Temple University Athletics
Men's Baskeball To Renew Penn State Rivalry Saturday
12.5.08 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - Temple renews its rivalry with in-state rival Penn State Saturday evening (6:00 p.m.) when the Owls travel to State College to take on the Nittany Lions in a game televised nationally on the Big 10 Network. The Owls (3-3) will be looking to get back on the winning track after suffering consecutive losses to Mid-American Conference foes while PSU (7-1) is coming off an 85-83 win at Georgia Tech on Wednesday.
All-America candidate Dionte Christmas continues to lead the Owls and the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring with a 21.8 scoring average. The 6-5 senior guard was held to a season-low 11 points in the team's 68-52 loss to Miami Wednesday.
Sophomore Lavoy Allen (9.8 ppg,), the team's leading rebounder at 8.0 rpg.), was cleared to play prior to the game after suffering a fractured left thumb at Lafayette (11/29). The 6-9 forward, who played with a wrap around his left hand to protect the injury, came off the bench to score five points and grab four rebounds.
Senior center Sergio Olmos (12.0 ppg.) scored a dozen points for the second straight game after missing the first four contests due to a sprained ankle. Junior guard Ryan Brooks (12.8 ppg.) also averages double figures for head coach Fran Dunphy's squad while junior Luis Guzman tops the Cherry and White with 30 assists.
Sophomore guard Talor Battle leads the Penn State attack, under the direction of sixth-year head coach Ed DeChellis, with a 19.3 scoring average. Senior guard Stanley Pringle, who has led the Nittany Lions in points the last three games, is averaging 15.8 points per game while senior forward Jamelle Cornley (14.5 ppg.) also scores in double figures.
Temple leads the all-time series, 57-32. The teams have met eight times since Penn State left the Atlantic 10 Conference following the 1991-92 season with the Owls winning six of those encounters. TU has also won the last four meetings, the most recent being a 67-56 victory at the Liacouras Center on Dec. 13, 2002.
