THE BASICS
Rhode Island (11-1, 0-0 A-10) at Duquesne (5-8, 0-0 A-10)
Tip-Off: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2:0 p.m. EST
Coverage: Watch: ESPN+ | Listen: Varsity Network | Live Stats | Game Notes

RHODE ISLAND VS. DUQUESNE - SERIES NOTES

• Rhode Island and Duquesne are meeting for the 67th time, with the Rams holding a 36-30 edge in the series. 
• It is the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams.
• This is the second time in three seasons the teams are facing each other on New Year's Eve. In 2022, The Dukes handed URI a 72-61 defeat in Pittsburgh.
• Duquesne holds a slight 16-14 edge when hosting Rhode Island. 
• Rhody has dropped its last four games at Duquesne. URI's last road win in the series was a 90-69 victory on Jan. 21, 2017.
• Duquesne has won three games in a row and four of its last five after opening the season 1-7.
• The game will feature two of the top ball handlers in the conference. Duquesne's Kareem Rozier is second in the league with a 3.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. He has just 14 turnovers in 13 games.
• Rhode Island's Sebastian Thomas is fifth in the A-10 with a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. While Thomas has 28 turnovers in 10 games, he also has a league-best 70 assists.

RHODY LOOKING FOR SECOND STRAIGHT CONFERENCE-OPENING WIN

• Last season, Rhode Island beat Saint Joseph's 78-74 in its Atlantic 10 opener.
• That win snapped a string of five straight losses in conference openers for the Rams.
• Before last year, URI had not won a league opener since the 2017-18 season, when it started conference play with 13 consecutive victories.

RAMS TAKE AIM AT A DOZEN VICTORIES BEFORE THE NEW YEAR 

• Should Rhode Island win Tuesday, the Rams would have 12 wins before the end of December for just the second time in program history.
• During the 2007-08 season, Rhody was 13-1 before the calendar turned to the new year.
• URI is 4-4 all time when playing on New Year's Eve.
• The Rams are 0-3 as the road team on New Year's Eve, falling at Duquesne in 2022, at VCU in 1994 and at Maine in 1960.
• The only Atlantic 10 game Rhody has ever played on Dec. 31 was the Duquesne contest two years ago.
• VCU joined the conference before the 2012-13 season. 
• Rhode Island enters Tuesday's game looking to already match its win total from last season. In 2023-24, the Rams were 12-20.

BROWN COMING OFF A CAREER PERFORMANCE 

• Redshirt senior center Javonte Brown had one of the best games of his career in Rhode Island's 85-79 win over Temple on Dec. 21.
• He had his first double-double of the season - and second of his career - with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
• Brown was 9-for-11 from the field, the 15th time in program history that a player has shot .818 or better from the field while attempting at least 10 shots.
• With the performance, Brown is leading the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage at .710 (49-for-69).
• In his first season with Rhode Island, Brown is averaging 10.6 and 6.4 rebounds per game.
• He also is fourth in the league with 1.8 blocked shots per game, recording 22 in 12 contests.