Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, November 30
Philadelphia, PA
6:00 PM
Temple University
at
La Salle
Photo by: Zamani Feelings
Men's Basketball Hosts VCU in Opener of Owls Doubleheader Saturday
12.1.22 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - Temple Basketball fans will get a treat this Saturday as the Liacouras Center will host a doubleheader with the Owls' men's and women's basketball teams. The men's team (4-4) will host former Atlantic 10 Conference for VCU (5-2) at 1 pm (ESPNU/1210 AM) with the women's squad taking on UMBC in the second game (3:30 pm approx.).
SCOUTING TEMPLE
> Temple has won back-to-back games for the first time this season to even its record at 4-4. The Owls are also 2-2 at the Liacouras Center.
> Preseason Second Team All-American Athletic Conference selection Khalif Battle leads the team and ranks third in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (19.1 ppg). He has averaged 24.3 ppg since joining the starting lineup three games ago, scoring 20 points in each contest. He has tallied 20 or more points in five games and leads the AAC in threes per game (3.38/21st NCAA) and three-point attempts (70, t-5th NCAA) while shooting 38.6 percent from beyond the arc.
> Preseason First Team All-AAC Damian Dunn ranks second on the team in scoring (16.8 ppg), assists (2.1 apg), field goal percentage (.459) and minutes per game (33.7). He tallied 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. He also leads the AAC (7th NCAA) in free throws made (44).
> Jamille Reynolds also averages double-figure points (11.8 ppg.) on the season while leading the Owls in rebounding (6.9 rpg.) and field goal percentage (.590). Â He has scored in double figures in six games with a career-high 21 against St. John's.
> Zach Hicks (8.9 ppg) and Hysier Miller (7.5 ppg., 4.9 apg/2nd AAC) round out the starting five. Jahlil White, who started the first five games, returned to the lineup and played 26 minutes against La Salle).
> Nick Jourdain (4.0 ppg), who leads the team in blocks (12), had his best offensive game since the opener, scoring seven points off the bench against La Salle. He has made his last seven field goals over the last three games and is shooting 60 percent (12-20 FG).
SCOUTING VCU
> Junior guard Ace Baldwin, Jr. led VCU with 28 points in its recent win over Vanderbilt. He had missed the previous five games due to injury. The preseason First Team all-Atlantic 10 selection leads the Rams in scoring (17.3 ppg), assists (6.0 apg) and three-point shooting
> Graduate forward Brandon Johns Jr. is the only other Ram averaging double figures at 11.6 points per game and ranks second in rebounding at 6.4 rpg.
> Sophomore guards Jamir Watkins (9.7 ppg.) and Jayden Nunn (9.4 ppg) while sophomore forward Jalen DeLoach, who leads the team in rebounding (6.4 ppg., 6.7 rpg.) rounds out the starting five.
> The Rams currently rank 31st nationally (out of 363 teams) in defensive efficiency (91.7). VCU also ranks 11th in defensive turnover percentage (26.6), 23rd in steal percentage (13.6) and 66th in effective field goal percentage (45.9).
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SERIES HISTORY
> Temple and VCU are meeting for the third time, the first since 2018, with each team winning once.
> Temple won the only A10 meeting between the schools, defeating #21 VCU, 84-76, at The Liacouras Center in the regular season finale on March 10, 2013. The teams met again at the Barclays Center on Nov. 19, 2018, with VCU winning 57-51.
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LAST MEETING: VCU 57, TEMPLE 51 @Barclays Center (Nov. 19, 2018)
> After roaring back from an early 17-point deficit and leading by as many as four with five and a half minutes left, Temple was on the wrong end of an 8-1 closing run by VCU in a 57-51 loss at the GotPrint.com Legends Classic presented by Old Trapper.
> Temple's shooting woes started early and the Owls found themselves in a 17-point, 19-2 hole just over seven minutes into the contest.
> The Owls got to within five before the first period ended, but still trailed 28-21 at halftime.
> Only three minutes into the second half, the Owls tied the game and it would remain close from then on.
> With 5:31 left, Temple took its largest lead of four, 48-44, but a Quinton Rose jumper would be the only field goal by the Owls the rest of the way.
> Marcus Evans (21 points) scored six points in an 8-1 closing run for the Rams while the Owls missed four three-pointers and went just 1-for-4 at the line.
> Temple's leading scorer, senior Shizz Alston, Jr., was held to just six points on 2-of-14 shooting from the field.
> Sophomore Nate Pierre-Louis was the only Owl to score in double figures with 11 points. He also pulled down eight boards and recorded a career and game-high six steals.
LAST GAME:Â TEMPLE 67, LA SALLE 51 @The Palestra (Nov. 30, 2022)
> A big second half at the Palestra led the Temple past La Salle, 67-51, Wednesday night in the first game of a Big 5 doubleheader at the venue. The Owls overcame an eight-point deficit at the half in the win, which saw head coach Aaron McKie face off against former head coach Fran Dunphy to mark the first time in program the history that the team has played against a former head coach.
> Khalif Battle's 22 points led both teams, while Damian Dunn (17) and Jamille Reynolds (10) round out the team's double figure scorers. Khalil Brantley led La Salle with 14 points.
> Leading by eight at the half, the Explorers made it 31-21 after intermission, but Temple would cut the lead and break a four-minute drought on a Battle layup to spark a 6-0 run.
> The Cherry and White then capped a 13-2 run with a Battle trey for its first lead, 34-33, since the first half, and both teams would trade baskets without much separation.
> Reynolds made a jumper and free throw with under nine minutes left in the game to open up a 15-1 run and give Temple a 12-point lead, 58-46.
> The Explorers drained their first basket in nearly five minutes to stop the bleeding, but a basket and free throw from Dunn gave the Owls another 12-point lead at the 3:39 minute mark.
> Temple scored nine of the last 11, with a Nick Jourdain free throw sealing the win.
> The Owls shot 59.3 percent from the field in the half (16-of-27) and 54.5. percent from beyond the arc (6-of-11).
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SCOUTING TEMPLE
> Temple has won back-to-back games for the first time this season to even its record at 4-4. The Owls are also 2-2 at the Liacouras Center.
> Preseason Second Team All-American Athletic Conference selection Khalif Battle leads the team and ranks third in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (19.1 ppg). He has averaged 24.3 ppg since joining the starting lineup three games ago, scoring 20 points in each contest. He has tallied 20 or more points in five games and leads the AAC in threes per game (3.38/21st NCAA) and three-point attempts (70, t-5th NCAA) while shooting 38.6 percent from beyond the arc.
> Preseason First Team All-AAC Damian Dunn ranks second on the team in scoring (16.8 ppg), assists (2.1 apg), field goal percentage (.459) and minutes per game (33.7). He tallied 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. He also leads the AAC (7th NCAA) in free throws made (44).
> Jamille Reynolds also averages double-figure points (11.8 ppg.) on the season while leading the Owls in rebounding (6.9 rpg.) and field goal percentage (.590). Â He has scored in double figures in six games with a career-high 21 against St. John's.
> Zach Hicks (8.9 ppg) and Hysier Miller (7.5 ppg., 4.9 apg/2nd AAC) round out the starting five. Jahlil White, who started the first five games, returned to the lineup and played 26 minutes against La Salle).
> Nick Jourdain (4.0 ppg), who leads the team in blocks (12), had his best offensive game since the opener, scoring seven points off the bench against La Salle. He has made his last seven field goals over the last three games and is shooting 60 percent (12-20 FG).
SCOUTING VCU
> Junior guard Ace Baldwin, Jr. led VCU with 28 points in its recent win over Vanderbilt. He had missed the previous five games due to injury. The preseason First Team all-Atlantic 10 selection leads the Rams in scoring (17.3 ppg), assists (6.0 apg) and three-point shooting
> Graduate forward Brandon Johns Jr. is the only other Ram averaging double figures at 11.6 points per game and ranks second in rebounding at 6.4 rpg.
> Sophomore guards Jamir Watkins (9.7 ppg.) and Jayden Nunn (9.4 ppg) while sophomore forward Jalen DeLoach, who leads the team in rebounding (6.4 ppg., 6.7 rpg.) rounds out the starting five.
> The Rams currently rank 31st nationally (out of 363 teams) in defensive efficiency (91.7). VCU also ranks 11th in defensive turnover percentage (26.6), 23rd in steal percentage (13.6) and 66th in effective field goal percentage (45.9).
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SERIES HISTORY
> Temple and VCU are meeting for the third time, the first since 2018, with each team winning once.
> Temple won the only A10 meeting between the schools, defeating #21 VCU, 84-76, at The Liacouras Center in the regular season finale on March 10, 2013. The teams met again at the Barclays Center on Nov. 19, 2018, with VCU winning 57-51.
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LAST MEETING: VCU 57, TEMPLE 51 @Barclays Center (Nov. 19, 2018)
> After roaring back from an early 17-point deficit and leading by as many as four with five and a half minutes left, Temple was on the wrong end of an 8-1 closing run by VCU in a 57-51 loss at the GotPrint.com Legends Classic presented by Old Trapper.
> Temple's shooting woes started early and the Owls found themselves in a 17-point, 19-2 hole just over seven minutes into the contest.
> The Owls got to within five before the first period ended, but still trailed 28-21 at halftime.
> Only three minutes into the second half, the Owls tied the game and it would remain close from then on.
> With 5:31 left, Temple took its largest lead of four, 48-44, but a Quinton Rose jumper would be the only field goal by the Owls the rest of the way.
> Marcus Evans (21 points) scored six points in an 8-1 closing run for the Rams while the Owls missed four three-pointers and went just 1-for-4 at the line.
> Temple's leading scorer, senior Shizz Alston, Jr., was held to just six points on 2-of-14 shooting from the field.
> Sophomore Nate Pierre-Louis was the only Owl to score in double figures with 11 points. He also pulled down eight boards and recorded a career and game-high six steals.
LAST GAME:Â TEMPLE 67, LA SALLE 51 @The Palestra (Nov. 30, 2022)
> A big second half at the Palestra led the Temple past La Salle, 67-51, Wednesday night in the first game of a Big 5 doubleheader at the venue. The Owls overcame an eight-point deficit at the half in the win, which saw head coach Aaron McKie face off against former head coach Fran Dunphy to mark the first time in program the history that the team has played against a former head coach.
> Khalif Battle's 22 points led both teams, while Damian Dunn (17) and Jamille Reynolds (10) round out the team's double figure scorers. Khalil Brantley led La Salle with 14 points.
> Leading by eight at the half, the Explorers made it 31-21 after intermission, but Temple would cut the lead and break a four-minute drought on a Battle layup to spark a 6-0 run.
> The Cherry and White then capped a 13-2 run with a Battle trey for its first lead, 34-33, since the first half, and both teams would trade baskets without much separation.
> Reynolds made a jumper and free throw with under nine minutes left in the game to open up a 15-1 run and give Temple a 12-point lead, 58-46.
> The Explorers drained their first basket in nearly five minutes to stop the bleeding, but a basket and free throw from Dunn gave the Owls another 12-point lead at the 3:39 minute mark.
> Temple scored nine of the last 11, with a Nick Jourdain free throw sealing the win.
> The Owls shot 59.3 percent from the field in the half (16-of-27) and 54.5. percent from beyond the arc (6-of-11).
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Players Mentioned
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