Temple University Athletics
OWLS HEAD WEST FOR NATIONALLY-TELEVISED SHOWDOWN AT ARIZONA STATE
12.7.03 | Men's Basketball
Arizona State returns two starters from last year's team that posted a 20-12 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Devils have picked up right where they left off, starting the season with a 3-1 record.
Temple, 1-3, posted its first win of the season on Saturday against Drexel, 57-48, at The Palestra in the Philadelphia Big Five Classic. The Owls used a strong defensive effort in the contest, limiting the Dragons to 18-of-55 shooting from the field (32.7%) and 7-of-28 (25%) from behind the arc. Temple had entered the contest allowing opponents to hit 52 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from three-point range.
Senior guard David Hawkins continues to lead the way for the Owls. Hawkins tallied 26 points in the Drexel win to up his Atlantic 10 Conference-leading scoring average to 22.0 points per game. The Washington, DC native moved past former teammate Quincy Wadley (1,451 points, 1997-2001) and into 18th place on the TU all-time scoring list with 1,456 career points.
Arizona State has not one, but two prolific scorers in 6-8, 250-pound sophomore Ike Diogu (22.5 ppg., 8.0 rpg.) and 6-3 junior Steve Moore (19.5 ppg.).
The last time the two programs met was December 28, 1976 when ASU topped Temple, 73-65, in the first round of the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii.
