Owls Hosts South Florida in Wednesday Night Showdown

Game Info: Wednesday, Feb. 26 – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Liacouras Center – Philadelphia
TV: ESPN+ | Listen: OwlSports.com/listen | Live Stats: Stat Broadcast | Temple Game Notes

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Missing two of its four leading scorers in graduate student guard Jamal Mashburn Jr. and redshirt sophomore guard Quante Berry, the Temple men's basketball team could not keep pace with the American Athletic Conference's top-scoring offense, falling to UAB in an 80-64 loss at Bartow Arena on Sunday.
Both Mashburn Jr. (lower-body) and Berry (finger) are listed as day to day.
Sophomore Zion Stanford stepped up in their absences, leading the Owls last week with averages of 21.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 45.7 percent from the field. He also went 11-for-11 from the free-throw line in games against Charlotte and UAB.
In five games this season without Mashburn Jr., Steve Settle III (15.8 ppg), Aiden Tobiason (11.4 ppg), Elijah Gray (11.0 ppg), and Stanford (16.0 ppg) have each averaged double figures in scoring. The Owls have battled relentlessly without the nation's second-leading scorer, with two overtime losses and four defeats coming by nine points or fewer.
Temple and South Florida square off for the second time this season, with USF earning a 100-91 double-overtime win in the first meeting on Feb. 6. It was the third straight overtime contest for the Owls, as Stanford (23 points) and Settle III (21 points, 10 rebounds) led the effort. Despite consecutive losses in the series, Temple holds a 15-9 advantage all-time.
Both teams enter the night with identical 6-9 AAC records, making this matchup critical for seeding in the upcoming AAC Tournament.

Since the double-overtime win against the Owls, USF is 1-4, most recently dropping a 64-57 decision at home to North Texas.
Temple will look to limit former Owl Jamille Reynolds, who posted a 25-point, 12-rebound double-double in the Bulls' win over Temple on Feb. 6. Kobe Knox added 17 points, while Brandon Stroud contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bulls rank 11th nationally in fast-break scoring, averaging 15.43 points per game in transition. USF also sits near the top of the AAC in steals (2nd, 8.0 per game), turnover margin (3rd, +1.6), and fewest turnovers per game (3rd, 13.04).
Along with leading the Bulls in scoring, Reynolds is second in the AAC in defensive rebounds (6.20 rpg) and double-doubles (8), and third in rebounds per game (7.9). He also ranks fourth in field-goal percentage (53.1) and blocked shots (1.60 per game).
USF is guided by interim head coach Ben Fletcher, who holds a 13-15 record this season following the tragic passing of Amir Abdur-Rahim in October.

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