Temple University Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Eastern Michigan For The Holidays In Saturday Tilt
12.19.07 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2007
PHILADELPHIA - The Temple men's basketball team will look to push its record above the .500 mark for the first time this season Saturday when it hosts Eastern Michigan at the Liacouras Center (1:00 p.m./1210 AM WPHT/OwlAccess). The Owls (5-5) will also be seeking their 100th win in their home venue which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary season. The Cherry and White are 99-36 all-time in the arena.
Second-year head coach Fran Dunphy's Owls are coming off a 64-51 win over Drexel at The Palestra on Dec. 15. Junior Dionte Christmas led four Owls in double figures with 17 points . Classmate Sergio Olmos had his best outing of the season, tallying 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds over a career-high 36 minutes.
Christmas leads Temple and ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 Conference with a 19.7 scoring average. Senior co-captain Mark Tyndale, part of the Owls' one-two punch, ranks second on the squad and 10th in the league with a 16.1 scoring average. Sophomore Ryan Brooks (9.8 ppg.) has provided the team with offense off the bench, tallying 32 points over the last games.
Eastern Michigan, under the direction of third-year head coach Charles Ramsey, has his charges off to a 4-4 start. The Eagles, who have not played since a 72-63 win ove Illinois State on Dec. 4, boast three double figures scorers with senior Jesse Bunkley and junior Carlos Medlock topping the squad at 13.3 points per game. Sophomore Justin Dobbins is EMU's leading rebounder (6.5 rpg.) while scoring at a 12.4 ppg., clip.
This is the first meeting between the schools. It will also conclude the Mid-American Conference portion of the Temple schedule for the 2007-08 campaign. The Owls are 2-2-1 versus MAC opponents this season with wins over Bowling Green and Ohio and a loss to Akron.
