Duquesne is back in the tournament for the first time since 1977
The Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament final between Duquesne and VCU on Sunday afternoon saw an odd moment occur in the second half as confetti fell to the court in the middle of play.
The confetti, colored red, white and blue for the Dukes, fell from a section of the rafters as the team was up 15 points on the Rams in the second half. Most of the streamers fell where the media sat. CBS announcer Kevin Harlan had a field day with the moment.
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Duquesne's Kareem Rozier celebrates with Jimmy Clark III during the game against VCU in the championship of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament on Sunday, March 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie)
"Oh my gosh they got confetti falling right now. Confetti is falling on the floor. They’re gonna have to stop play. We can’t see our notes. The players can't work on this court," he said. "Confetti is everywhere. Somebody hit the wrong button."
It appeared to be just 17 minutes and 54 seconds too early as Duquesne was able to hold off VCU for the 57-51 win and earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
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Duquesne's Jake DiMichele huddles with Dusan Mahorcic and Fousseyni Drame during the VCU game on Sunday, March 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie)
Duquesne won its 24th game of the season and have an eight-game winning streak going into the tournament. The team matched the program record for victories, which was set during the 1953-54 season.
It will be the first time Duquesne will be in the tournament field since 1977. The team beat Villanova to win their conference title game. They were in the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League. The team lost in the first round of the tournament against VMI.
The national anthem is performed before the game between the Duquesne Dukes and the Virginia Commonwealth Rams at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on March 17, 2024. (Wendell Cruz-USA Today Sports)
The Dukes had 20 wins last season but were not selected for the tournament.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
