Duquesne versus Marshall looked like a nice little matchup before the season, but by the time game day rolled around Thursday, it had turned into an outstanding early season non-conference contest.
Both teams came in with 7-1 records. Marshall was No. 59 in the NCAA NET rankings and had won seven in a row, while Duquesne was No. 101 in the NET and was riding a six-game winning streak.
But what had the makings of a close contest really never was Thursday, thanks to Marshall's tremendous first half. The Thundering Herd jumped out to a 46-27 lead at the break and were able to hold off the Dukes, 82-71, at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.