Owls Get Two on the Road

It's been a rollercoaster type of a season for the Temple Owls, but now it seems that things are going up. In their last two games, the Owls have had no problem improving their away record- it's almost safe to say that NCAA Tournament talk is
nearly back in the mix.

This past week featured the Owls away from the Liacouras Center, competing against two of the best teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference: the Saint Joseph's Hawks and the Duquesne Dukes.

The SJU game was a much anticipated battle- not only would it mean a better record in-conference, but also a boost in Big 5 "rep". Here's a look at the team's performance at the Palestra in their 61-59 win this past Thursday:

High Scorers

(TEM) Dionte Christmas- 19 points
(SJU) Ahmad Nivins- 21 points

Leading Rebounders

(TEM) Dionte Christmas- 11 rebounds
(SJU) Tasheed Carr- 9 rebounds

Key Player: Temple's Juan Fernandez seemed to be the impact player when this game went down to the wire. In the final minute of play, the Owls were plagued by missed opportunities on the free throw line. As a team shot just 7-18 (39%), which nearly cost them them game. Fernandez's clutch 2/3 from the charity strike are what arguably kept the team from losing this game.

Temple Owls 61, Saint Joseph's Hawks 59.

Later in the week, Temple headed back out on the road into Pittsburgh where they would take on the Duquesne. The Dukes had lost their last game to Richmond, but also had an impressive win over #9 Xavier a week prior. Aaron Jackson and his team were ready to pull themselves together and push Temple out of the playoff picture.

Here's a look at how Temple was able to get their 2nd straight on the road in a 78-73 victory over Duquesne:

High Scorers

(TEM) Juan Fernandez- 19 points
(DUQ) Aaron Jackson- 21 points

Leading Rebounders

(TEM) Craig Williams- 6 rebounds
(DUQ) Aaron Jackson- 9 rebounds


Key Player: For the second straight game, late addition Juan Fernandez proved to Temple fans that he is ready to compete at the Division I level. Not to take away from his prior games, but the win over Duquesne seemed to be his breakout game. Featuring 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and just 1 turnover, Pepe II really kept this squad in the game. Many also witnessed on of the best passes by a guard in Temple history (besides the fact that Michael Eric was called for traveling, the pass was still incredible).

Temple Owls 78, Duquesne Dukes 73.

The Owls will return home tomorrow night to take on the Fordham Rams. Preview will be up tonight.

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Showdown in Philadelphia

Temple Owls (AWAY) vs. Saint Joseph's Hawks (HOME)
February 12, 2009
The Palestra (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Tomorrow night a much anticipated game will be played- a battle for the ages. The Temple Owls will stay close to home where they'll take on the Saint Joseph's Hawks. This game ought to be a Big 5 Classic, as well as a rematch of last year's Atlantic 10 Tournament.

Dionte Christmas and the Owls would like to get things rolling against a decent Saint Joe's team, who is on a 2 game winning streak. On the other side, Temple comes off of a win over Rhode Island at home.

As always, we'll take a look at both teams, and break them down for fans to see the keys to the game. Here it is:

Overall: Temple Owls

As Temple fans know, this year has been nothing less than a disappointment. It seems as if the Tennessee win at home, and the Penn State win on the road are merely masked by a bad road record, and poor conference play. This team has had multiple opportunities to turn things around, but unfortunately have not been able to capitalize. This "road game" is played in Philadelphia, so the Owls will hope to improve their away game resume tomorrow night. Dionte Christmas and Lavoy Allen are the team's key players. Christmas, who is looking to win his 3rd consecutive scoring title in conference, is a dangerous scorer who is hot when he hits. On the flip side, the NBA prospect can also play some pretty inconsistent basketball, causing his team several games. Lavoy Allen, however, seems to have been on the up-side of his game, earning a double double in the Owls win over Rhode Island. Dealing with Iris Hilliard and Ahmad Nivins in the paint will not be easy, but will serve as another chance for the sophomore to shine.

The team does have several big wins under their belt, but are constantly haunted by their poor away game record. At a mere 6-7 will just four away games to go, the team is going to have to make some changes if they want to improve their ballot record.

Temple comes into Thursday night's game off of a win over Rhode Island at home.

Overall: Saint Joseph's Hawks

After a slow start to the season, the Saint Joseph's Hawks have come a long way from starting out 5-6. The team is sitting at (14-8)(7-1), and are about to take 1st place with their conference record. The Hawks have proven themselves worthy of winning both at home and on the road. In their last 4 games, SJU has played 3 on the road, and won them all. Leading this team is the dominant power of Ahmad Nivins (right), accompanied by Darrin Govens and Tasheed Carr. This is a very talented and experienced team, as these three players have rallied this squad to success. Nivins is competing to keep Christmas from winning the title, as he only averages .4 points less. One of his advantages over Dionte Christmas when it comes to scoring is his ability to be really consistent game in and game out. Temple will have a lot on their plate, when they try and guard this force. Darrin Govens and Tasheed Carr both average 13.5 points of their own, and provide support in rebounding and assists as well.

Arguably this team's best win of the season, the overtime victory over Duquesne has put Saint Joseph's among the best in this conference. Sitting at 14-8, this team still has the opportunity to improve their record to 19 to 22 wins.

Saint Joseph's enters their temporary home after a win over Massachusetts on the road.

Teams by Comparison

RPI

Temple- 45
Saint Joe's- 71

SOS

Temple- 38
Saint Joe's- 72

* Temple center Sergio Olmos (left) has really stepped his game up in the past few weeks, and tomorrow night he'll have one of his toughest challenges of the year. Olmos, standing tall at 7'0", will need to keep an eye on the talented Ahmad Nivins. Thursday night's matchup will be interesting if both players are able to play well.

* It is amazing how close these teams are statistically. These stats are where the Owls and Hawks nearly match up COMPLETELY: Points, Rebounds, Assists, Turnovers, Steals, Blocks. Both teams are dead on when its broken down this way, so it should be really intense.

* Both teams are equivalent in the points column, and it will be interesting to see which offensive power shows up. If Dionte Christmas gets off on the right foot, then the Owls might have the advantage. If Nivins has no problem dominating the post, and Govens/Carr go hot, the Hawks might have this one. It's all about who shows to the Palestra.

Here's our look at the projected starters:

6'4" Semaj Inge (7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists)
6'1" Darrin Govens (14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists)

6'4" Ryan Brooks (11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists)
6'4" Tasheed Carr (14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists)

6'5" Dionte Christmas (20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists)
6'5" Garrett Williamson (6 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists)

6'9" Lavoy Allen (11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists)
6'7" Idris Hilliard (9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist)

7'0" Sergio Olmos (8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist)
6'9" Ahmad Nivins (20 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist)

Hoot to Watch For: For such a good matchup, we're going to say that this game will be based on the teams' overall efforts and achievements. There is no dominance in any statistical category, so it basically comes down to whatever side decides to show up. For all we know, this could be a Classic Big 5 game.

You can catch tomorrow's game on ESPN360.com, 1210 WPHT, or Channelsurfing.net @ 7:00.

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Looking for Revenge

Temple (HOME) vs. Rhode Island (AWAY)
February 8th, 2009
Liacouras Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Safe at home, the Temple Owls will try to take down the Rhode Island Rams, and fix their Atlantic 10 status. Both teams faced off earlier this year out in Kingston, where the Rams won 67-59.

Both teams will square off again tomorrow afternoon here in Philadelphia, where they'll play since their Thursday match ups.

We'll reconsider the statuses of both teams, and break down both teams. Here's our Pre Game breakdown:

Overall: Rhode Island Rams

Sitting at (16-7)(5-3), the Rhode Island Rams are hanging in with the best of the Atlantic 10 with 8 games remaining. They are currently 5th in the conference- 1 game in front of Temple, and 1 behind Duquesne. Leading this team to a very successful season are now 4 players: Jimmy Baron, Kahiem Seawright (left), Keith Cothran, and Delroy James. Baron, son of coach Jim Baron, is the team's high scorer. He's a deadly shooter when he gets hot, and the Owls were able to contain him well behind the arc in their last match up. The man who dominated the last game was Kahiem Seawright, who finished with 17 points. He is the man that Temple will once again keep their eyes on. It seems as if Rams' guard Keith Cothran will not once again participate- the junior has been dealing with injuries for a good chunk of the year.

The Rams come off of a 71-64 victory over the Charlotte 49ers.

Overall: Temple Owls

In what has been a really disheartening season, the Temple Owls head home to potentially get back a win against the Rams. This far into the year, staying in Philadelphia has proven to be an advantage for this team. In the 6 home games they've won, the Owls have lost just one of those meetings (Miami (OH)). The players that URI will need to look out for are Dionte Christmas, Lavoy Allen, and Sergio Olmos. Christmas (right), who averages an exact 20 points per game, The senior found ways to score in their last outing when he dropped 27 points. Lavoy Allen, on the other hand, was easily contained by the likes of Kahiem Seawright; Allen managed just 5 points and 3 rebounds. Fouling and turnovers are what killed this team last game, as Temple saw their two stars both foul out.

The Owls come off of an 83-74 loss against the Xavier Musketeers.

Teams by Comparison

RPI

Temple- 48
Rhode Island- 62

SOS

Temple- 35
Rhode Island- 103

* Temple seems to be the more team oriented squad in this one, as the Owls have the +1 in assists. Both teams, however, are the same in averaged turnovers, so the defense that comes to the LC will be a deciding factor.

* The Owls are going to need a lot more from Sergio Olmos and Lavoy Allen in this game. Both Will Martell and Kahiem Seawright found ways to overpower the two, and it showed in the outcome. Both players need to be consistent on the floor, and active in the paint.

* Looking at the stats, Rhode Island is a very high scoring team- in this matchup, they have the +12 for the category. Rebounding, it's a mere +1. Whoever decides to show up on the boards will make a real impact in this outcome. Defensively, the Rams also have the advantage on averaged steals: +1. This is a team that does tend to foul more often, though.

* Jimmy Baron is going to have to be more aggressive with the ball in this one. Baron shot just 1/7 from behind the arc, leading to his team's 38% three point percentage. Wild shots are not going to help this team win.

Here's a look at our projected starters:

6'4" Semaj Inge (7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists)
6'2" Marquis Jones (7 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists)

6'4" Ryan Brooks (11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists)
6'3" Jimmy Baron (17 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists)

6'5" Dionte Christmas (20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists)
6'6" Lamonte Ulmer (8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist)

6'9" Lavoy Allen (11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists)
6'8" Kahiem Seawright (14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists)

7'0" Sergio Olmos (8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists)
7'0" Will Martell (6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist)

Hoot to Watch For: Lavoy Allen and Sergio Olmos are going to have to pick up their game today. Olmos played well against Xavier this past Thursday, and was one reason why the Owls were able to hold their own early in that game. Lavoy Allen through the entire year has been very quiet, and every now and then has shown his true colors. Both of these players need to have an early presence if the team wants to get a win back. The home court is where they've played best, and they need to use their play in PA as an advantage.

You can catch today's game at 2:00 on 1210 WPHT, or on www.Channelsurfing.net

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Away Game Awes..

Unfortunately, Thursday night's performance against the Xavier Musketeers was a clear example of why the Owls might not make the NCAA Tournament. The struggle to compete when necessary and the inability to win away from home are just two of many reasons that the team is not in consideration for a bid.

February 5th's 83-74 loss to Xavier put Temple's road record at 6-7, as well as dropped this season's record to (12-9)(4-3). Here's a look at what the Owls have been up against on the road:

(11/14) vs. Eastern Tennessee State [Win: 79-65] (Preview/Post-Game)
(11/15) College of Charleston [Win: 70-65] (Preview/Post-Game)
(11/16) vs. Clemson [Loss: 76-72] (Preview/Post-Game)
(11/21) Lafayette [Win: 71-55] (Preview/Post-Game)
(11/29) Buffalo [Loss: 83-73] (Preview/Post-Game)
(12/06) Penn State [Win: 65-59] (Preview/Post-Game)
(12/20) Kansas [Loss: 71-59] (Preview/Post-Game)
(12/22) Long Beach St. [Loss: 76-71] (Preview/Post-Game)
(12/29) Villanova [Loss: 62-45] (Preview/Post-Game)
(01/07) Eastern Michigan [Win: 67-45] (Preview/Post-Game)
(01/11) La Salle [Win: 75-68] (Preview/Post-Game)
(01/14) Pennsylvania [Win: 78-53] (Preview/Post-Game)
(01/17) Massachusetts [Loss: 79-75] (Preview/Post-Game)
(01/28) Rhode Island [Loss: 67-59] (Preview/Post-Game)
(02/05) Xavier [Loss: 83-74] (Preview/Post-Game)

Away Game Record: (6-7)
Average Away RPI: 122
Average Away SOS: 136

Putting aside the fact that this year's scheduling is all off balance, the Owls still have not been able to take the winnable games on the road.

There's no room to blame specific players, but there are several observations that can be taken from these woes:

* When Dionte Christmas is hot, he's hot- this is clearly displayed from when the Owls upset Tennessee. Scoring 35 points was a reason that the team got its arguably "biggest win of the year". At the same time, Christmas' performance goes both ways. In Temple's losses on the road, the Senior Class Award candidate averages 20.8 a game as a whole. Against his Top 25 opponents? 15 points. It's clear that this team needs the presence of Dionte Christmas in all games.

* Lavoy Allen has to be a key element in this offense. This Temple team clearly shows that they live and die off of the jump-shot, which clearly presents a problem. Even at times where the team is not hitting, there is no true thought that "Hey, maybe we should feed the ball into the paint.." In times where Allen has touched the ball, he has proven to be a very reliable player. Sometimes, his statistics are not exactly representative of his statistics- it's very hard to score when at times you touch the ball merely 3 times a game.

* Point Guard: the position that has haunted Temple fans since the departure of Mark Tyndale (although he wasn't even a true PG). The lack of production at this position has cost this team a lot, even with the addition of Juan Fernandez. Semaj Inge and Luis Guzman cannot make the solid passes and moves needed of them. The team lacks a player that has a true "floor general" mentality: a guy who knows what the logical decision is in certain instances.

* Since the beginning of the season, the Owls have had a decent way of rotating players into the game. Injuries, inexperience, and academic ineligibility have put this team in a position that isn't considerably best. Missing players like Ramone Moore have made it tough to potentially figure something out at the guard position. Ryan Brooks has solidified his hard work ethic, and has provided for this team game in and game out. As we keep referring to, the Point Guard position is what has hurt this team.

Though the team will be back at home against Rhode Island tomorrow, there are still a few more opportunities to "patch up" their road record:

(2/12) Saint Joseph's
(2/15) Duquesne
(2/28) Dayton
(3/07) George Washington

The Owls still have a good chunk of basketball to play. There are 9 games left on the season schudule, and getting to 20 wins is still in sight.

If the Owls can continue their at-home dominance, and pick it up on the road, a run in the A 10 tournament is still possible.

Only time will tell.

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Taking Down X?

Temple (AWAY) vs. Xavier (HOME)
February 5th, 2009
Cintas Center (Cincinnati, Ohio)

It's been almost a week, and the Temple Owls head onto the road to play arguably their toughest game in the remaining games. Though all of the week's hype comes from National Signing Day (See Papreps' Wrap Up), Fran Dunphy and his squad will head out to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on #10 Xavier.

Dionte Christmas, recently chosen as a candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, will look to lead his team to their 2nd Top 25 victory this season. Their last, coming at home against Tennessee.

The Owl's Nest will break down the match-ups for this game, as well as what to expect from both teams. Let's get started.

Overall: Xavier Musketeers

With the only undefeated Atlantic 10 record and ranked 10th in the country, the Xavier Musketeers will stay home to avenge their near-upset against UMass. Sitting atop the Atlantic 10 conference, and in the Top 25, things are in fact looking really good for this team. The Musketeers have won their last 21 games, a dominant figure in-conference. They'll be going up against a Temple team, though, that has taken 3 of the last 4 competitions. The Owls come into this game real hot, but their disadvantage will be in an intense road atmosphere. Leading Xavier is junior Derrick Brown (left), who leads the team in points per game, and is second in rebounds. Behind him is a duo of guard talent: B.J. Raymond and C.J. Anderson. These trio of players will definitely cause problems inside and outside, as they have done all year.

Key victories for this squad come against a (12) Memphis and Missouri. They come into this game off of an 82-80 nail-biter over Massachusetts.

Overall: Temple Owls

Five days after a strange victory at home, the Temple Owls look to fix their road record and make a name for themselves as an NCAA bid team. With several upsetting losses, the victory over Tennessee earlier this year has not made post season dreams much bigger. Tonight, the Owls will have the opportunity with their double bonus against Xavier: a win on the road, and another win over a Top 10 team. Leading this team is Dionte Christmas, who leads the team (A10) in scoring. Along with Christmas are the talents of Ryan Brooks (right) and Lavoy Allen. Both players will have crucial impact and defensive assignments if the Owls want to knock off a hot X squad.

Key victories for this team come against (8) Tennessee as well as Penn State. They enter this game off of a 74-65 win over Richmond.

Teams by Comparison

RPI

Temple- 48
Xavier- 8

SOS

Temple- 42
Xavier- 21

* Temple's record on the road is at .500, sitting a 6-6. They have struggled against "lesser" competition, including Long Beach State and Buffalo. They'll be taking on a Xavier team that is 11-1 at the Cintas Center, as well as on a 10 game winning streak.

* Xavier will also be up for a challenge, playing a team that has been showing its true colors. Once again, though, Temple has yet to solidify a big victory away from the Liacouras Center, which will present a problem.

* Xavier has also proven to be a good rebounding team, and in this matchup they have the +4 advantage. This will play a major role when the Musketeers deal with rising star Lavoy Allen.

* It might be safe to say that this is one of the only games that a team averages more turnovers than Temple. This is another category that might present problems, as the Owls have the +2.

Hoot to Watch For: WIN ON THE ROAD! There's no more to say than this. The Temple Owls are going to have to prove themselves on the road, as previous games have held the team from NCAA talk. A big win at Ohio against the #10 team in the country will put the Owls back on the map.

Here's a look at our projected starting lineups for tonight's game:

6'4" Semaj Inge (7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists)
6'5" Dante Jackson (6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists)

6'4" Ryan Brooks (11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist)
6'6" B.J. Raymond (13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists)

6'5" Dionte Christmas (21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists)
6'6" C.J. Anderson (11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists)

6'9" Lavoy Allen (10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists)
6'8" Derrick Brown (14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists)

6'10" Craig Williams (5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist)
6'9" Jason Love (7 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist)

Tonight's game will be on ESPN and ESPN360.com at 7:00. Below we have posted ESPNews' Temple-Xavier Preview.



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