Temple University Athletics
Dionte Christmas Named A-10's Most Improved Player
3.5.07 | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2007
PHILADELPHIA - Temple University sophomore guard Dionte Christmas has been named the recipient of the Atlantic 10 Conference's Chris Daniels Award given annually to the league's Most Improved Player. Christmas was also named Second Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference, while junior guard Mark Tyndale earned Honorable Mention All-Atlantic 10 Conference accolades.
Christmas, a four-time Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week honoree, currently leads the A-10 in scoring with a 20.4 average. The 6-4 guard also ranks among the conference leaders in three-pointers made (2nd, 3.00 pg.), free throw percentage (3rd, .871), field goal percentage (7th, .469) and steals (9th, 1.38 spg.). He improved his scoring average nearly 17 points from his freshman season (3.5 ppg.).
Christmas, who needs just seven points to become the 10th Temple player to tally 600 points in a season, has scored 20 or more points 18 times and 30 or more points five times, both A-10 bests. He became the first Temple player since Terence Stansbury (1983) to score 30 or more points in three consecutive games. His free throw percentage ranks second on the Owls' all-time list, trailing only Nate Blackwell's school-record 90.7 percentage set in 1987.
Tyndale, a two-time Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week honoree, ranks second in the A-10 in scoring (19.3 ppg.) while leading the league in scoring in Conference play (21.5 ppg.). He also ranks among the A-10 leaders in field goal percentage (3rd, .543), steals (5th, 1.48 spg.) and rebounding (14th, 6.7 rpg.). He has been one of the league's hottest players of late, averaging 25.2 points on 45-of-72 shooting from the field (62.5%) in the team's last five games.
Temple (12-17, 6-10), the 11th seed in the 2007 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship, takes on sixth-seed Saint Joseph's (17-13, 9-7) in the opening round Wednesday (9:00 p.m.) at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall.
Tickets for the 2007 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall box office, all TicketMaster locations, by calling 800-736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
