THE BIG STAGE. WELL, THE DUKES MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM BACK HOME TONIGHT PREPARING FOR THAT MONUMENTAL GAME THIS WEEK, WE’RE HEARING FROM A MAN WHO SUITED UP FOR THE DUKES THE LAST TIME THEY MADE IT TO THE BIG DANCE YESTERDAY. IT WAS KIND OF NERVE WRACKING, ACTUALLY. I, I STOOD IN MY LIVING ROOM AND WATCHED THE WHOLE SECOND HALF. DON GAMEBRIDGE SAYS. IT’S BEEN TOO LONG SINCE THE DUKES WENT DANCING. IT’S 180 DEGREES DIFFERENT MARCH MADNESS TODAY VERSUS WHAT WE DID. I MEAN, THERE WAS 32 TEAMS AND IT WAS A DIFFERENT SCENARIO. THERE WAS NOT ALL THE FANFARE AROUND IT. FEW IMAGES ARE OUT THERE SHOWING THAT SQUAD. THIS SNAPSHOT SHOWS STAR NORM NIXON AGAINST PENN STATE IN 1976. NIXON WOULD GO ON TO BE A TWO TIME NBA ALL STAR AND CHAMPION. CAMBRIDGE DESCRIBES NIXON AS A GREAT LEADER. HIS WORK ETHIC WAS TREMENDOUS AND AND HE WANTED TO GO TO THE TOURNAMENT. WE TALKED ABOUT IT ALL. OUR SENIOR YEAR AND HE WASN’T GOING TO BE DENIED. AND MEMBERS OF THAT 1977 DUQUESNE TEAM HAVE BEEN TEXTING, NOTICING SOME SIMILARITIES TO THIS YEAR’S SQUAD GETTING HOT AT THE RIGHT TIME. LOTS OF SENIOR LEADERSHIP AND CAMBRIDGE LIKES THEIR CHANCES. THIS WEEK WE FOUND GET THE LOOSE BALLS, PLAY GREAT DEFENSE, MAKE THE EXTRA PASS. WE’RE GETTING BETTER SHOTS. WE’RE NOT FORCING THE SHOTS THAT WE WERE DOING EARLIER THIS SEASON, SO I THINK THEY GOT A GREAT CHANCE. WE’RE JUST SO HAPPY FOR THE GUYS AND HAPPY FOR THE UNIVERSITY. THE DUKES HAVE WON THEIR LAST EIGHT GAMES. GAMEBRIDGE AND THE OTHER ALUMS HOPING FOR A NINTH. I’M TOM GARRIS REPORTING FOR PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. SUCH A COOL STORY. THANK YOU TOM AND SPORTS DIRECTOR ANDREW STOCKEY WILL BE TRAVELING TO OMAHA THIS WEEK TO COVER DUQUESNE’S RUN IN THE TOURNAMENT. LOOK FOR HIS LIVE REPORTS FROM NEBRASKA BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, THE DUKES WILL OPEN UP THE TOURNAME
Member of Duquesne’s 1977 NCAA tournament team sees similarities to this year’s squad
Don Gambridge said he thinks the Dukes have a “great chance” this week
Updated: 7:45 PM EDT Mar 18, 2024
The Duquesne men’s basketball team is going to the big dance for the first time since 1977. The last time they were there, Don Gambridge was among the players suiting up for the Dukes.”It’s been way too long, and we’re just happy for the university and these guys,” Gambridge said Monday.The 1977 team lost to Virginia Military Institute in the first round of the tournament. Norm Nixon, who would go on to be a two-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, was also on that Dukes’ team.”His work ethic was tremendous,” Gambridge said of Nixon. “He wanted to go to the tournament. We all talked about it all our senior year, and he wasn’t going to be denied.”Gambridge said he and some of his former teammates have been texting during this run, and noticing similarities to this year’s squad.”Getting hot at the right time, the seniors took over this team as well,” he said. “We had a lot of that going on for us, and just playing with that sense of urgency.”The Baldwin native said he stood during the entire second half of the A-10 championship game against Virginia Commonwealth University on Sunday. Duquesne won 57-51 to secure its NCAA tournament bid. Duquesne matches up against Brigham Young University in the first round of the tournament on Thursday.”If everybody continues to do what they did on this run, rebound, get the loose balls, play great defense, make the extra pass, we’re getting better shots, we’re not forcing the shots as we were doing earlier this season, I think we got a great chance,” Gambridge said.
The Duquesne men’s basketball team is going to the big dance for the first time since 1977. The last time they were there, Don Gambridge was among the players suiting up for the Dukes.
“It’s been way too long, and we’re just happy for the university and these guys,” Gambridge said Monday.
The 1977 team lost to Virginia Military Institute in the first round of the tournament. Norm Nixon, who would go on to be a two-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, was also on that Dukes’ team.
“His work ethic was tremendous,” Gambridge said of Nixon. “He wanted to go to the tournament. We all talked about it all our senior year, and he wasn’t going to be denied.”
Gambridge said he and some of his former teammates have been texting during this run, and noticing similarities to this year’s squad.
“Getting hot at the right time, the seniors took over this team as well,” he said. “We had a lot of that going on for us, and just playing with that sense of urgency.”
The Baldwin native said he stood during the entire second half of the A-10 championship game against Virginia Commonwealth University on Sunday. Duquesne won 57-51 to secure its NCAA tournament bid.
Duquesne matches up against Brigham Young University in the first round of the tournament on Thursday.
“If everybody continues to do what they did on this run, rebound, get the loose balls, play great defense, make the extra pass, we’re getting better shots, we’re not forcing the shots as we were doing earlier this season, I think we got a great chance,” Gambridge said.
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