Temple University Athletics
Temple Looks For Third Straight Win When It Hosts Western Michigan Tuesday
12.4.06 | Men's Basketball
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Dec. 4, 2006
PHILADELPHIA - Temple, winner of two straight, concludes its four-game homestand Tuesday with a 7:00 p.m. tip-off against Western Michigan. The Owls (2-2) will be looking for their first win over a Mid-American Conference foe this season when they square off with the Broncos (3-4). Temple dropped its first two games to MAC opponents Kent State and Buffalo. The Owls will play one more MAC school, Ball State in Muncie, Ind. on Dec, 19, as part of its scheduling agreement with the conference.
Sophomore Dionte Christmas, the reigning Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week, leads the A-10 in scoring with a 20.5 average. Christmas averaged 23.3 points over three games last week, leading Temple in scoring in all three games. He also set career highs in scoring in consecutive contests against Buffalo (23 points) and Rutgers (27 points).
Sophomore center Sergio Olmos flexed his muscles Saturday in the team's 74-49 win over Long Beach State, tallying 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to post his first collegiate double-double. Senior guard Dustin Salisbery is second on the team in scoring (15.0 ppg.) while senior forward Dion Dacons (6.5 rpg.) leads the Owls in rebounding.
Temple, employing a man-to-man defense under first-year head coach Fran Dunphy, leads the A-10 in scoring defense (57.5 ppg.), field goal percentage defense (.336) and 3PT field goal percentage defense (.236). Offensively, the Owls top the league in 3PT field goals made (9.50 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.17).
Western Michigan, under the direction of fourth-year head coach Steve Hawkins, is picked to finish third in the MAC preseason coaches' poll. The Broncos, led by junior center Joe Reitz (14.4 ppg., 7.1 rpg.) and sophomore guard Andre Ricks (10.0 ppg.), scored a season-high 84 points in an 84-73 win over visiting San Diego State Saturday to give Hawkins his 200th coaching victory.
