Men's Basketball To Open 5-hour Energy Puerto Rico Tip-Off Thursday

Game Notes

SAN JUAN - Fresh off a 73-67 overtime win at city-rival Penn on Monday, Temple travels to San Juan for the 5-hour Energy Puerto Rico Tip-Off that opens Thursday with a first-round game against Western Michigan (10:30 am ET/ESPNU/1210 AM WPHT). The Owls will be looking for their first in-season tournament championship since the 1998 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic when they take the hardwood at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico.

It is the second time in the last four seasons that Temple has journeyed to the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic with the Owls competing in the event in 2007. That year Temple dropped close games to Providence (68-64) and Charleston (79-76) before rebounding with an overtime win against Marist (73-69).

In the Owls' season opening win at Penn, senior guards Juan Fernandez (19 points, 5 assists) and Ramone Moore 15 points) led the way with each hitting three-pointers in the final two minutes of the extra frame. Redshirt junior guard T.J. DiLeo set new career highs in points (10) and minutes played (38), seeing more action due to the absence of junior guard Khalif Wyatt (one-game suspension).

Junior forward Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson added 10 points while graduate student forward Michael Eric (9 points) had a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with his nine points.
Western Michigan (0-1) dropped its season-opener at South Dakota State, 82-76 on Saturday.

Sophomore center Matt Stainbrook exploded for 32 points in the loss while senior guards Demetrius Ward (16 points) and Mike Douglas (14) also topped double-figures for the Broncos.

Temple will next play either Iona or Purdue on Friday with the final day of the eight-team tournament taking place on Sunday. All games can be heard on 1210 AM WPHT and can be watched on these ESPN entities (ESPN2, ESPNU, espn3).

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Men's Basketball To Open 5-hour Energy Puerto Rico Tip-Off Thursday

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