Top scoring men's basketball teams in Atlantic 10 play in Pittsburgh
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PITTSBURGH - Fans of slow-down, grind-down-the-shot-clock basketball won't likely enjoy tonight's game between the University of Massachusetts and Duquesne.
The Atlantic 10's No. 1 scoring team, UMass at 77.3 points per game, will face the league's second highest point producer, Duquesne at 76.2, at 7 p.m. at the Palumbo Center.
After back-to-back wins at home, UMass coach Derek Kellogg was curious to see how his team would fare away from the Mullins Center.
"I've enjoyed being home at the Mullins Center and seeing the fans come back out and the excitement in the area starting to come a little bit," he said. "Going on the road isn't one of my favorite things to do, but the team needs to be tested on the road a little bit to see if we can win a couple games in a tough conference on the road."
The Minutemen (15-4, 3-1 A-10) are 2-2 in true road games this year and haven't won away from home since beating East Carolina on Dec. 6.
UMass' ability to force turnovers and tire out opponents has been key to its success this year, but the Dukes (11-7, 2-2) aren't as likely to be susceptible.
"Duquesne offers its own challenge because they do play four perimeter guys who can handle the ball," Kellogg said. "Will our press be effective? Will we press as much? These are questions I have in my mind that I won't be able to make decisions on until the game gets going."
The A-10 is loaded with top level point guards and this game features two of the best. UMass' Chaz Williams, who shut down Saint Joseph's Carl Jones, will try to do the same to T.J. McConnell. The sophomore Duke leads the conference in assists (6.2 per game) and steals (2.9 per game) and is third in the league with a .481 3-point percentage. He's averaging 11.8 points per game.
"I feel like the last game was a good matchup for me," said Williams, who is second in the league in assists per game (5.9) and is third in steals (2.3). "The Atlantic 10 isn't a cakewalk so it should be pretty fun."
"The kid McConnell is fantastic," Kellogg said. "He knows how to play and can really shoot."
Junior guard Sean Johnson leads the Dukes at 16.0 points per game.
UMass' biggest advantages appear to be on defense and rebounding as the Dukes struggle in both areas. Duquesne is 13th in both overall field-goal percentage defense (.451) and 3-point defense (.361). The Dukes have been outrebounded by an average of 6.7 boards per game, which is worst in the conference.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Follow UMass coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/GazetteUMass. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at http://www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage.
