Temple University Athletics
Temple University
#8 Massachusetts
#21/24 Temple Set To Open A10 Tournament Play vs. UMass
3.8.12 | Men's Basketball
Top-seeded Owls take on dangerous #-8 seeded Minutemen
Game Notes | Tournament Media Guide | Live Stats | Listen Live
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - It was only nine days ago when Massachusetts nearly spoiled Senior Night for #21/24 Temple, holding a six-point lead in overtime at the Liacouras Center before the Owls rallied for a 90-88 win on February 29. Temple had held a 10-point lead in the contest with two minutes left in regulation, before Chaz Williams led an 11-1 Minutemen run to force the extra stanza.
The two schools now meet in the Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals at Noon on Friday (Comcast SportsNet/610 AM WIP), the first meeting on tournament play since the 2000 season. It will be the ninth meeting overall in the A10 tournament with each program winning four times.
Senior Ramone Moore, a first team all-conference selection, continues to lead the head coach Fran Dunphy's squad as well as ranking second in conference in scoring (17.8 ppg.). Top-seed Temple's other two guards, junior Khalif Wyatt (17. ppg.) and senior Juan Fernandez (11.4 ppg,) also earned all-league honors, being named to the second and third teams, respectively.
Graduate center Micheal Eric (9.2 ppg., 8.7 rpg.), who has been a force of late, and junior forward Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson (9.1 ppg., 6.5 rpg.) man the frontcourt for the Owls. Redshirt junior T.J. DiLeo (3.0 ppg.), sophomore Aaron Brown (6.7 ppg.) and redshirt freshman Anthony Lee (5.0ppg., 5.4 rpg.) provide much-needed depth off the bench.
#8-seed UMass, under the direction of head coach Derek Kellogg, posted a 92-83 win over #9-seed Duquesne in the first round of the A10 tournament at the Mullins Center Tuesday. Williams (16.7 ppg.), who tied Wyatt for game-high scoring honors (26 pts) in the first meeting, leads UMass in scoring and the conference in assists (6.4 apg.). Raphiael Putney also scores in double figures (10.5 ppg.).
Temple leads the series, 43-20, and has won the last three meetings.
