Inside the Dukes: All Coming Together

Duquesne Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach Rick Bell always gives his team a list filled with some numbers, all a clear goal to get results or prepare to run in practice.

Given head coach Dan Burt’s directive of five in and five out until the fourth quarter and then make a decision based upon the scope of the game to that point, it was determined to just keep staying the course.

In the final 1:27 of Monday afternoon’s season opener against Saint Francis, Duquesne forced three turnovers placing the Red Flash at an even 30 leading to an 89-60 victory.

Three days later it was much of the same except this time a Burt-era record 108-53 victory over Slippery Rock, a first happened as each goal was reached meaning no running.

“You have to thank the kids on the roster because they have completely bought into what we’re doing,” Burt stated. “There’s no rest for our opponent, but there’s also no time to check in if you’re playing this style because you come to the bench and you can’t relax. You’re going to get your breath, your drink, a towel but two minutes later you’re going back in. It engages your entire team and allows for everyone to feel like they are valued and a part of this. In the day of the transfer portal where half of the kids leave every year, we don’t have that same situation and I believe this is a big reason why.”

The changes Duquesne made are noticed especially having a post presence which is contributing to rebounds and has raised the compete level.

Just how united this team is also has been on full display and it was that unitedness Nadia Moore created all the energy needed to win the season opener.

With Thursday the point of emphasis was clear, not to play down and compete up to standard. A slash line of 45.9%/52.2%/78.3% certainly helped prove that Duquesne was up to that task,

“Well at first I thought you were calling out the Powerball numbers,” joked Burt. “What I’m really happy with is we had 50 points in the paint and our guards had a lot of those points going off two feet, embracing contact, seeking out contact and were very physical on drives. The threes we took were in rhythm. There wasn’t a lot of bad shots, but there is certainly film where we can get better. It’s good to have it on film.”

HOME SWEET HOME

Dunja Zecevic took a look into the stands and immediately she heard Duquesne fans telling her she did a nice job.

In two games she is averaging 14 points and 5.5 rebounds, while shooting at a 62.5% clip across 18 minutes, efficient work for some who has both a post presence and a three-point shot.

Burt believes it was the belief in her and there is complete faith and positivity in her.

“She’s very hard to guard one-on-one in the post, she has that Kevin McHale type game where she’s very slinky and has a very high basketball IQ,” he opined. “Dunja was a heck of a basketball player in Serbia and she went to the wrong system and it didn’t work for her, but she’s in the right place for her and she’s going to have a great year.”

Zecevic recalled how shy she was at first but maintained that from the original visit she was embraced and that those first impressions mattered.

“I felt that trust ever since I got here,” observed Zecevic. “The style of play is something that not a lot of people can do and I think that’s why we excel at it because we all embraced the goals we have in our roles and it’s working for us. What gives me confidence is knowing I have teammates and coaches and everybody around me believing in me. I know someone is always going to high five me and tell me to keep my head up, even if something goes wrong. This healthy, loving atmosphere is something that really makes all of us thrive.”

AIR DIA

Before the Saint Francis game, Moore was not feeling well, to the point Burt remarked that she threw up three times before the game began.

As a result, she appeared pale and in her first rotation saw a shot which was an airball and she was taken out of the game.

She then scored a game high 17 points which started by attacking first, getting her feet underneath her, developing confidence and the burying shots including a 5-for-5 shooting in the third quarter.

Moore is coming off the bench something which is a luxury for Burt, especially when considering he feels she was the team’s best player at the end of the summer.

“Honestly I got a lot of energy from my teammates,” she said. “I had a rough start because I wasn’t feeling that well but they were telling me to keep fighting. In that third quarter I was thinking ‘yeah I don’t feel the greatest, but for my teammates I want to win this game, I want to make that difference.’ Gabby (Grantham-Medley) helped a lot with that.”

IT GOES DOWN IN THE GGM

Gabby Grantham-Medley had waited 585 days to see a basketball court, and the anticipation was quite clear.

Grantham-Medley chose to redshirt after Burt communicated the minutes would probably not be there for her. At that point, he believes she was not really happy with him but now perhaps it was a blessing in disguise as her game has matured.

Monday Grantham-Medley recorded her first career double-double and Thursday a career high 17 points. It is clear that she is the leader of this team and others follow that maturity, a testament that her hard work is paying off.

“I think I was very excited for (Monday) but I’ve been waiting for a long time, so I was ready to unleash it all,” beamed the team captain. “It was great to do it with people that were cheering for me and telling me to go get it.”

STICKING WITH IT

A couple of weeks ago Fatou Sane needed to hit a recent. Burt believed she was not embracing her role and so her high school coach came down and talked with her. Since then, she has been off to the races.

Already she has new career highs in rebounds (seven), steals (five) and assists (three).

“Her role doesn’t necessarily have to be scoring,” Burt stated. “That’s kind of a secondary for her. The way the rules are with officiating, you can hot stove as much as you want. For an aggressive defender who’s so strong and so quick, she’s going to cause a lot of people problems this year. It’s just not on-ball defense, it’s her poking it away and reading gaps and going to rebound. We’ve found when she focuses on that, the points come.”

Once Moore heard Sane’s name her smile was as wide as it has ever been. She understands the ups and downs Sane has experienced and believes her time has come.

“She’s finding the thing she’s really good at,” illustrated Moore. “I played with her up in Canada and I know she’s always been great at defense. The fact that she’s embracing that even more now on such a high level is amazing. I am so proud of her and happy to see it.”