayton Flyers (19-3) at University of Dayton Arena. Action gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
The Flyers enter this game hoping for similar success after blowing out George Mason 98-64 on Saturday. Charles Cooke led all scorers on the team with 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting. The Dukes, meanwhile, are coming off a 93-82 loss to Davidson on Saturday. Micah Mason had a solid game for Duquesne, recording 21 points, eight assists, and three rebounds.
Cooke has been playing at a high level recently for the Flyers, averaging 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.6 blocks, and 2.4 three-pointers over the last five games. On the other side, the Dukes have been led by Mason. He has been hot, averaging 19.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.4 three-pointers in the same time frame.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Flyers winning the first matchup 66-58. Cooke was a top performer in the victory with 21 points, five rebounds, one assist, and two three-pointers.
The Flyers enter the game with records of 19-3 Straight Up (SU) and 13-9 Against The Spread (ATS). The Dayton defense has done poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 78.1 points per game, well above their season average of 63.5. The Flyers do a great job keeping their opponents off of the glass and limiting second-chance points. They average 28.0 defensive rebounds per game, which ranks 32nd in Division I.
Over on the other bench, the Dukes have 15-8 SU and 10-10 ATS records. Duquesne performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. The Dukes are an excellent long-range shooting team with 208 three-point shots made (9.0 per game), ranking 42nd in Division I. The Dukes are one of the top teams in the country at finding the open man with an average of 15.9 assists per game. The Duquesne defense has allowed an average of 60.0 points per game during the last 10 games, lower than their season average of 75.7.
The Flyers’ win over Duquesne in their last game brought their SU record to 6-4 over Duquesne in their most recent games. At 5-5, they are even ATS. Dayton held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Duquesne never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Dayton, ATS Winner – Dayton
Notes
Duquesne averages 79.5 points per game this season. Dayton is one of the best teams in points allowed, giving up just 63.5 points per game (ranked 16th).
Dayton won its last game by a 34-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Duquesne is 5-3. Dayton is 6-1 in blowouts this season.
The Dayton Flyers have a defensive rating of 94.0 (ranked 15th), while the Duquesne Dukes have an offensive rating of 108.2 (ranked 117th).
Duquesne has an average field goal percentage of 46.0%. Dayton is a winning 2-1 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, Dayton attempts 19.0 three pointers and Duquesne attempts 25.0. Both teams have winning records when they have 20 or more three point attempts. The Dayton Flyers sit at 14-1 and the Duquesne Dukes are 14-7.
Dayton, the 52nd-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.8 per game. Duquesne does worse, ranked 106th with 4.0.
Dayton ranks 228th in offensive rebounds, while Duquesne ranks sixth in defensive rebounds.
On average, Dayton makes 6.0 steals per game. Duquesne has a winning 8-3 record when it gives up at least 6 steals.
