Temple University Athletics
Saturday, January 2
Liacouras Center
12:00 p.m.
Temple University
vs
Houston
Photo by: Timothy D. Sofranko
Men’s Basketball Tips Off New Year with Houston Saturday at Liacouras Center
12.31.15 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – Coming off its first true road win over a ranked opponent in 15 years, the Temple men's basketball team will look to extend its winning streak to three straight when the Owls host Houston Saturday in their American Athletic Conference home opener. The Owls (6-5, 1-0) will face a Cougar squad that is off to an 11-2 start (1-0 American), including a current three-game win streak.
Headlines
• The Owls are coming off a 77-70 win at #22/23 Cincinnati in their American Athletic Conference opener, a win which marked the program's ninth season in a row with a victory over a Top 25 team.
• 10th-year head coach Fran Dunphy has won 199 games at Temple (509 overall), needing just one more to reach the 200-win plateau. Dunphy will then become one of just five Division I coaches with 200 or more wins at two different schools, while also taking each school to six or more NCAA Tournaments.
• Four players reached double figures in scoring in the Cincinnati win, led by senior Quenton DeCosey with 19 points.
• DeCosey hit double digits in free throws for a second-straight game, making 10-of-11 at the stripe against the Bearcats. He currently ranks fourth in the conference with a free-throw percentage of .859.
• Both senior Devin Coleman and junior Daniel Dingle had big games at Cincinnati, scoring 14 points apiece and each hitting a three-pointer during a key 8-0 late-game run.
• Temple hit a season-high 30 free throws (30-of-38, 78.9 percent) in its win against Delaware State on Dec. 19, with DeCosey making 12-of-15 and junior Josh Brown hitting a perfect 8-of-8. DeCosey recorded his third career double-double in the victory, adding a career-high 12 rebounds to a team-best 20 points.
• Sophomore forward Obi Enechionyia and Brown both recorded their first career double-doubles against Saint Joseph's on Dec. 13. Enechionyia added a career-high 13 rebounds to a career-high 25 points, while Brown grabbed a career-high 12 boards and scored a season-high 13 points.
• As a team, the Owls are leading the nation in fewest turnovers per game at 8.5. They have recorded single digit turnovers in eight of 11 games, tallying as few as five (vs. Delaware on 11/29).
• Temple's first three losses this season were to teams ranked in the Top 25. This season marked the first time in program history the Owls had faced three ranked teams in their first four games.
• DeCosey is Temple's leading scorer this season with 15.5 points per game, ranking in a tie for fifth in the American Athletic Conference, and has scored in double figures in 10 of 11 contests.
• Houston comes into Saturday's game at 11-2 overall and having won three straight, including a double-overtime win vs. Wyoming on Dec. 22. Four players are averaging in double figures in scoring for the Cougars, led by sophomore guard Rob Gray, Jr. at 18.5 ppg. With 83.2 ppg as a team, Houston ranks second in The American.
Temple vs. Houston
• Temple and Houston are meeting for the fourth time, with the Cougars holding a 2-1 lead in the series.
• Houston won both meetings in 2013-14, but the Owls won 66-54 at home in the only meeting of the 2014-15 season.
• Houston's wins the year before came by scores of 88-74 on its home court and 89-79 at Temple on March 1, 2014.
• Second-year Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson is 0-2 against Temple, losing to the Owls last season and also losing 61-43 (March 17, 1996) in the NCAA First Round while he was the head coach at Oklahoma.
Game Notes | Live Stats | Listen Live | Watch Live | Buy Tickets
Headlines
• The Owls are coming off a 77-70 win at #22/23 Cincinnati in their American Athletic Conference opener, a win which marked the program's ninth season in a row with a victory over a Top 25 team.
• 10th-year head coach Fran Dunphy has won 199 games at Temple (509 overall), needing just one more to reach the 200-win plateau. Dunphy will then become one of just five Division I coaches with 200 or more wins at two different schools, while also taking each school to six or more NCAA Tournaments.
• Four players reached double figures in scoring in the Cincinnati win, led by senior Quenton DeCosey with 19 points.
• DeCosey hit double digits in free throws for a second-straight game, making 10-of-11 at the stripe against the Bearcats. He currently ranks fourth in the conference with a free-throw percentage of .859.
• Both senior Devin Coleman and junior Daniel Dingle had big games at Cincinnati, scoring 14 points apiece and each hitting a three-pointer during a key 8-0 late-game run.
• Temple hit a season-high 30 free throws (30-of-38, 78.9 percent) in its win against Delaware State on Dec. 19, with DeCosey making 12-of-15 and junior Josh Brown hitting a perfect 8-of-8. DeCosey recorded his third career double-double in the victory, adding a career-high 12 rebounds to a team-best 20 points.
• Sophomore forward Obi Enechionyia and Brown both recorded their first career double-doubles against Saint Joseph's on Dec. 13. Enechionyia added a career-high 13 rebounds to a career-high 25 points, while Brown grabbed a career-high 12 boards and scored a season-high 13 points.
• As a team, the Owls are leading the nation in fewest turnovers per game at 8.5. They have recorded single digit turnovers in eight of 11 games, tallying as few as five (vs. Delaware on 11/29).
• Temple's first three losses this season were to teams ranked in the Top 25. This season marked the first time in program history the Owls had faced three ranked teams in their first four games.
• DeCosey is Temple's leading scorer this season with 15.5 points per game, ranking in a tie for fifth in the American Athletic Conference, and has scored in double figures in 10 of 11 contests.
• Houston comes into Saturday's game at 11-2 overall and having won three straight, including a double-overtime win vs. Wyoming on Dec. 22. Four players are averaging in double figures in scoring for the Cougars, led by sophomore guard Rob Gray, Jr. at 18.5 ppg. With 83.2 ppg as a team, Houston ranks second in The American.
Temple vs. Houston
• Temple and Houston are meeting for the fourth time, with the Cougars holding a 2-1 lead in the series.
• Houston won both meetings in 2013-14, but the Owls won 66-54 at home in the only meeting of the 2014-15 season.
• Houston's wins the year before came by scores of 88-74 on its home court and 89-79 at Temple on March 1, 2014.
• Second-year Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson is 0-2 against Temple, losing to the Owls last season and also losing 61-43 (March 17, 1996) in the NCAA First Round while he was the head coach at Oklahoma.
Game Notes | Live Stats | Listen Live | Watch Live | Buy Tickets
Players Mentioned
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