Temple University Athletics
Men's Basketball Opens New Year Monday With Home Game Against Kent State
12.31.08 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2008
PHILADELPHIA - Temple opens the New Year with just its third home game of the 2008-09 season on Monday, January 5 against defending Mid-American Conference champion Kent State. The Owls (5-6) will be trying to snap a three-game losing streak against a Golden Flash squad (6-6) that has won three of their last four games,
The Owls, under the direction of third-year coach Fran Dunphy, continue to be led by All-America candidate Dionte Christmas. The 6-5 senior guard tops the Atlantic 10 Conference with a 20.1 scoring average while also making a league-best 3.91 three-pointers per contest. Junior guard Ryan Brooks (12.2 points per game) and senior center Sergio Olmos (11.4 ppg., 1.8 bpg.) also average in double figures while sophomore forward Lavoy Allen (8.8 ppg.) is pulling down a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game.
Senior guard Al Fisher, a product of nearby Pennsauken High, tops first-year head coach Geno Ford's KSU squad with a 15.8 scoring average. The Golden Flashes, who have won 20 or more games in 10 straight seasons, also boast three double figure scorers with junior guards Tyree Evans and Chris Singletary each averaging 15.0 points per game. KSU plays at Hampton on January 3 before travelling to Philadelphia.
This is Kent State's first visit to Temple. The teams have met twice before with Owls losing at Kent State, 63-54, on November 15, 2006, spoiling Dunphy's debut as TU's head coach. Temple won the other meeting, 61-54, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
