Don't look at the record.

That's what Union girls basketball coach Josh Meeker is telling his players as they prepare to face Duquesne at 1:30 p.m. in a PIAA Class A first-round playoff game at DuBois Area Middle School Saturday.

The Dukes are 12-14 overall and compete in the WPIAL's Section 3-A.

"The girls know that the league (Duquesne) plays in is very strong," said Meeker. "And they know a 12-14 record can be deceiving."

Consider:

Duquesne's section includes WPIAL champ Serra Catholic and the WPIAL runner-up Clairton.

The Dukes lost to Serra Catholic three times this season, with two of the defeats coming by a combined seven points.

Three of Duquesne's losses came to Quad A schools, while two others came to Class AAA programs.

"We played a very hard schedule," said Dukes coach Gerald Grayson. "We were hoping that it would benefit us if we made the playoffs."

Duquesne lost to Serra in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL playoffs, making it the fifth-place team from the district, while Union (25-2) won its first District 9 crown in five years.

"We don't know much about Union," said Grayson. "I've heard that they're very fast and that they like to press and play a running game."

Duquesne's leading scorer is 6-foot-1 junior center Latesha Reddick, who averages 14 points per game.

Sophomore forward Bridget Walker chips in with 10 points per contest.

"From what I've heard, Union gets a lot of their points off rebounding and that press defense," said Grayson. "Hopefully, we can stop their running game. We're pretty fast, but I don't know if we're as fast as they are."

Union's offense is led by junior forward Andrea Mortimer (16.1 ppg) while fellow junior Bethany Koch is scoring 13.6.

"I think our girls are playing their best basketball of the season," said Meeker. "Several girls have stepped up for us lately and we had to beat a good league opponent (Clarion) for a third time in the playoffs. That's always tough to do."

Nikki Davis could play a key role for the Damsels.

The junior forward came off the bench to average seven points per game in the team's three district playoff victories.

"We always knew that Nikki had the capability to contribute," said Meeker. "She has accepted her role and doesn't get flustered out there."

"Her height (5-foot-9) has helped in getting rebounds, too," added Meeker.

Experience could prove to be the X-factor in the game.

While Union is making its third straight PIAA playoff appearance, Duquesne is embarking on the program's first-ever trip to the state tournament.

"We've got talent, but getting to states is a brand new thing for this program," said Grayson.