Temple University Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Charlotte In Key A-10 Battle
2.25.08 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 25, 2008
PHILADELPHIA - There is much at stake Wednesday night (7:00 p.m./1210 AM WPHT/OwlAccess) when the Charlotte 49ers invade the Liacouras Center to take on the Temple Owls in a key Atlantic 10 Conference contest. The Owls (14-12, 7-5 in A-10 play) are in a three-way tie for third place in the conference standings with the 49ers (15-11, 6-6) just one game back in seventh place. The winner will own the tie-breaker for one of the four byes in the A-10 Tournament.
Temple, under the direction of second-year head coach Fran Dunphy, will be looking for revenge after losing the first meeting between the teams, 60-58, in Charlotte on January 12. Senior co-captain Mark Tyndale (16.5 ppg./6.7 rpg.), who has been red-hot of late, led the Owls with 17 points while junior Dionte Christmas (20.2 ppg./6.4 rpg.) scored 13 points. Christmas, who has made 85 three-pointers on the season, enters the contest second in the A-10 in scoring. Tyndale, who averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and 7.5 assists last week, is one of three players to rank among the Top 10 in five of the A-10 major statistical categories.
Senior co-captain Chris Clark (7.0 ppg.) has provided a lift off the bench, leading the team in three-point shooting (40-95, .421) and averaging 9.9 points in A-10 games. Sophomore reserve Ryan Brooks (8.4 ppg.) ranks third on the team in scoring while freshman Lavoy Allen (8.3 ppg., 5.6 rpg.) is a candidate for A-10 all-Rookie team honors.
Senior guard Leemire Goldwire, who scored 21 points in the first meeting, tops Charlotte and ranks fifth in the conference with an 18.9 scoring average. Junior forward Lamont Mack, in his first year with head coach Bobby Lutz's club after transferring from Angelina (Tx.) JC, also averages double-figure points (12.1 ppg.).
Charlotte is the only member of the A-10 that has a winning record against Temple. The 49ers are 4-2 overall against the Owls and 2-1 since joining the conference.
