NCAA Tournament has Duquesne in national spotlight
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Duquesne Dukes are riding high after pulling off the big upset on Thursday.
Duquesne University is not only the talk of the town but the talk of the country after beating BYU in the Round of 64. Students are hoping the clock doesn't strike midnight on this Cinderella run.
The big moment of winning on Thursday against BYU was more than five decades in the making.
"It's a big talk and something that's brought up. Everyone is so hyped and excited for upcoming rounds," Duquesne student Kyra Tziovannis said.
March Madness has swept the Uptown campus of Duquesne University. All around are the messages of support and love for the hometown Dukes.
"I feel like it's a better energy today. I feel like everyone is happy. It's really exciting," Gracie Rodriguez said.
"With the history Pittsburgh has with all of its sports, seeing this, I feel like it's truly amazing," freshman Donnie Woods said.
For Duquesne, this is wonderful. At one point, the university was trending on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. President Ken Gormley traveled to Omaha to enjoy it all and plans to be back there on Saturday.
"We're the Cinderella story here," Gormley said.
With the school in the national spotlight, maybe everyone can finally learn to say it.
"If nothing else happens, people are going to know how to pronounce Duquesne correctly," Gormley said.
On the eve of its Round of 32 game, students are getting ready and hoping for another big upset. The student union is expected to be packed and hungry for a Sweet Sixteen appearance. Maybe it's the madness of March, but they've got a feeling this team is special.
"We're going to shock the world," student Joey Connor said.
Eleventh-seeded Duquesne plays third-seeded Illinois at CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha, Nebraska. Tip-off is set for 8:40 p.m.