Temple University Athletics
Men's Baskeball Travels To Lafayette For Friday Showdown
11.20.08 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2008
EASTON, PA - Temple travels to the Allan P. Kirby Sports Center for the first time in over a quarter century to take on the Lafayette Leopards Friday Night (8:30 p.m.) in a game televised locally on the Lafayette Sports Network as well as WBPH Ch. 60 (accessible in some areas of Philadelphia).
The Owls renewed their rivalry with their former East Coast Conference rivals in head coach Fran Dunphy's first season at the helm. Temple won the game easily over Lafayette, 96-73, on Dec. 28, 2006, and this visit, the program's first to Easton since 1981, is the return game in the home-and-home series.
All-America candidate Dionte Christmas continues to lead the Owl attack. named the A-10 Player of the Week for a school-record eighth time on Sunday, the 6-5 senior guard is averaging 22 points, 7,7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Christmas is one of four Cherry and White players averaging double-digits. Junior guard Ryan Brooks (15.0 ppg.), sophomore forward Lavoy Allen (12.7 ppg.) and freshman guard Ramone Moore (11.7 ppg.) also average more than 10 points per game.
Allen, who recorded a career-high 15 rebounds in the opener against East Tennessee State, tops the squad with a 10.0 rebound average while junior guard Luis Guzman (2.7 ppg.) leads the team in assist with 17. Senior guard Semaj Inge (7.3 ppg.,) has dished 15 assists. Senior center Sergio Olmos, who missed the Charleston Classic, is still day-to-day with a right ankle sprain.
Lafayette, under the direction of Fran O'Hanlon, is off to a 2-0 start with victories at Wagner (73-67) and home against Stony Brook (80-71). The Leopard mentor, who started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant women's basketball coach at Temple (1984-85) before serving six seasons on Dunphy's staff at Penn (1989-95), has compiled 188 wins at Lafayette in his 14 seasons at the helm.
Senior guard Andrew Brown, a preseason all-Patriot League selection, leads the Leopards with a 23.5 scoring average. His backcourt mate, junior Jeff Kari averages 15.5 points per game while freshman forward Ryan Willen (11.0 ppg.) also tops double figures.
The Owls lead the all-time series, 32-5, and have won 24 straight contests against the Leopards. The last Lafayette win in the series came in Easton, 81-75, on Feb. 28. 1959.
