Pitt basketball gets its first road test of the year tonight when it travels just a few… Pitt basketball gets its first road test of the year tonight when it travels just a few miles downtown to face the Duquesne Dukes in the cross-town rivalry – the City Game.

This is the toughest game of the season for the Dukes (6-1), who are coming off a 77-73 loss to Drake – their first of the season. It’s also the toughest game thus far for Pitt, which has torn through its schedule and beaten its last four opponents by 26 points or more.

In last year’s matchup, the Panthers won, 73-56, at the Petersen Events Center. But that score didn’t represent how close the game really was. After being outplayed the first eight minutes of that game, Duquesne hustled its way back into the game, ending the last 32 minutes in a 49-49 draw.

Both teams have new looks this year, and No. 12-ranked Pitt (7-0) once again can’t afford to look past this Duquesne team that has four players currently averaging double-figure points.

Duquesne guard Kojo Mensah, who averages 16.4 points per game, is a solid all-around player who has hurt opponents from the outside, inside and the free-throw line. A Brooklyn native, Mensah operates from the wing. The Dukes have great size and interior strength to help carry some of the load as well.

Kieron Achara and Shawn James both measure 6 feet 10 inches, and average over 13 points per contest. Both play a lot of minutes and will look to use their height as an advantage against a Pitt team that’s smaller this year.

Pitt center DeJuan Blair, who came off the bench and helped spark Pitt to a 72-58 victory over Toledo on Saturday, may have his hands full.

Blair, who scored 11 points and pulled down 11 rebounds on Saturday despite being late for warmups because of a family funeral, is three inches shorter than both Achara and James. His coaches in the past have pointed to his wing span and hustling attitude as ways around his size deficiencies.

Despite the height difference, Blair still outweighs Achara and James by 30 and 45 pounds, and could use his bulky frame to pound his way around the paint. Blair, who ranks second on Pitt in scoring and rebounding, leads the team both in steals and blocks.

Pitt, which has now started 7-0 for the seventh consecutive season, will get help inside and outside from Sam Young. Young averages a team-high 18 points per game, while also leading the team in rebounds with nine a game. Senior forward Mike Cook and Blair each average over 10 points, with point guard Levance Fields just behind them at 8.9.

The Panthers will want to shoot better than they did against Toledo. Pitt struggled to build a lead early. Pitt shot just 43.1 percent, but it played well enough defensively to hold off the Rockets.

The Dukes institute a 10-man rotation, with complete five-player substitutions every three to four minutes. Duquesne coach Ron Everhart likes to use the system to wear down opponents.

Including tonight’s game, five of the Panthers’ next seven games are on the road. Tip-off tonight is set for 7 p.m., at the A.J. Palumbo Center.