Will Stover | staff writer

The Duquesne men’s basketball team kicked off the 2025-26 season in energetic fashion Monday night, cruising to an 83-63 victory over Niagara at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

The win marked Duquesne’s 1,500th victory in the program’s 110th season and gave fans an early glimpse of the team’s depth and defensive grit under second-year head coach Dru Joyce III.

From the opening tipoff, the Dukes controlled the tempo of the game. Senior transfer guard Tarence Guinyard led the Duquesne charge, notching a team-high 19 points to pair with five assists.

Fellow transfer Jimmie Williams added 15 points, helping the team build a 40-21 lead at halftime after holding Niagara without a field goal for the first 10 minutes of the game.

The Purple Eagles went on an 0-for-13 streak from the field to open the game, with Jakub Nečas and John Hugley IV contributing lights-out defense with multiple blocks and turnovers.

“Our bigs are running the floor, wings are running hard, and guys like Tarence can push the ball off makes and misses,” Joyce said. “Within two seconds, we can be at our free throw line. That’s the pace we want to play at.”

Duquesne fielded three transfers in their starting five, making the team put in the extra hours in order to mesh well and learn the Dukes’ system.

“We practiced all summer — just us, day after day,” Guinyard said. “It took us months to get here. It was great to finally play someone else when it counted.”

The connection was evident throughout the night. The team pushed the pace in transition, frequently turning defensive stops into scoring opportunities. The Dukes shot 63% in the first half and never looked back, extending their lead to as high as 26 points.

The defensive effort was equally impressive, with the Dukes forcing 14 turnovers, holding the Purple Eagles to just 2-for-14 from behind the 3-point line. Joyce credited the team’s defensive discipline, being able to consistently make plays.

“Offense is supposed to put you in a bind and create advantages,” Joyce said. “Defensively, we’ve got to pressure, disrupt and dictate. I thought we did a good job cleaning up possessions, and that really jump-started us offensively.”

The win also gave a glimpse of the depth of Duquesne’s roster, with players like Brendan Hall and freshman Dom Aekins contributing minutes off the bench. With Duquesne’s comfortable lead, Joyce was able to emphasize bench play to showcase his entire team.

“We’ve competed hard against each other since June,” Joyce said. “Now it’s time to channel that energy toward another opponent. It may not be you throwing most of the punches, but you better root your teammate on. That’s what being a team is about.”

Despite the resounding victory, Joyce and his team acknowledge a season opener does not define an entire season. For Duquesne, the grind of a tough schedule has only started.

“This one does count, but the mindset stays the same,” he said. “We want to accomplish things every time we go out… are we better than we were yesterday? That’s big for us every step of the way.”

Joyce said the program made an effort during the week to connect with the student body and encourage attendance, campaigning to “pack the Coop” across multiple campus locations to hype up both the men’s and women’s season openers on Monday.

“It was important for us to see our students there,” Joyce said. “We tried to get out and hustle — ask people personally to come to the game. I don’t care if they like basketball or not — just come and be part of the energy.”

Duquesne now starts the three-game Villanova Challenge, playing Sacred Heart for the first time since 2002 on Friday before playing Queens University of Charlotte, then finishing with the challenge namesake VIllanova. Monday’s win provided a strong foundation for the season, as the Dukes demonstrated balance and selflessness, traits that could make them a serious contender in the A10.

“We just have to keep getting better,” Joyce said. “That’s the standard now.”

Will Stover can be reached at stoverw1@duq.edu