Owls Seek Season Sweep at UTSA Saturday

Opening Tip

The Temple University men's basketball team looks to secure its second win in the Lone Star State in four days on Saturday, as the Owls take on UTSA at 1 p.m. ET at the Convocation Center.
Temple defeated Rice, 69-65, on Wednesday evening in Houston, bouncing back after a pair of tough losses to Memphis and Florida Atlantic.
With the game tied 54-54, Temple outscored Rice, 15-11, over the final 6:22 and made all seven of its free throws in the closing stretch to hold off the Owls.
Four Owls scored in double figures, as Derrian Ford, Aiden Tobiason and Jordan Mason each finished with 15 points, while Gavin Griffiths added 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Mason dished out six assists.
Griffiths is the only NCAA Division I player this season with at least 40 blocks, 20 steals and 40 made 3-pointers. Eight NCAA Division I players have at least 40 blocks and 20 steals, with Griffiths knocking down 21 more 3-pointers than the next closest player on the list (Jaiden Feroah, Southern Utah, 26).
Temple has been among the national leaders in fewest turnovers, but set season highs in turnovers against Memphis (14) and Florida Atlantic (15). The Owls committed just six turnovers against Rice, including two over the final 32 minutes and one in the second half.

Scouting UTSA

The Roadrunners are 4-15 overall with an 0-7 mark in conference play, entering Saturday on a 12-game losing streak.
UTSA's strengths are creating extra possessions and protecting the rim, ranking well in offensive rebounds per game (No. 73 nationally, sixth in the conference) and blocks per game (No. 61 nationally, sixth in the conference). The Roadrunners attempt the second-most 3-pointers in the conference and rank 80th nationally in 3-point attempts per game.
Temple leads the all-time series, 4-1, including a 76-57 win earlier this month on Jan. 3 at the Liacouras Center. In that matchup, Griffiths tallied 23 points and became the first NCAA Division I player in at least 30 seasons to record seven blocks and six 3-pointers in a game, according to ESPN. Mason added 15 points and 12 assists, the most assists by an Owl since 2006.
UTSA had four double-figure scorers against Temple in Austin Nunez (12 points), Jamir Simpson (11), Baboucarr Njie (11) and Dorian Hayes (11). Temple held UTSA to 4-for-21 3-point shooting, its lowest percentage (.190) of the season to date.

Temple University Athletics