Temple University Athletics
Temple University
Delaware
Men’s Basketball Travels To Delaware for Friday Night Clash
12.29.11 | Men's Basketball
Owls look to close out 2011 on positive note
NEWARK, DE - Fresh off a thrilling overtime win over Buffalo, Temple travels 40 miles down I95 to take on Delaware Friday night (7:00 p.m./1210 AM) in its final game of the calendar year. The Owls (8-3) have won five of their last six games and are 18-2 in the month of December over the last three years. The Blue Hens (5-5), who are coming off an 88-83 overtime setback at Howard (Dec. 22), will be looking to post their third win over a Philadelphia school this season. They have defeated Drexel and La Salle, both at the Carpenter Center, while falling on the road to Villanova and Penn.
Temple, under the direction of sixth-year head coach Fran Dunphy, continues to be led by the backcourt play of Ramone Moore, Juan Fernandez and Khalif Wyatt. Moore tops the Owls and ranks third in the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring, averaging 18.1 points per game. Fernandez leads the Cherry and White in assists (46) and three-pointers (29) while ranking third in scoring (13.5 ppg.). Wyatt tops the team in steals (17) while averaging 14.5 points per game, good for second on the squad.
Junior Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson (8.9 ppg.) and redshirt freshman Anthony Lee (4.9 ppg.) man the interior for the Owls. Hollis-Jefferson tops the team in field goal percentage (.609), ranking fifth in the A10, and is third on the squad in rebounding (6.6 rpg.). Lee, who hit a buzzer-beater in the Buffalo win, is second on Temple and is sixth in the A10 in rebounding (6.8 rpg.) while topping the team with 13 blocks.
Sophomore Aaron Brown (8.2 ppg.) has been an offensive spark off the bench, scoring in double figures in four of the last six games. Redshirt junior T.J. DiLeo (3.2 ppg.) and freshman Will Cummings (2.6 ppg.) round our the Owls' eight-man rotation.
Delaware, under the direction of sixth-year coach Monte Ross, is led by sophomore guard Devon Saddler (20.2 ppg,). Junior forward Jamelle Hagins is the only other Blue Hen averaging double figures (14.3 ppg.), but is also among the nation's best rebounders (11.8 ppg.). The 6-9 forward also averages 2.8 blocks per game. Freshmen guards Kyle Anderson (9.3 ppg.) and Khalid Lewis (7.3 ppg.) along with junior forward Josh Brinkley (7.1 ppg.) round out the UD starting five.
Temple leads the series, 36-6, and has won the last 16 meetings. The last Delaware win came on January 3, 1963, 64-52 at The Palestra.
