Temple University Athletics
MEN'S BASKETBALL TRAVELS TO RUTGERS IN SEARCH OF FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON
12.2.03 | Men's Basketball
Temple, 0-2 after losses to Villanova (73-48) and #11 Illinois (75-60), trailed by 51-33 with 7:58 remaining in last season's clash with Rutgers before a late run closed the gap to 57-53 with 1:05 to play. Jerome Coleman (28 points) nailed two free throws to preserve the win for the visitors from Piscataway, N.J.
Like the first two games this season, Temple's shooting woes hurt them in the Rutgers loss last year. The Owls connected on just 15-of-42 from the field in that game (35.7%). The game marked just the third time that the two programs had met since RU left the Atlantic 10 Conference for the Big East at the end of the 1994-95 season. The Owls had lost the only other previous meeting at the Liacouras Center, but have defeated the Scarlet Knights in four of the last five meetings at the Louis Brown Athletic Center, including the last three in a row. The last time Temple lost to Rutgers at the RAC came on January 24, 1993, an 80-72 defeat.
Senior guard David Hawkins has led the Owls in scoring in each of the first two games, averaging an A-10-leading 22.0 points per game. In the Illinois game Hawkins (1,414 points) passed both Clarence Brookins (1,386 pts, 1965-68) and Lamont Barnes (1,411 pts, 1996-00) to move into 21st place on the all-time Temple scoring list. Next up is Tim Claxton (1,418 pts, 1974-78).
Rutgers (2-1) is led by senior Herve Lamizana (14.3 ppg., 7.3 rpg.) and junior Ricky Shields (13.3 ppg.).
