PITTSBURGH — With each new game, Duquesne is reaching new ground.

The Dukes were already off to their best conference start in school history. They were already on their longest winning streak in 40 years. And they were already one of the surprise stories in college basketball.

Now, they're in first place by themselves.

Bill Clark had 23 points, 10 rebounds and four assists as Duquesne cruised past George Washington 84-59 Wednesday night, the Dukes' 11th consecutive victory.

With the win, combined with Xavier's 66-62 loss at Charlotte, Duquesne (16-5, 8-0) is in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10, one game ahead of the Musketeers (15-6, 7-1).

“Our kids did a good job of keeping our composure. We just kept playing,” Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said. “When the game was in the balance, I like the way we executed. It was a good night for us.”

That's an understatement. Duquesne has beaten every opponent during this streak by double digits, but this latest one — in front of 3,016 fans — may have been the easiest. The Dukes, who had five players in double figures in scoring, led by 12 at the half and forced 26 turnovers.

“For us, that's our formula,” Everhart said. “When their big guys put it on the floor, we took it from them.”

The Dukes, who lead the nation in assists per game, had 19 more vs. the Colonials (11-11, 4-4), and added seven steals and six blocks.

B.J. Monteiro had 19 points and seven rebounds, and Mike Talley had 12 points and five assists as the Dukes cruised, despite shooting just 53.5 percent from the free throw line.

“It all starts in practice,” Clark said. “Our practices are so competitive, it really prepares us for the games. We've been sharing the ball well, and when we're making that extra pass, it makes us that much harder to defend.”

Tony Taylor scored 21 for the Colonials, who were sluggish most of the night. They finished with 31 fouls, in losing for the fifth time in six games.

“When teams let down,” Clark said, “we try to turn it up.”

That philosophy has worked so far. Duquesne, after all, hasn't lost in regulation since Dec. 12, and is positioning itself for a favorable seed in the A-10 tournament, March 11-13 in Atlantic City, N.J.

The Dukes, who are now 9-1 at home, have been to postseason play the past two seasons, but have not made the NCAA tournament since 1977. They are now four wins shy of matching a 15-game winning streak set in 1970-71, and their overall record represents their best start since 1971-72, when they opened up 16-4.

“A lot of this,” Everhart said, “is new to us.”

It doesn't show — on the scoreboard, or in the standings.