Temple University Athletics
Men's Basketball Takes On Drexel At The Palestra Saturday
12.12.07 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 12, 2007
PHILADELPHIA - Temple will look to even its record Saturday when it visits The Palestra to take on the Drexel Dragons in an ESPNU-televised game (Noon/1210 AM WPHT). The Owls (4-5) will also look to extract a little revenge on the Dragons (5-4) as Drexel posted its first win over the Cherry and White in nearly a quarter-century last season with a 69-54 decision at the Liacouras Center.
Second-year head coach Fran Dunphy's Owls are coming off a 101-93 loss to #18/23 Villanova Sunday. The loss snapped a two-game win streak, but the Cherry and White has won four of its last six outings. Five players scored in double-figures in the high-scoring tilt with senior Mark Tyndale (24 points), sophomore Ryan Brooks (22) and junior Dionte Christmas (20) all topping the 20-point mark. Christmas, who leads the Owls with a 20.0 scoring average, pulled down 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double. Sophomore Luis Guzman joined Brooks in setting a new career high with 13 points while freshman Lavoy Allen had double-figures (12) for the sixth straight game.
Drexel, under the direction of seventh-year head coach Bruiser Flint, has lost three straight games after opening the season with a 5-1 record. Senior center Frank Elegar leads the Dragons in scoring (13.0 ppg.), rebounding (6.9 rpg.) and blocked shots (15). Junior guard Tramayne Hawthorne (12.9 ppg.) runs the offense and has dished a team-high 32 assists while freshman guard Gerald Colds has given DU a spark off the bench with his 10.1 scoring average.
Temple owns a 25-9 record in the series, and had won the previous eight meetings prior to last season. The Owls are also a perfect 4-0 against the Dragons at The Palestra with the last meeting there being a 57-48 win on December 6, 2003.
