Temple University Athletics
Men's Basketball Closes Out Regular Season At George Washington Saturday
3.6.09 | Men's Basketball
March 6, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC - After securing a bye with its first series sweep of Saint Joseph's in seven years. the Temple Owls (18-11, 10-5 A-10) look to close out the regular season with a victory at George Washington (10-17, 4-11) Saturday night (7:30 p.m./1210 AM WPHT). The Colonials need a win in hopes of securing a berth in the 12-team A-10 Tournament while the Owls can earn the third seed with a win and a Dayton loss to Duquesne.
All-America Candidate Dionte Christmas (19.6 ppg.) enters the game needing just 32 points to become the first player in Temple history to score 600 points in three straight seasons. The 6-5 guard also is four three-pointers shy of tying Lynn Greer's Temple record of career three-pointers (305, 1997-02).
The two other Owl seniors - Semaj Inge and Sergio Olmos - helped Temple complete its sweep of SJU Thursday on Senior Night. Inge (7.2 ppg.), who leads the Owls with a career-best 100 assists, tallied nine first half points and made a career-high-tying four steals. Olmos (8.3 ppg.), seventh on the TU all-time blocked shots list (113), scored 14 points while playing solid defense on Hawk standout Ahmad Nivins.
Sophomore Lavoy Allen (10.9 ppg., 8.3 rpg.) and junior Ryan Brooks (10.4 ppg., .412 3-pt%) round out third-year head coach Fran Dunphy's starting five.
GW, under the direction of eighth-year head coach Karl Hobbs, needs a win over Temple and a Charlotte win at St. Bonaventure to earn the 12th and final seed in the A-10 Tournament that opens Wednesday in Atlantic City. The Colonials, who have won three of their last five games, are led by senior forward Rob Diggs (13.5 ppg., 7.2 rpg.) and junior forward Damian Hollis (13.1 ppg., 6.2 rpg.).
Temple leads the all-time series, 47-16, but GW has won five of the last seven encounters. Temple is 20-5 at George Washington, but the Owls have not defeated the Colonials in Washington since 2002.
