Temple University Athletics
Temple Men’s Basketball Takes on La Salle in Big 5 Doubleheader Wednesday
11.29.22 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – Temple Men's Basketball will see a familiar face on the opposing bench Wednesday when the Owls (3-4, 1-0 Big 5) take on the La Salle Explorers (3-3, 0-1) at The Palestra in the first game (6:00 pm/CSN Philly/ESPN+/1210 AM WPHT) of a Philadelphia Big 5 doubleheader.
Former Temple coach Fran Dunphy, who guided the Owls to eight NCAA Tournaments in his 13 seasons at the helm (2006-19), will take Aaron McKie and the current Cherry and White. It marks the first time in Temple's history that the team has played against a former head coach. McKie served five seasons on Dunphy's Temple staff before taking over the reins of the program for the 2019-20 season.
SCOUTING TEMPLE
> After averaging 22.7 ppg in three Thanksgiving week games, Preseason Second Team All-American Athletic Conference selection Khalif Battle now leads the team and ranks third in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (18.7 ppg). He surpassed First Team All-AAC Damian Dunn as the team's leading scorer, with Dunn being held to just 21 total points in the last three games after tallying a career-high 38 points in the Owls' 89-87 overtime loss to Vanderbilt. That was the most points by a Temple player since 2004.
> Battle is the league leader and sixth in the NCAA in three-pointers attempted (62), and 14th in the nation in three-pointers made (23), shooting .371 percent from beyond the arc.
> Two other Owls average double figure scorers: Dunn (16.7 ppg) and Jamille Reynolds (12.0 ppg., 6.7 rpg.). Dunn is 13th in the NCAA in free throws made (39-of-42, .929 percent) while Reynolds, who leads the team in FG percentage (.607/4th AAC), tallied a career-high 21 against St. John's.
> Zach Hicks (8.9 ppg) and Hysier Miller (8.6 ppg., 5.4 apg/2nd AAC) round out the starting five from the team's game against Drexel. Jahlil White, who started the first five games, missed the Richmond and Drexel games due to a knee injury. He is day-to-day.
SCOUTING LA SALLE
> Former Temple head coach and interim Athletic Director Fran Dunphy leads his alma mater to complete a Big 5 coaching hat trick (Temple, Penn, La Salle). Dunphy is the winningest coach in Big 5 history, amassing nearly 600 victories in over 30 years.
> Like Temple, the Explorers bounced back from a pair of losses at an in-season tournament (Jamaica Classic) and enters Wednesday's game with a 3-3 record (0-1 Big 5).
> Josh Nickelberry (15.7 ppg., 3.5 rpg.) leads a La Salle offense that sees three other double figure scorers.
> Joining Nickelberry is Khalil Brantley, who is averaging 14.3 points along with a team-high 18 three-pointers (.391), Hassan Drame (11.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg), and Fousseyni Drame (10.0 ppg., 5.2 rpg.).
> This will be the second Big 5 game for the Explorers, who fell 81-68 at Villanova in the season opener.
SERIES HISTORY
> Temple and La Salle are meeting for the 122nd time, with the Owls holding a 79-42 advantage in the series.
> The Owls have won six of the last seven meetings between the schools with the lone Explorer win coming at Tom Gola Arena, 87-83, on Nov. 26, 2017.
> The Owls have also won 22 of the last 27 meetings, including eight straight from 2010-2013.
> La Salle and Temple have played nine overtime games in the series, matching Saint Joseph's as the most OT games by an Owl opponent. Temple has won the last four OT contests against La Salle and owns a 6-3 record in overtime games. The last La Salle overtime win over Temple came on Feb. 25, 1984, 80-79 (2OT) at the Palestra. owns a 6-3 record in overtime games. The last La Salle overtime win over Temple came on Feb. 25, 1984, 80-79 (2OT) at the Palestra.
LAST MEETING: @TEMPLE 73, LA SALLE 57 (Dec. 1, 2021)
> Temple broke the game open midway through the first half with an 11-0 run to take a 25-9 lead at the eight-minute mark.
> The Explorers cut the margin to eight, 27-19, but then the Owls held them without a field goal over the final five minutes. Temple finished with a 12-3 run to take its largest lead of the half, 39-22 at the break.
> The Owls defense shut down the Explorers' offense, limiting the visitors to 18 percent shooting (6-33) in the period and 0-of-10 from three-point range.
> The second half was much like the first as Temple's defense continued to frustrate La Salle with the Owls pushing the lead to 21 points in the first two minutes and maintaining a wide margin throughout.
> The closest the Explorers could cut the deficit was 45-29 with just under 16 minutes remaining.
> Temple led by as much as 29, 67-38, with 7:28 remaining
LAST GAME: @TEMPLE 73, DREXEL 61 (Nov. 27, 2022)
> Khalif Battle scored a game-high 25 points and drained two of his five three-pointers in a decisive 15-point run to lift Temple to a 73-61 win over Drexel (3-4)
> Battle was nine-of-16 from the field and five-of-nine from long range while also pulling down a game-high seven rebounds. Hysier Miller added 20 points and dished a game-high seven rebounds while Jamille Reynolds, who left the game late in the second half with a leg injury, added 10 points
> Amari Williams led Drexel with 18 points while Justin Moore added 14.
> Following the first media timeout in the second half, Drexel would score six straight capped by a Moore jumper to take a 43-41 lead and force a Temple timeout.
> That would mark the first of five lead changes over the next three minutes.
> Battle drained a deep three off a pass from Miller to put Temple up 51-49. Then Miller drained a one-handed shot in traffic to make it 53-49 and force a Drexel timeout.
> Drexel tied the game on two free throws by Williams at 53 after Reynolds left the game.
> After Washington drained a three to give the Dragons a 56-55 lead, Temple ran off 15 straight points, including six by Battle, to take a commanding 70-56 lead with 2:09 remaining.
> Drexel finally ended to run on Moore three with 1:15 remaining.
BIG 5 TALK
> Temple defeated #16 Villanova, 68-64, to open Big 5 play on Nov. 11.
> Temple has the second most Big 5 titles with 27, trailing Villanova by one (28).
> Temple also ranks second with 144 Big 5 wins.
> Hall of Fame coach John Chaney won 15 titles at Temple, the most by any Big 5 coach.
> Temple coach Aaron McKie was a three-time First Team all-Big 5 selection as well as
the 1993 Big 5 Most Valuable Player.
> Temple assistant to the head coach Mark Macon was the 1991 Big 5 MVP and is the
all-time leading scorer in Big 5 games (347 points).
Former Temple coach Fran Dunphy, who guided the Owls to eight NCAA Tournaments in his 13 seasons at the helm (2006-19), will take Aaron McKie and the current Cherry and White. It marks the first time in Temple's history that the team has played against a former head coach. McKie served five seasons on Dunphy's Temple staff before taking over the reins of the program for the 2019-20 season.
SCOUTING TEMPLE
> After averaging 22.7 ppg in three Thanksgiving week games, Preseason Second Team All-American Athletic Conference selection Khalif Battle now leads the team and ranks third in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (18.7 ppg). He surpassed First Team All-AAC Damian Dunn as the team's leading scorer, with Dunn being held to just 21 total points in the last three games after tallying a career-high 38 points in the Owls' 89-87 overtime loss to Vanderbilt. That was the most points by a Temple player since 2004.
> Battle is the league leader and sixth in the NCAA in three-pointers attempted (62), and 14th in the nation in three-pointers made (23), shooting .371 percent from beyond the arc.
> Two other Owls average double figure scorers: Dunn (16.7 ppg) and Jamille Reynolds (12.0 ppg., 6.7 rpg.). Dunn is 13th in the NCAA in free throws made (39-of-42, .929 percent) while Reynolds, who leads the team in FG percentage (.607/4th AAC), tallied a career-high 21 against St. John's.
> Zach Hicks (8.9 ppg) and Hysier Miller (8.6 ppg., 5.4 apg/2nd AAC) round out the starting five from the team's game against Drexel. Jahlil White, who started the first five games, missed the Richmond and Drexel games due to a knee injury. He is day-to-day.
SCOUTING LA SALLE
> Former Temple head coach and interim Athletic Director Fran Dunphy leads his alma mater to complete a Big 5 coaching hat trick (Temple, Penn, La Salle). Dunphy is the winningest coach in Big 5 history, amassing nearly 600 victories in over 30 years.
> Like Temple, the Explorers bounced back from a pair of losses at an in-season tournament (Jamaica Classic) and enters Wednesday's game with a 3-3 record (0-1 Big 5).
> Josh Nickelberry (15.7 ppg., 3.5 rpg.) leads a La Salle offense that sees three other double figure scorers.
> Joining Nickelberry is Khalil Brantley, who is averaging 14.3 points along with a team-high 18 three-pointers (.391), Hassan Drame (11.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg), and Fousseyni Drame (10.0 ppg., 5.2 rpg.).
> This will be the second Big 5 game for the Explorers, who fell 81-68 at Villanova in the season opener.
SERIES HISTORY
> Temple and La Salle are meeting for the 122nd time, with the Owls holding a 79-42 advantage in the series.
> The Owls have won six of the last seven meetings between the schools with the lone Explorer win coming at Tom Gola Arena, 87-83, on Nov. 26, 2017.
> The Owls have also won 22 of the last 27 meetings, including eight straight from 2010-2013.
> La Salle and Temple have played nine overtime games in the series, matching Saint Joseph's as the most OT games by an Owl opponent. Temple has won the last four OT contests against La Salle and owns a 6-3 record in overtime games. The last La Salle overtime win over Temple came on Feb. 25, 1984, 80-79 (2OT) at the Palestra. owns a 6-3 record in overtime games. The last La Salle overtime win over Temple came on Feb. 25, 1984, 80-79 (2OT) at the Palestra.
LAST MEETING: @TEMPLE 73, LA SALLE 57 (Dec. 1, 2021)
> Temple broke the game open midway through the first half with an 11-0 run to take a 25-9 lead at the eight-minute mark.
> The Explorers cut the margin to eight, 27-19, but then the Owls held them without a field goal over the final five minutes. Temple finished with a 12-3 run to take its largest lead of the half, 39-22 at the break.
> The Owls defense shut down the Explorers' offense, limiting the visitors to 18 percent shooting (6-33) in the period and 0-of-10 from three-point range.
> The second half was much like the first as Temple's defense continued to frustrate La Salle with the Owls pushing the lead to 21 points in the first two minutes and maintaining a wide margin throughout.
> The closest the Explorers could cut the deficit was 45-29 with just under 16 minutes remaining.
> Temple led by as much as 29, 67-38, with 7:28 remaining
LAST GAME: @TEMPLE 73, DREXEL 61 (Nov. 27, 2022)
> Khalif Battle scored a game-high 25 points and drained two of his five three-pointers in a decisive 15-point run to lift Temple to a 73-61 win over Drexel (3-4)
> Battle was nine-of-16 from the field and five-of-nine from long range while also pulling down a game-high seven rebounds. Hysier Miller added 20 points and dished a game-high seven rebounds while Jamille Reynolds, who left the game late in the second half with a leg injury, added 10 points
> Amari Williams led Drexel with 18 points while Justin Moore added 14.
> Following the first media timeout in the second half, Drexel would score six straight capped by a Moore jumper to take a 43-41 lead and force a Temple timeout.
> That would mark the first of five lead changes over the next three minutes.
> Battle drained a deep three off a pass from Miller to put Temple up 51-49. Then Miller drained a one-handed shot in traffic to make it 53-49 and force a Drexel timeout.
> Drexel tied the game on two free throws by Williams at 53 after Reynolds left the game.
> After Washington drained a three to give the Dragons a 56-55 lead, Temple ran off 15 straight points, including six by Battle, to take a commanding 70-56 lead with 2:09 remaining.
> Drexel finally ended to run on Moore three with 1:15 remaining.
BIG 5 TALK
> Temple defeated #16 Villanova, 68-64, to open Big 5 play on Nov. 11.
> Temple has the second most Big 5 titles with 27, trailing Villanova by one (28).
> Temple also ranks second with 144 Big 5 wins.
> Hall of Fame coach John Chaney won 15 titles at Temple, the most by any Big 5 coach.
> Temple coach Aaron McKie was a three-time First Team all-Big 5 selection as well as
the 1993 Big 5 Most Valuable Player.
> Temple assistant to the head coach Mark Macon was the 1991 Big 5 MVP and is the
all-time leading scorer in Big 5 games (347 points).
Players Mentioned
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