Men's Basketball Hosts Saint Joseph's in Big 5 Action on Saturday

PHILADELPHIA - Two teams looking for their first Philadelphia Big 5 win of 2017-18 will meet on Saturday, Dec. 9 as Temple hosts Saint Joseph's at 2:30 p.m. (CBSSN / 1210 AM WPHT). The Owls (5-2) and the Hawks (4-4) are meeting for the 160th time in program history.

Ring of Honor
> Temple will honor two all-time greats at halftime of Saturday's game, inducting them into the Ring of Honor. Angelo Musi, a 1940s great, and All-American guard Nate Blackwell will be the deserving honorees.
> Blackwell (1983-87) scored 1,652 points, dished 533 assists and later served as Temple's assistant coach.
> Musi (1940-42) was an honorable mention All-American who captained the Philadelphia Warriors championship team.

Promotions
> The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive Temple scarves courtesy of the Philadelphia Federal Credit Union.

Scouting Temple
> Temple is 5-2 overall, with both of its losses coming by just four points and both to former Atlantic 10 rivals. The Owls will get a third chance to defeat an A-10 opponent when they host Saint Joseph's.
> The Owls played six games away from home before finally opening their home slate against Wisconsin on Dec. 6 and beating the Badgers, 59-55. Only six teams in Division I had the same or will have a later home opener later than Temple.
> After the win over Wisconsin, Temple is now sixth in the NCAA Division I RPI (of 351 teams).
> Junior guard Shizz Alston, Jr. set a program record for consecutive free throws made, now with 52 in a row dating back to Dec. 28, 2016. With 6-of-6 free throws on his way to a team-high 22 points in the Wisconsin win, Alston surpassed the previous mark of 49 in a row by Hall of Famer Lynn Greer in 2001.
> Sophomore Quinton Rose leads Temple with 17.6 points per game, which ranks fifth in the American Athletic Conference. Rose has scored 20 or more points in four of seven games, with 19 points in a fifth game. For his most recent 20+ point efforts, he led the Owls with 24 points vs. South Carolina and 20 at George Washington.

Scouting Saint Joseph's
> The Hawks have been up and down so far this season, and are an even 4-4 heading into Saturday's game. Most recently, Saint Joseph's lost 94-53 in its Big 5 opener at home to #4/4 Villanova.
> Four players average in double figures in scoring for SJU, led by seniors James Demery (16.8 ppg) and Shavar Newkirk (16.5 ppg).
> Saint Joseph's ranks third in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (8.9) and fourth in fewest turnovers overall (71)
> The Hawks went 11-20 in 2016-17, but returned all five starters from that team.

All-Time Series
> Temple and Saint Joseph's are meeting for the 160th time, which is the most meetings between two Philadelphia Big 5 teams. The Owls' 90 wins are the most against any opponent.
> This marks the fifth season in which the teams will not compete in the same conference after 67 years of doing so. Temple and SJU were members of the Middle Atlantic Conference from 1946-47 until 1973-74 when both left to become members of the East Coast Conference. Following the 1981-82 season, both joined the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Owls became a full member of the American Athletic Conference on July 1, 2013.
> Saint Joseph's had won two in a row before the Owls came away with last year's meeting, 78-72 at Hagan Arena. In 2015, Saint Joseph's won 66-65 in OT at the Liacouras Center, and the Hawks won 58-56 at Hagan Arena in 2014.

Men's Basketball Hosts Saint Joseph's in Big 5 Action on Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Shizz Alston, Jr.

Quinton Rose

Temple University Athletics