Temple University Athletics
Temple University
Villanova
Temple Hosts Villanova Saturday in Big 5 Showdown
12.8.11 | Men's Basketball
Rivalry to be played on ESPN2 at packed Liacouras Center
Game Notes | Watch Live | Live Stats
PHILADELPHIA - The Temple men's basketball team will put its Liacouras Center record 23-game win streak to the test Saturday afternoon when the Owls host Philadelphia Big 5 rival Villanova (5:00 p.m./ESPN2/1210 AM WPHT). The Owls (5-2, 1-0 Big 5) have won two straight since a setback at Bowling Green on Nov. 27 while the Wildcats (5-3, 2-0) have dropped three of their last four games.
One of the best rivalries in the storied history of city-series play, Villanova owns a 44-41 edge in the series, but Temple is 14-8 hosting the Wildcats on its campus and 3-2 in the Liacouras Center. The last meeting on North Broad Street featured a career-high 33 points by senior guard Juan Fernandez as the Owls upset the #3/3 Wildcats, 75-65, on December 13, 2009. It is the highest-ranked team Temple has defeated in the arena which opened its doors in 1997.
Senior guard Ramone Moore continues to lead the Owls with a 16.4 scoring average. Two other guards, junior Khalif Wyatt (14.8 ppg.) and Fernandez (13.4 ppg.), also average double figures while sophomore guard Aaron Brown (7.4 ppg,) is arguably the hottest Owl after tallying 40 points over the past two outings.
Sixth year coach Fran Dunphy has utilized four guards at times over the past three contests since the injury to graduate center Micheal Eric (10.5 ppg., 11.3 rpg,) has depleted his frontcourt. Junior forward Rahlir Jefferson (9.1 ppg., 5.1 rpg.) and redshirt freshman Anthony Lee (5.0 ppg., 6.6 rpg.), both starters, are the lone true frontcourt players in the rotation. Jefferson, who leads Temple with a .591 field goal percentage, has made his last nine field goal attempts while Lee has averaged nine rebounds and 2.7 blocks as a starter.
Redshirt junior T.J. DiLeo (5.0 ppg.) and freshman Will Cummings (6.0 ppg,), who saw his first action of the season at Toledo, round out the eight-man rotation.
Villanova, under the direction of 11th-year head coach Jay Wright, sports a balanced scoring attack led by junior guard Maalik Wayns (18.1 ppg.). junior forward Mouphtaou Yarou (15.4 ppg., 8.4 rpg.) and junior guard Dominic Cheek (12.8 ppg.) also score in double figures for the Wildcats.
