Temple University Athletics
MEN'S BASKETBALL LOOKS TO EXTEND ITS WIN STREAK AT ORANGE BOWL CLASSIC
12.18.03 | Men's Basketball
Although the Owls and the Hurricanes have played in the same football conference the last 12 years, the two schools have tangled on the hardwood only once, that coming on December 29. 1961. Temple won that contest, 85-67, to capture the championship of the Hurricane Classic from the host school.
The Owls have looked in midseason form over the past three games. Temple lost a heartbreaker at Arizona State, 70-66, on December 9 to start the current stretch and then returned to North Broad Street to defeat Penn State (67-56, 12/13) and South Carolina (71-61, 12/15) over the span of three days. Temple shot over 40 percent from the field in each contest, and extended its unbeaten string to 24 straight games when out-shooting its opponent. David Hawkins, who leads the A-10 and ranks 15th nationally in scoring with a 21.9 average, has been hot of late. The 6-5 senior guard has scored 25 points in each of the last two wins to lead the Owls.
Miami (5-3), led by Wooden Award Candidate Darius Rice, is looking to rebound from a 67-58 loss to Florida State on December 14. Rice, a 6-10 forward, is averaging 17.4 points per game and has 1,532 points in his career at UM. Sophomore guard Rob Hite is the only other Hurricane scoring in double figures (13.9 ppg.).
