Keith Dambrot joked that his Duquesne team lost "the last 100 games" last season, and while it wasn't really that bad, the Dukes did go a long, long time without a victory.
They ended the drought in a big way Tuesday night.
Duquesne opened its season by routing Montana, 91-63, at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. That snapped a 17-game losing streak that dated all the way back to Jan. 8 last year.
The Dukes, therefore, went exactly 10 months between victories.
It was clear early on Tuesday that the losing streak would be coming to an end, as Duquesne cruised out to a 45-19 lead by halftime.
Dae Dae Grant, a transfer from Miami, Ohio, where he started the past three seasons, had a perfect shooting night in a huge debut for the Dukes. Grant scored 25 points and hit all eight of his field-goal attempts (6-for-6 from 3) plus all three free throws.
Freshman forward Matus Hronsky scored 13 points off the bench in his college debut. Joe Reece, a transfer from Bowling Green, had 12 points, and Quincy McGriff, a transfer from Salt Lake Community College, had 10.
The Dukes' next game will be much more difficult as they travel to Kentucky to take on the Wildcats on Friday in the Tribute Classic. They'll return home Monday to face South Carolina State.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Standings
• Schedule
• Statistics
