Temple University Athletics
Red-hot Temple To Open Three-Game Homestand With Fordham Wednesday
2.16.09 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2009
PHILADELPHIA - Riding a three-game win streak, Temple will look to avoid a letdown when it hosts Fordham Wednesday (7:00 p.m.) in the first of a season-long three-game homestand. The Owls (15-9, 7-3 A-10) are tied for third in the Atlantic 10 Conference standings with Saint Joseph's while the Rams (3-19, 1-9) enter play losers of four straight and 12 of their last 13 games.
Senior All-America candidate Dionte Christmas continues to lead the Atlantic 10 in scoring with a 19.8 average. The 6-5 guard also tops the Owls and ranks second in the conference in three-pointers made per game (3.13 pg.). Sophomore Lavoy Allen (10.7 ppg.) tops the Cherry and White and ranks fourth in the league in rebounding (7.7 ppg.) while Ryan Brooks (10.3 ppg.) leads the TU in three-point percentage (.394, 37-94), ranking 10th in the A-10.
Freshman Juan Fernandez (6.8 ppg.) turned in the best performance of his young career Sunday in the team's 78-73 win at Duquesne. The Argentine native scored a career-high 19 points, hitting seven of nine from the field, while also grabbing a career-best five rebounds. Senior guard Semaj Inge tallied 11 points in the win over the Dukes, his seventh double figure game this season. The Owls are a perfect 7-0 in those games.
Freshman guard Jio Fontan, a two-time A-10 Rookie of the Week honoree, leads sixth-year head coach Dereck Whittenburg's Rams with a 15.0 scoring average. Sophomore guard Mike Moore (12.1 ppg.) and senior forward Chris Bethel (10.3 ppg., 6.5 rpg.) also average double figures for Fordham.
The Owls will not take this game lightly as the Rams won last year's meeting, 78-76, at the Liacouras Center. Temple leads the series, 34-13, but Fordham has won four of the last five between the schools.
