Temple University Athletics
Men's Basketball Closes Out Regular Season At La Salle Saturday
3.6.08 | Men's Basketball
March 6, 2008
PHILADELPHIA - Temple (17-12, 10-5) will look to secure second place in the Atlantic 10 Conference standings on Saturday when the Owls travel up Broad Street to Tom Gola Arena to take on the La Salle Explorers (14-15, 8-7). A share of the Philadelphia Big 5 title will also be up for grabs as the winner will tie Villanova for the city-series crown. The game, which tips at 4:00 p.m., is being televised by CBS College Sports Regional Television and can be seen locally on Comcast SportsNet.
Temple's one-two punch of junior Dionte Christmas and senior Mark Tyndale continue to lead second-year head coach Fran Dunphy's Owls. Christmas, who regained the A-10 scoring lead following his career-high 37-point effort in the team's 90-85 win over Duquesne Saturday, is averaging 20.4 points per game. Tyndale, who is looking to become the first A-10 player to rank among the top in scoring (16.1 ppg./9th), and rebounding (6.8 rpg./8th) and top five in assists (4.03 apg.), moved into eighth place on the TU all-time scoring list (1,657 points) in his final home game Wednesday.
Sophomore Ryan Brooks averages 8.4 points per game off the bench while freshman Lavoy Allen ranks fourth in scoring (8.2 ppg.) and third in rebounding (5.5 ppg.). Temple has now won three straight to match its longest win-streak of the season, and six of its last eight.
La Salle, under the direction of fourth-year coach Dr. John Giannini, is led by the play of Darnell Harris. The senior guard leads the Explorers in scoring (16.0 ppg.) and the A-10 with 112 three-pointers. Sophomore Rodney Green is the other La Salle player averaging double figures (13.2 ppg.) while freshman Jerrell Williams (9.3 ppg./6,4 rpg.) tops the squad in rebounding.
The Owls lead the series, 63-39, but have lost their last two meetings and three of their last four at Tom Gola Arena. Temple's lone win at La Salle during that five-year stretch was 74-70 in overtime on February 25, 2004.
