Duquesne knows VCU's Siegel Center is 'tough environment' to play

When Duquesne visits VCU on Tuesday night in its next-to-last regular-season game, the Dukes likely will be playing in front of a packed house at Siegel Center in Richmond, Va.

That’s not such a big deal in college basketball, except in this case, it would mark the 151st consecutive sellout at the 7,637-seat, on-campus, downtown venue.

“This is a tough environment. We’re going to a place that’s been sold out for 100,000 times in a row. We’ve got to be ready,” Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot said Monday.

No current Dukes player has played at Siegel Center.

“They’ve got to be able to take me or they’re not going to take that crowd,” Dambrot said. “That crowd’s harder than Dayton’s crowd. Dayton’s got more people (capacity is 13,409 at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio), but this crowd is much harder.”

Dambrot has racheted up the intensity level at Dukes practices following what he inferred was a less-than-stellar effort in the Dukes’ 81-78 victory over George Mason on Saturday at UPMC Events Center.

“It’s what I think they need now to get what they want,” he said.

Duquesne (20-8, 10-6 Atlantic 10) is fighting for one of the top four spots in the fast-approaching Atlantic 10 Tournament next week, which provides first- and second-round byes.

VCU (18-11, 8-8), the preseason favorite to win the A-10 championship, is in eighth place in the 14-team conference. The Rams are led by 6-foot-7 junior Marcus Santos-Silva (12.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg).