Temple University Athletics
Temple University
Saint Louis
#16/20 Temple Travels To Saint Louis For Key A-10 Game
3.2.10 | Men's Basketball
Owls make first appearance at Chaifetz Arena Wednesday
Game Notes
ST. LOUIS - The #16/20 Temple Owls make their first trip to the newest venue in the Atlantic 10 Conference when they take on the red-hot Saint Louis Billikens at Chaifetz Arena Wednesday night (8:00 p.m./ET). The game will be broadcast live on 950 AM ESPN Radio and DIRECTV subscribers can view the contest on channel 671 (671.1 on HD).
The Owls (24-5, 12-2 A-10), under the direction of head coach Fran Dunphy, have won five straight and are tied with Xavier for the conference lead. The 24 wins ties for third most regular season victories for an Owl team and is tied for 10th most in the program's 113-year history.
Senior guard Ryan Brooks continues to pace the Cherry and White with a team-high 14.6 scoring average. Sophomore guard Juan Fernandez (12.3 ppg.), who returned to the starting lineup Sunday after a five-game absence, leads the A-10 in three-point accuracy (61-135, .452) and is coming off a career-high tying seven three-pointers in the win over La Salle.
Junior forward Lavoy Allen (11.5 ppg./10.9 rpg.), one of the most dominant big men in the league, became the first Temple player to grab 20 rebounds in a game since 1973 when he pulled down 21 in the win over the Explorers. Sophomore forward Micheal Eric (5.6 ppg.) and senior guard Luis Guzman (4.9 ppg) round out the starting five. Sophomore Ramone Moore (7.7 ppg.), who had a streak of seven double-figure scoring games snapped Sunday, leads a solid bench.
Saint Louis (19-9, 10-4), under the direction of head coach Rick Majerus, has won six of its last seven games and is currently in fourth place in the A-10 race. The Billikens are 15-2 at home this season and 29-5 since opening the building last season. Their lone loss over the last seven games was at home to Xavier, 73-71, on Feb. 24.
Sophomore guard Kwamain Mitchell (16.3 ppg.) leads the SLU attack. Freshman Cody Ellis (12.0 ppg.) and sophomore Willie Reed (11.9 ppg.) also average double figures.
Temple has won three straight in the series and leads it, 3-1. SLU's only win came at home in the first meeting, 56-51, on Feb. 18, 2006.
