At Barclays Center, with Duquesne up by 15 in the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship game, red, white, and blue streamers fell from the rafters, signaling the team’s first NCAA Tournament bid in 47 years was within reach. However, there were still about 18 minutes left to play.
Despite the premature celebration, Duquesne, led by Jimmy Clark III, Dae Dae Grant, and coach Keith Dambrot, eventually secured the postgame festivities—though with fewer streamers—by defeating fifth-seeded VCU 57-51 on Sunday. This win marked their first March Madness appearance since 1977.
The sixth-seeded Dukes (24-11), who had begun the conference season with a five-game losing streak, are no strangers to overcoming challenges. Clark, who contributed nine points and four crucial free throws in the final 21 seconds, commented on their experience in tough situations.
Duquesne held a 14-point lead at halftime but faced difficulties in the second half, scoring only 21 points and shooting 5-for-29 from the field. Nonetheless, the small Catholic school from Pittsburgh will enter the NCAA Tournament with an eight-game winning streak.
Dambrot, who has a history of coaching success including working with LeBron James in high school, matched a program record for victories set in the 1953-54 season, when his father, Sid, played for Duquesne.
LeBron James celebrated the achievement on social media: “YESSIRRR!! Punch that (ticket) to the Big Dance @DuqMBB!!!”
The last time Duquesne won the A-10 and reached the NCAA Tournament, Norm Nixon, a future NBA All-Star, led the team. Dambrot, who left the University of Akron in 2017 after leading the Zips to three NCAA Tournaments, took on the challenge of reviving a struggling Duquesne program with deep personal ties.
VCU’s Joe Bamisile, who led his team with 20 points, expressed that the game was difficult on both sides. With 21 seconds left, Clark’s free throws extended Duquesne’s lead to five points. Fouysseyni Drame then added two more free throws to make it 55-48. Although Zeb Jackson’s late three-pointer gave VCU a glimmer of hope, Duquesne’s Jakub Necas missed two free throws, and Clark added two more with 1.9 seconds left, sealing the win.
Grant led Duquesne with 10 points in the first half and was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. The game was briefly delayed due to streamers falling onto the court, but Duquesne managed to hold off VCU. A late three-pointer from Necas and a push by VCU fell short, with Bamisile’s free throws bringing VCU within one point but no closer.
Clark reflected on the historic win: “It’s crazy to be able to come here and make history.”
Looking ahead, VCU will hope for an NIT bid, while Duquesne will represent Pittsburgh in the NCAA Tournament, though they likely won’t get to play the first round games in their hometown.
BELIEVED. pic.twitter.com/TvigFCnin2
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) March 17, 2024
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