Temple University Athletics
Men's Basketball Heads Back On The Road To Take on Rhode Island Wednesday
1.26.09 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 26, 2009
KINGSTON, RI - Fresh off two dominating home wins, the Temple men's basketball team travels to Rhode Island for a Wednesday night (7:00 p.m./1210 AM WPHT) game against the Rams. The Owls have won six of their last seven games to improve to 11-7 overall and 3-1 in Atlantic 10 Conference play. The Rams (13-7, 2-3) have won two of their last three, and own an imposing 7-1 record in the friendly confines of the Ryan Center with their lone loss coming at the hands of nationally-ranked Xavier (67-65).
All-America candidate Dionte Christmas continues to lead the third-year coach Fran Dunphy's Cherry and White and ranks second in the Atlantic 10 with a 20.3 scoring average. The 6-5 senior guard scored just 20 points over the Owls' two blowout wins last week while playing an average of 28 minutes. Sophomore Lavoy Allen (10.5 ppg., 7.2 rpg.) posted consecutive 16-point games, including his fifth double-double of the season (10 rebs.) in the team's 80-53 win over Charlotte Saturday. Senior Semaj Inge (7.2 ppg., 3.7 apg.) matched his career-high with 19 points in that contest for just his fourth double-figure game of the season. Junior Ryan Brooks is second on the Owls with a 10.7 scoring average while topping the team with a 40.0 three-point percentage.
Senior guard Jimmy Baron leads Rhode Island, coached by his father, Jim, with a 17.1 scoring average. The Ram sharpshooter tops the A-10 in three-point accuracy (.453) while ranking second to Christmas (3.56 pg.) with 3.40 made per game. URI sports a balanced offense that averages an A-10 best 82.2 points per game. Joining Baron in double-figures are junior guard Keith Cothran (14.3 ppg.), senior forward Kahiem Seawright (13.8 ppg.) and junior forward Delroy James (10.2 ppg.).
Temple leads the series 50-14, but the Rams have won the last two meetings in the Ryan Center.
