Unbeaten Temple Hosts Xavier in McGonigle Hall Friday Night at 7 p.m.

Xavier Game Notes
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Feb. 1, 2007

PHILADELPHIA- Temple (16-5, 6-0 A-10) will look to maintain its unblemished Atlantic 10 record when it hosts the Xavier Musketeers (16-6, 4-2 A-10) on Friday night at 7 p.m. The game will be held in McGonigle Hall due to a scheduling conflict with the Liacouras Center. This is only the second time that Temple has played a regular season game in McGonigle Hall in the Staley era. The Owls took down E. Tennessee State, 68-46, on November 28, 2003.

This is the 15th meeting between the Temple Owls and the Xavier Musketeers. The series is tied at seven a piece, though the Owls have won the last five meetings. The teams last met on January 22, 2006, when Temple defeated Xavier, 67-62, at the Cintas Center.

Games are often won or lost at the foul line. In a game that saw 47 fouls called between the two teams, success at the charity stripe was crucial. Though Temple made just 37.5% of its free throws in the second half, the Owls rebounded in the overtime period to eek out the 78-71 overtime win over the Saint Joseph's Hawks. Kamesha Hairston netted a game-high 26 points and Lady Comfort added 23 more as the Owls remained perfect in both the Atlantic 10 and the Big Five.  Hairston had 13 rebounds to earn her ninth double-double of the season. Temple has now won 13 straight Big Five games. Fatima Maddox was also in double figures for TU with 10 points. Shenita Landry and Hairston each dished a team-high five assists for the Owls. Comfort was one board shy of a double-double, grabbing nine rebounds, while Jasmine Stone had eight.

Hairston leads Temple in scoring and rebounding, averaging 21.1 ppg and 9.4 rpg. Comfort is second with 13.5 ppg and 6.9 rpg. Maddox is third, averaging 12.1 ppg. LaKeisha Eaddy continues to put up great numbers, with the guard fourth in scoring (6.7 ppg) and first in assists (84).

Joei Clyburn poured in a game-high 21 points and snared a team-high six rebounds to lead Xavier past St. Bonaventure, 78-55, on Sunday. Miranda Green added 12 points and scored the 1,000th of her career on a free throw in the first half. Green was 4-of-5 from the field and tallied three steals. Clyburn's 21 came on 9-of-15 shooting and she also matched a career-high with three steals. Amber Harris joined Clyburn in double-figures with 12 points.

Harris leads the Musketeers in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.4 ppg and 8.2 rpg, while Green is tops in assists (65). Suntana Granderson is second in scoring, averaging 13.3 ppg. Michelle Miller and Joei Clyburn round out double-figure scoring with 11.5 and 10.6 points, respectively.

Old School
This is only the second time that Temple has played a regular season game in McGonigle Hall in the Staley era. The Owls took down E. Tennessee State, 68-46, on November 28, 2003. Temple is 272-335 all-time in McGonigle Hall and 5-0 since the Liacouras Center opened in the 1997-78 season. Tonight's contest is the first A-10 game being played in McGonigle since the 1996-97 season.

Clash of the Titans
Temple enters tonight's contest as one of two remaining undefeated teams in the Atlantic 10. The Owls are currently 6-0 in Conference play, while the George Washington Colonials are 7-0. These two teams will not meet until the final game of the regular season, February 25 in GW's Smith Center.

Duo Rising Above the Competition
Kamesha Hairston and Temple men's basketball guard Dionte Christmas are helping to make history here on North Broad Street. Each leads the Atlantic 10 in scoring, with Hairston averaging 21.1 ppg and Christmas scoring 21.4 ppg. This is only the second time in A-10 history that two players from the same school have led the Conference in scoring in the same season. Rutgers' Sue Wicks (25.6 ppg) and Eric Riggins were the A-10 scoring leaders in the 1986-87 season.

Temple University Athletics

Unbeaten Temple Hosts Xavier in McGonigle Hall Friday Night at 7 p.m.

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