In a season where the displaced Duquesne basketball team is playing so-called home games in three different venues around Allegheny County, a crowd of 7,001 showed up Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena.
It was loud. It was engaged. And many of those in attendance made the four-hour drive from Dayton to watch the No. 7 team in the nation defeat Duquesne, 73-69.
Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot said he liked the atmosphere in the arena, especially when the Dukes rallied in the second half to nearly catch the Flyers.
“Now, the question is can we consistently get that amount of people to a Duquesne game without us having to win every game?” he said. “I’ll say this. Our student support is much improved. Now we have to get every one of those old Duquesne alums to come to a game.”
Of course, the dilemma always has been, he said: “Which comes first? The chicken or the egg?”
“We need them to come now. We’ll never be as good as we should be until everybody comes to a game. It’s hard on players when nobody comes to a game.”
Duquesne has played home games in three arenas this season while the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse is renovated.
In eight home games before Wednesday, attendance averaged 1,538 at PPG Paints Arena, La Roche and Robert Morris.
“Not everybody can be a Pitt fan, right?” Duquesne’s coach said. “Before, when my daddy was here (in the 1950s), they were all Duquesne fans. Maybe that switch will get flipped someday or maybe both teams will become so good that Pittsburgh goes crazy with basketball again.
“Might as well. It can’t be all hockey and football.”
Duquesne’s next home game is 2 p.m. Sunday against La Salle at PPG. At least, Dambrot can be grateful that it will end two hours before the start of the Super Bowl.
