Temple Welcomes FAU Sunday in Nationally Televised Contest on Hooter’s Birthday

Game Info: Sunday, February 16 - Noon
Location: Liacouras Center - Philadelphia, Pa.
TV: ESPN2 | Listen: OwlSports.com/listen | Live Stats: Stat Broadcast | Temple Game Notes | FAU Game Notes

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Twitter/X: @TUMBBHoops | Instagram:@tumbbhoops

Opening Tip

After suffering its first home loss of the season, Temple looks to bounce back in North Philadelphia against Florida Atlantic on ESPN2. It marks the third meeting between the programs and the first time both Owl teams have met in Philadelphia.
Temple lost 80-74 to Tulsa on Wednesday in its most recent game. The Owls held a nine-point second-half lead, but a 13-0 Tulsa run, fueled by 72% second-half shooting, led to the Golden Hurricane's victory.
The Owls welcomed back AAC-leading scorer and the nation's second-leading scorer, Jamal Mashburn Jr., after he missed the previous two games due to injury. Mashburn struggled in the first half but bounced back with 15 of his 19 points in the second half while recording a season-high six assists.
Elijah Gray posted his first double-double in Cherry and White, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Quante Berry (16), Steve Settle III (13), and Babatunde Durodola (10) also scored in double figures. The Owls have totaled five double-digit scorers in back-to-back games.
Temple continues to excel at the free-throw line, making 19 of 24 attempts against Tulsa. The Owls rank fourth nationally in free throws made per game (19.5) and seventh in attempts (26.4), leading the AAC in both categories.
A key matchup in the post will be Temple's Babatunde Durodola against FAU's Baba Miller. Both players are international student-athletes, with Durodola representing Canada and Miller representing Spain. Miller ranks second in the AAC in blocks and eighth in rebounding. Durodola is one of two Owls this season to start in all 25 games, despite being a freshman. Temple's Baba reached double figures with 10 points on an efficient 3-of-5 shooting from the floor and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line against Tulsa.
Several of Hooter's mascot friends will be in attendance at the Liacouras Center on Sunday to celebrate his birthday. A postgame autograph session featuring Temple men's basketball players will also take place inside the arena.

Scouting FAU

Expect a high-scoring battle in the matchup of the Owls, with FAU (81.3 ppg, second in AAC) and Temple (80.5 ppg, third in AAC) both ranking among the top three in the conference in scoring. FAU leads the AAC in assists (16.9 apg) and bench points (32.3 ppg) while maintaining efficient shooting (46.9%).
The Floridian Owls take a high volume of three-pointers, making 9.2 triples per game (second in AAC) and converting at a 36% clip. Depth is a strength for FAU, as four players average between 12.6 and 10.0 points per game, while a total of eight players contribute at least seven points per contest. Despite ranking second in scoring, FAU does not have a top-20 individual scorer in the AAC.
KyKy Tandy is FAU's go-to shooter from long distance, averaging 2.6 three-pointers per game at an efficient 42.3% clip. Niccolo Moretti and Leland Walker run the offense effectively, both ranking top 10 in the AAC in assist/turnover ratio and assists per game.
John Jakus is in his first season as FAU's head coach after serving as an assistant under Mark Few at Gonzaga and Scott Drew at Baylor.

Temple Welcomes FAU Sunday in Nationally Televised Contest on Hooter’s Birthday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Quante Berry

Babatunde Durodola

Elijah Gray

Jamal Mashburn Jr

Steve Settle III

Temple University Athletics

Temple Welcomes FAU Sunday in Nationally Televised Contest on Hooter’s Birthday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Quante Berry

Babatunde Durodola

Elijah Gray

Jamal Mashburn Jr

Steve Settle III

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