Duquesne has a long road to travel before coach Keith Dambrot can say, “We’re back.”

But some of the ingredients were there Sunday when the Dukes defeated Atlantic 10 opponent Davidson, 71-64.

The Dukes now stand 12-2 overall, the school’s best start in 48 years, after winning their first two conference games in a span of four days.

The victory occurred on Robert Morris’ campus in Moon, but it had roots in – of all places – St. Petersburg, Fla., and Cleveland. There in late December, Duquesne lost to UAB and Marshall after opening the season with a 10-game winning streak.

“When we got smacked around by UAB and Marshall, we figured it out,” Dambrot said. “We had to go back to hard work and understanding you can’t be emotionally disengaged. Our players know they better show up or they’re going to get their brains handed to them.”

Junior center Michael Hughes said the defeats hurt.

Things you didn't think you'd tweet in October: Duquesne is 12-2 and Davidson is 6-7.

One of the most underrated hires of the past few years?

The Dukes' pluck of Keith Dambrot from Akron.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) January 5, 2020

“It was a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth,” he said. “We knew what it was. We weren’t working to our full potential every day.

“We really got after it this past couple weeks. For the rest of the year, all we’re going to do is work.”

The Dukes were fueled Sunday by a feeling of disrespect from Davidson, whose defense doubled down on the inside players, daring the Duquesne’s guards to shoot.

“I told Maceo (Austin, freshman guard),” Hughes said, “if they’re going to disrespect you and sit that far in, you just shoot their face off.”

Result: Austin, point guard Sincere Carry and Lamar Norman Jr. hit big 3-pointers in the second half with the outcome in doubt. Carry led Duquesne with 16 points and five assists and Austin scored 14. Hughes recorded a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds and forward Marcus Weathers had 13 and nine.

Duquesne has trouble shooting beyond the 3-point arc (31 percent for the season after missing 14 of 20 on Sunday). But Dambrot still encourages his players to shoot it, mainly because he believes in them.

“I’m one of those coaches that if they play hard, I let ‘em rip,” he said. “Everybody thinks I might be little hard to play for, but I’m really pretty easy to play for. Play hard, play together and let her rip.”

The Dukes won their first two A-10 games in different manners, slugging it out with a physical Saint Louis team Thursday and beating Davidson, which plays with more finesse.

“I’m trying to round our team into being smart and tough,” Dambrot said. “Which I think we have a long way to go yet to be as smart as Davidson. We’re pretty smart overall, but we’re not all the way there yet.

“Why should we be? We still have some things we have to clean up.”

It was Duquesne’s first victory all-time against Davidson, which usually has its way with the Dukes.

“Anytime you beat a team with that pedigree and that coach (Bob McKillop has been there 31 years), you have to be pleased,” Dambrot said.

He was pleased with how Austin played defense against Davidson’s Jon Axel Gudmunsson, who was player of the year in the A-10 last season. Gudmunsson finished Sunday with only four points – nearly eight under his average – while missing 12 of 14 shots.

The Dukes led by 14 points seven minutes into the game, but Davidson recovered to forge a 43-43 tie with 10 minutes left in the game.

That’s when the Dukes made their coach proud by regaining control of the game.

“I thought we were more mature emotionally than we’ve been,” he said.

With two months left in the season, Dambrot knows his team has much to prove before it rises to the heights he expects. But he likes the current trajectory.

“They have some good competitive spirit. We now, for sure, are competitive,” he said. “Now, can we be championship competitive? That’s going to be the next thing.”

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