With a consecutive string of losing seasons that almost rivals that of the Pirates and with a recent tradition of defeat that surpasses the Pirates, it might be expected that the Duquesne basketball program would be giddy over the fact a winning season is in the offing.

But these Dukes have bigger ideas, and with good reason.

Coach Ron Everhart has assembled a collection of talent that can do a lot more than just get by in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Dukes can play with the big boys, and that was plainly obvious last night as they dominated George Washington in a 92-67 win at the Palumbo Center that wasn't that close. The Dukes led by 20 midway through the first half and later by 32.

It was a superb performance in all aspects of the game, and, even if it came against a struggling opponent, it was impressive.

With a few breaks, there's no telling what the Dukes might have done this season or where they might stand in the pecking order of college basketball.

They're 13-5 after beating George Washington. Three of the losses came by a combined 11 points against teams that have been ranked in the Top 25 -- Drake, Pitt and Rhode Island. What's more, two of those defeats came on the road as did a one-point loss against Fordham. Only in a 24-point loss at West Virginia were the Dukes outclassed.

Winning is new to the Dukes, who were 10-19 in Everhart's first season. That made it 13 consecutive losing seasons and 20 out of 21. Nor had they been close any time in the past 13 years. In that span, they were an average of 11 games under .500. There weren't many Division I programs with a deeper run of defeat.

Everhart and his talented players have put that in the past. Getting to 16 wins, which will guarantee a winning record, shouldn't be hard with 11 games remaining in the regular season. Nothing is certain in athletic competition, as Pitt discovered last night in a loss to Rutgers, but with games at the Palumbo Center against Richmond, La Salle and Saint Louis remaining and road games at St. Bonaventure and La Salle, the Dukes should have little problem reaching 16 wins and more. It's the more that they're looking for.

"We want to win every game we play," said center Shawn James, who had a spectacular performance against the Colonials. "If we win every game, we can get where we want to go."

James is the man who can get them there. He scored 21 points, had seven rebounds, five blocked shots, a steal and an assist. He was 2 for 4 from 3-point range. James, a junior, has a chance to play in the NBA. The Dukes just hope he doesn't try until his college eligibility is used up.

What Duquesne lacks in its resume is a signature victory. The Dukes' most impressive games have been their losses. The wins have come against mediocre or worse competition. The Dukes have handled those teams properly, with an average margin of victory of 23 points, but such victories got them scant notice. Only three teams they've beaten have winning records, Niagara, CSU Northridge and Robert Morris. The combined record of the 13 teams Duquesne has beaten is 97-134.

With Massachusetts (13-5) at the Palumbo Center Wednesday and Saint Joseph's (11-5) a week later, the Dukes can grab the win that will not only get them notice but help them mature as a team.

"One thing great about playing in the Atlantic 10," said Everhart, "is we get a chance to play against Top 25-caliber teams. Our guys would like to be considered on that level. But first we have to do it."

It's not that they haven't had chances. The toughest defeat was at Rhode Island, where the Dukes led by one with 11 seconds remaining.

"We're learning," said Everhart. "We took our lumps last season, but we've added some guys and we're getting better. Right now, we've got to figure out how to get over the hump. We've got to figure how to make a play or two at the end of the game, how to make a defensive stop when we need it. That's how you win big games."

With James, Kojo Mensah, who had 13 points last night, and a supporting cast of athletic players, the Dukes will continue to be involved in important games and soon enough will start winning some of them.

It's an up year in the Atlantic 10, with Dayton and Xavier ranked in the Top 25. The Dukes aren't at that level, but this team has a chance to win a game or two in the Atlantic 10 postseason tournament and possibly earn an NIT bid. After decades of defeat, Duquesne is coming back.