John Heller, Post-Gazette Duquesne's Bryant McAllister brings the ball down court against Richmond in a game last season. Click photo for larger image.

Bryant McAllister's numbers rank him among the top players in the Atlantic 10 Conference, but they haven't been enough to add up to more victories for Duquesne's Dukes who are at the bottom of the league with an overall record of 2-10.

"No ... no, I really can't take any satisfaction in what I've done," said the 6-foot-3 senior guard from West Mifflin, who is second in the A-10 in scoring (18.4 a game) and assists (5.2 a game). "If I averaged 10 points a game and we'd win, I'd gladly sacrifice my points to do that.

"I have to step up my game even more. My team looks for me to make a play whenever we need a bucket. I have to be the run-stopper. There are times when we're not scoring and I should take the ball and call a play for myself, take the burden on myself. That's what I need to do."

McAllister will lead Duquesne against Massachusetts (5-5) at 2:05 p.m. today in an Atlantic 10 game at the Palumbo Center.

"I've given the team to him," Duquesne coach Danny Nee said of McAllister, who has taken a more active role as the team leader this season. "He used to be a loner. It's a maturity thing. He's done a great job of leadership under adverse circumstances."

McAllister has more than justified his selection to the A-10 first team in a preseason vote of the league coaches.

"That means nothing to me if we don't win," he said. "My focus is on winning. If we win, that will take care of everything else."

The Dukes have lost four consecutive games, including an 84-61 defeat Wednesday at La Salle in which they led by eight at halftime and fell apart in the second half.

"It's very frustrating because I know we're not a 2-10 team," McAllister said shaking his head. "I know it says that on paper, but ..."

	Scouting Report Matchup: Massachsuetts (5-5, 0-0 Atlantic 10) vs. Duquesne (2-10, 0-1), 2:05 p.m. today, Palumbo Center. TV, radio, Internet: FSN Pittsburgh, KQV-AM (1410), www.redzonemedia.com, www.GoDuquesne.com. Duquesne: Coming off an 84-61 loss at La Salle after leading by eight at halftime for its fourth consecutive defeat. Bryant McAllister led with 22 points and Aaron Jackson had career highs of 16 points and 8 rebounds. ... McAllister, who ranks second in the A-10 in scoring (18.4 a game) and assists (5.2 a game), is school's 18th all-time scorer with 1,235 points. ... Is 5-6 against Massachusetts at Palumbo. Massachusetts: Coming off a 91-62 loss at Boston College for second consecutive defeat. ... Is 0-4 on the road. ... Rashaun Freeman leads with 15.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. ... Stephane Lasme (10 ppg, 7.1 rpg) averages 4.5 blocks per game to rank third nationally. ... Massachusetts leads the series, 30-21. Hidden stat: Lasme, a career 64.3 percent free-throw shooter, tied the school record by going 14 for 14 in a 69-64 victory against Duquesne last season.

His words trailed off into the hallway at the Palumbo Center before yesterday's practice.

"We can still surprise a lot of people in our league. I'm not ready to give up. There's not a special sense of urgency for me because I'm a senior. There's a sense of urgency for Duquesne. We don't have quitters on this team."

The Dukes also don't have much depth with the loss of forward Kieron Achara (shoulder injury), forward Ryan Lambert (dismissed from the team) and guard Jack Higgins (coaches' decision).

"For three years McAllister never asked to be taken out of a game," Nee said. "He's asked a few times this season and that shows me how hard he's working at both ends of the court. I'm going to use Adam Souply for a minute here and there whenever McAllister looks like he needs a breather."

There aren't any breathers left on the schedule for the Dukes, whose next 15 games are against teams from the Atlantic 10.

"We need to get some wins because we need to get into the Atlantic 10 tournament," McAllister said. "Once you get in, anything can happen."

Only 12 of the league's 14 teams will participate in the tournament, which will be March 8-11 at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.

"There's still a lot of time for us to make something happen," McAllister said. "We just have to stay positive."