Temple University Athletics
Men's Basketball Takes On Eastern Michigan Wednesday Night
1.7.09 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2009
YPSILANTI, MI - Temple (6-6) will look to even its record against Mid-American Conference opponents Wednesday Night (7:00 p.m./1210 AM WPHT) when it makes its' first-ever trip to Eastern Michigan to take on the Eagles (2-11). The Owls are 1-2 against MAC foes this season with a win Monday over Kent State and losses to Miami and Buffalo.
The Owls' 73-58 win over the Golden Flashes featured the debut of heralded point guard Juan Fernandez and a career night by sophomore forward Craig Williams. Fernandez, a freshman from Argentina, scored eight points and dished a team-high four assists over 21 minutes of action. Williams, who had played a total of 18 minutes over the first 11 games, set career highs in points (16), assists (2) and minutes played (22). He also accounted for the first eight Temple points, matching his career output entering the contest.
Senior All-America candidate Dionte Christmas, who leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring with a 20.6 average, posted his seventh 20-point game of the season against Kent State, leading the Owls with a game-high 26 points. Junior guard Ryan Brooks (11.3 ppg.) and senior Sergio Olmos (10.5 ppg.) also score in double figures for the third-year coach Fran Dunphy's squad.
Eastern Michigan, under the direction of fourth-year coach Charles E. Ramsey, will be looking to break a five-game losing streak. The Eagles are led by sophomore forward Brandon Bowdry (15.8 ppg.,6.8 rpg.) and junior forward Justin Dobbins (11.7 ppg.). Senior guard Carlos Medlock, who led EMU with 19 points in last year's game against Temple, is out for the season with a broken foot.
Temple won last year's contest, the only prior meeting between the teams, 58-55, on a last-second three-pointer by Mark Tyndale.
