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Rhode Island vs. Duquesne: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

By Adam Bernstein

WASHINGTON, DC- JANUARY 11: Tavian Dunn-Martin #0 of the Duquesne Dukes dribbles up court during a college basketball game against the George Washington Colonials at the Smith Arena on January 11, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC- JANUARY 11: Tavian Dunn-Martin #0 of the Duquesne Dukes dribbles up court during a college basketball game against the George Washington Colonials at the Smith Arena on January 11, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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The Rhode Island Rams will close out the season on Saturday when they travel to Duquesne to take on the Dukes.

TV Schedule: February 27th, 7:00 pm ET. ESPN+

Arena:  UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, PA

Duquesne (7-8, 6-7) and Rhode Island (10-13, 7-9) meet Saturday in the regular-season finale. Rhode Island currently leads the series 34-27. The last time these two teams met, the Rams fell to the Dukes, 71-69, on Jan. 20th.

This season has not been what Coach David Cox and the University of Rhode Island Rams had hoped for. The Rams have suffered from several injuries to their key players and have faced a lack of chemistry due to several new players entering the program at the start of the season.  The Rams will have one more opportunity on Saturday before the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament scheduled to begin on March 3rd.

For Rhode Island fans, they will look to senior guards Fatts Russell and Jeremy Sheppard who will be playing in their last regular-season games with the Rams. Russell has been a force for the Rams. Recently, Fatts broke the all-time steals record in program history. With the NCAA giving all seniors one more year of eligibility due to COVID-19, Russell and Sheppard will be eligible to return for the fifth year if they choose to.

The Dukes have been led by senior leadership. The Dukes and Coach Keith Dambrot will look towards guard Tavian Dunn-Martin and forward Marcus Weathers. Dunn-Martin currently ranks eighth in career three-pointers in program history with 143.

The Dukes have been a better shooting team than Rhode Island this season. Although the Dukes have only played 14 conference games (normally 18) this season, they have shown why their future is bright through their roster. They currently have eight freshmen including, Chad Baker and Toby Okani who have been very active this season and stepped up into big roles. Baker has hit five or more three-pointers in two conference games and is shooting 42 percent from three-point range.

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Twelve of the last fifteen games between these schools have been determined by eight or fewer points. Although both teams are currently under .500, I expect a close and passionate game coming from both sides. I expect to see a good performance from the seniors as they take the court for the final time in regular-season play. Both teams will close out the season and hope to end on a good note heading into the tournament.

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