Temple University Athletics
Temple University
Fordham
Men’s Basketball Hosts Fordham Wednesday
1.30.12 | Men's Basketball
Owls look for fifth straight win against the visiting Rams
PHILADELPHIA - Riding a season-high four-game win streak, the Temple men's basketball team conclude its two-game homestand Wednesday against Fordham (7:00 p.m./OwlAccess/1210 AM WPHT). The Owls, #13 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings, are 15-5 overall and sit one-half game behind the A10 leaders with a 4-2 conference record. Fordham, already with two more wins that all of last season, comes into play with a 9-11 record (2-5 A10).
The first 500 students to enter the Liacouras Center will receive a free RecycleMania t-shirt as Temple officially kicks off RecycleMania, a friendly eight-week competition and benchmarking tool for college and universities to promote recycling programs and to encourage waste reduction activities on campus.
Senior guard Ramone Moore continues to lead head coach Fran Dunphy's Owls with an A10 best 17.4 scoring average. Junior guard Khalif Wyatt is ranked among the A10's top five in scoring (16.0, t-5th), steals (2.2 pg., 3rd) and free throw percentage (.826, 4th) while senior guard Juan Fernandez (11.8 ppg.) is the team's leader in assists (4.1 pg., 7th A10), three-pointers made (2.2 pg., 5th A10) and three-point percentage (.423, 9th A10).
Junior forward Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson (9.1 ppg., 6.4 rpg,) ranks fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.603) while redshirt freshman Anthony Lee (6.0 ppg., 6.6 rpg.) tops TU in blocks (32). Graduate center Micheal Eric (8.4 ppg., 9.0 rpg.), who scored 11 points off the bench in the Saint Joseph's win Saturday, is playing more and more like he had prior to his injury on Nov. 27.
Sophomore Aaron Brown (7.9 ppg.) has provided an offensive spark off the bench all season, connecting on 28-70 three-pointers (.400). Redshirt junior T.J. DiLeo (2.7 ppg.) is the team's top perimeter defender while freshman Will Cummings (1.9 ppg.) also sees time in the team's nine-man rotation.
Fordham, under the direction of head coach Tom Pecora, is led by junior forward Chris Gaston. One of the top inside players in the A10, Gaston tops the Rams in scoring (15.7 ppg.) and the conference in rebounding (10.3 rpg.). Sophomore guard Brandon Frazier also averages double figures(12.8 ppg.) while leading the team in assists (74).
Temple leads the alltime series, 38-13, and has won the last four meetings.Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and tickets are available for as low as $16 and may be purchased online at www.owlstix.com or contacting the Temple Athletics Sales Office at (215) – 204-8499.
