Temple University Athletics
December Does Wonders For The Owls
12.31.11 | Men's Basketball
NEWARK, DE -- Historically, the month of December has been very kind to the Temple men's basketball team.
Tonight's 66-63 road win against the University of Delaware Blue Hens at the Bob Carpenter Center boosted not only the team's morale, but helped to pad an already-impressive December resume.
Since 2009, the Owls have posted a 19-2 record in early non-conference play, including
a streak of 13 straight December wins. Only one of those two losses has come this
season when the team was defeated, 77-65, at Texas on December 17th.
The other loss?
A 78-74 heartbreaker at the hands of 8th-ranked Villanova exactly a year ago today [on December 30th, 2010] that snapped the team's 13-game December win streak.
One statistic in particular is helping carry the injury-riddled Owls through the month of December despite missing contributions from crucial players Micheal Eric (10.5 ppg) and Scootie Randall (10.7 ppg): Temple is averaging 74.8 points-per-game, its second highest average in over twenty years.
This average is unsurprising when you look at the composition of Temple's backcourt.
Ramone Moore, Khalif Wyatt and Juan Fernandez are all averaging double-figures in points per game this season with 18.1 ppg, 14.9 ppg and 13.5 ppg, respectively.
Despite what the mathematical evidence may suggest, it seems that the most pivotal statistic in determining the team's December win/loss record is, in fact, not a statistic or even a tangible factor at all.
It is the Owls' ability to dig deep late in games -- especially now, as the team is short off the bench -- while simultaneously managing to manufacture and seize pivotal opportunities that has contributed to a number of recent victories.
Tonight, it was Khalif Wyatt, whose rainbow trey with 35 seconds remaining in regulation placed the Owls up by one after the teams traded basket-for-basket.
In the previous game [12/28 vs. Buffalo at home], it was the Moore-Fernandez double-threat, whose back-to-back threes effectively slashed what appeared to be a formidable Buffalo lead late in the game, which the Owls went on to convert to a 87-85 overtime win.
For fans, these slim, down-to-the-wire victories are thrilling. For Coach Dunphy, they're a testament to the composition of the team's character.
“I hope that it'll be a signature of this team -- that they'll find a way to win,” he said.
“These guys manage to come up with some big, big shots. I'm proud of them.”
What exactly is it that motivates these guys in December?
Maybe it's an indication of the tireless work ethic of Dunphy's team.
Maybe it's the holiday spirit.
Maybe it's neither.
But somehow, some way, in the month of December, the basketball inevitably seems to find its way into the hands of the one Owl who makes an impossible basket fall, a highlight reel execution seem effortless and a longshot comeback possible.
by Kami Mattioli, Owlsports.com Columnist
