Chronicowls '12 Temple-St. Joe's

Near flawless.  That would describe the Owls’ first and second  halves of yesterday’s game against St. Joe’s.  SIXTY percent shooting from the field, a season high.  Two-thirds of the three- point shots that Temple took in the first half went in.  Combine this with a five-minute St. Joe’s scoring drought beginning at the twelve-minute mark of the first half, and it’s easy to understand how the Cherry and White led by sixteen  (28-12) with just over six minutes remaining in the first half.  The Hawks didn’t get closer than nine points the rest of the game, and trailed by as many as 28 several times in the second half.

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Temple is 31^st in the nation (among more than 300 schools) in assist-turnover ratio.  They take care of the ball, and move it around nicely. Yesterday’s game was yet another example. 18 assists, and 11 turnovers.  One of the assists came from Michael Eric, who made a pass from underneath the basket that looked to be headed out-of-bounds, when T.J. Di Leo showed up to earn an easy  lay-up.
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Ramone Moore now has 13 straight double-digit point games. Khalif Wyatt has 8 straight such games. Yesterday’s was unlikely for Wyatt, as he finished the first half scoreless. Wyatt did have 8assists, as well. Four Owls in double figures, including Juan Fernandez, who scored 17 points in 23 minutes of playing action.

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A sellout, and then some.  Second largest crowd in the history of the Liacouras Center.  Peculiar, then, to see as many empty seats as I did.  Good to see a lively crowd of Owl supporters throughout the building. And the student section, the Cherry Crusade, were out in full throat and force.

Rollouts aplenty.  “Only Tebow Can Save the Hawk”  read one, and “LaSalle is more relevant than you” read another. And the now customary “I Believe That We Have Won” chant, which was preceded by a “I Believe the Hawk is Dead” chant.  See the final rollout below.

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Our street parking spot yesterday took us through the heart of the Temple campus, where we came upon, on Liacouras Walk, a fine spot for pre or post game adult beverages. Look for Maxi’s, next to a connected pizzeria  and Conwell Inn, a bed-and-breakfast which also serves as the official hotel of Temple University.

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Most of the sponsored contests that pass for “entertainment”  during time-outs are inane. Why does the PA announcer insist on providing fans with a running commentary on what is plainly visible to all watching. And if he’s going to do so, can’t he at least make the effort to learn the names of the contestants so that we don’t have to hear “she shoots”, “she dribbles”, “he misses”, etc.  
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Ten more games remain in the regular season, half at home. Considering that the Owls have been without two starters for most of the season thus far, a 15-5 record is most impressive.  Temple entered the game at #15 in the RPI rankings, and may rise higher after the win.  Credit Coach Dunphy.  Next home game is Wednesday evening, 7pm, against Fordham. This squad is entertaining to watch, and deserves your support.

Chronicowls '12 Temple-Maryland

Twice as many assists as turnovers. That’ll win most basketball games. As it did, yesterday MORNING, for the Cherry and White.  Temple’s starting three guards,  Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore, and Khalif Wyatt,  produced 54 points, 13 assists, and but 5 giveaways.  And substitute guard Aaron brown contributed 12 points and a team-leading 8 rebounds in 26 minutes of play. An impressive Parliament of Owls.  Graduate student Michael Eric  returned to action after a 13-game absence due to a fractured right patella.

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A packed but not quite full Palestra, although the attendance was announced as a sellout of 8722. Doubtless, more than a few couldn’t make the game because of “wintry mix” driving conditions. Nonetheless, plenty of spirit and energy in the hoops cathedral, as the Maryland faithful “travel well”, and brought at least several thousand supporters to the Penn campus venue. So it seemed more like a Big Five contest, as each cheering section tried to outdo the other. Only rollouts were absent.

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A little more than 5 minutes remain in the game.  In the five minutes just elapsed, the Terrapins had cut a 10-point Temple lead to one. In the next 90 SECONDS, first Wyatt, then Moore, and then Fernandez each make unlikely three point shots.  I Believe We Have Won broke out with about one minute remaining.

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It was an extraordinary day for Philadelphia college basketball, and its fans. For starters, one could have begun  at 11am with the Temple-Maryland tipoff, enjoyed lunch following the game (Slainte, at 30^th and Market, was a good choice yesterday), walked several blocks to the Daskalakis Athletic Center to join 2500 other fans to watch Drexel play Northeastern (the Dragons won), then return to the Palestra to join another sellout crowd to watch Penn edge St. Joe’s in a Big Five classic.  If an Explorers fan, one could have gone to the Gola Arena (instead of the Daskalakis Center)  to see LaSalle play Rhode Island. All in all, five city teams won (Villanova played at Madison Square Garden where they defeated St. John’s) and more than 20,000 fans were in attendance at college basketball games across the city and throughout the day .  Reuben Frank, CSNPhilly columnist,  has an interesting recap of the day (read here ).

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Amazing series of ramps now connect part of the Penn campus. It is now possible to walk from the River Field athletic complex to the Palestra without setting foot on a Philadelphia street.

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Oddsmakers had the Owls favored by NINE over their ACC opponent.  Surprised me (after all, Maryland entered the game with a record (12-5) identical to Temple’s), but the forecasters had obviously done their research, as the Owls beat the spread. While the game was tight throughout, Temple trailed for less than a minute, and led the entire second half.

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The Diamond Gems were in fine form yesterday. The halftime entertainment featured a young man in a Temple teeshirt performing one  balancing act after another (using his chin) , starting with a chair and concluding with a 10-foot stepladder. You had to be there!

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Temple now stands at #19 in the RPI rankings.  St. Joe’s, their next opponent at the Liacouras Center, this Saturday at 4pm, holds the 60^th place in the RPI.  Before then, a difficult game on the road, against Charlotte, this Wednesday evening.  Only radio coverage(1210 AM WPHT) of the game.

Chronicowls '12 Temple-LaSalle

Entertaining game between the Owls and Explorers. Most accounts of the game offered a similar assessment, adding that it was a typical Big Five game. Which, actually, it wasn’t. A Big Five game, that is.  The next time Temple and LaSalle match up, then at the Gola Arena, will count in the Big Five standings.  While on the subject of the Big Five, it’s time for the group to evolve. It’s now time for the City Six.

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More than 8000 fans watched the evening’s proceedings.  More than respectable.  LaSalle fans filled two sections of the Liacouras Center. Not a bad turnout for a LaSalle road game, yet considering that the game was but a 10-minute subway ride for students on the LaSalle campus, I expected more fans. After all, LaSalle came into the game with a  record of 13 up, and just 5 down, the best start to a season in many a year.

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Balanced scoring, and better than 50% shooting, were key to Temple’s win.  Four Owls scored in double figures, led by Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson’s career high of 19 points.  Temple has shot better than 50% from the field in six games this year. Unsurprisingly, the Owls have won five of them.

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The oddsmakers had Temple favored by 5. During the last 11 minutes of the game, Temple owlways led, but never by more than 5, until Khalif Wyatt made two foul shots to give Temple its final six-point margin, and give rise to the “I Believe We Have Won” chant.   While there were no lead changes in the second half, on four occasions in the final ten minutes a LaSalle score cut their deficit to one.  Nail-biter.

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LaSalle played a solid game. Only 8 turnovers. But , like Temple, they field a short team, and the Cherry and White won the boards, outrebounding the Explorers by 38-27.

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PubWebb was the venue for a pre-game gathering of Temple fans (many in soccer scarves, see below).

The purchase of these  scarves support the Temple soccer program.

Here is Temple Sports Hall of Fame member Edna Brown-Hecht (far-right) with President Ann Hart, after President Hart was presented with the scarf during the game. (Chronicowls commenter Nelson Dunham is at left).

Email Joe Stulz at jstulz@verizon.net to purchase a scarf to support Temple soccer. 

Chronicowls '12 Temple-Dayton

It’s been more than two years that a Chronicowls post has followed a Temple basketball loss at the Liacouras Center.  Never may we  see again in our lifetime such a streak.

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Eleven minutes, thirty-eight seconds remain in the game.  The Owls ahead by six, 55-49. Dayton has just been called for an intentional foul. Ramone Moore at the foul line for two shots, followed by Temple’s keeping possession of the ball.  What followed had to be the turning point.  Two missed foul shots, two missed jumpers, and then a Temple foul. Within a minute  Temple’s lead had SHRUNK to two.

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Hardly, then,  did we expect that the final eight minutes might be the finest we’ll see a team play  this season.  With 8 minutes remaining, Temple led by 3 points. Then Dayton proceeded to make 70 % of their shots from the field, 80% from beyond the three-point line, and 12 of 13 free throws. 30 points in all over these final eight minutes. As many points as Dayton had scored the entire first half.  Almost double the points the Owls could muster. And that’s what brought the two-year winning streak to an end.

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The crowd of just over 5000 fans was a disappointment. Not much of a walk-up sale. Surely would-be fans weren’t deterred by the weather, which was unseasonably mild and sun-splashed..

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The Chickie and Pete’s crab walk, a time-out activity involving two students having to make a foul shot after crab-walking two lengths of the court, proved  to be more difficult than the originators counted on. I guess we shouldn’t have been surprised – I’m not sure I could reach the basket from the foul line after just having crab-walked close to 200 feet. Anyway, the game was delayed for what seemed like a minute while the contestants failed to make any of a dozen shots from the foul line. The Dunkin' Donuts race between students decked out in coffee cups (iced and hot) is far more interesting.

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The Diamond Gems rehearsed the performance they’ll be giving at the collegiate dance team championships. I preferred their second number of the evening.

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A convivial group had a post-game meal at North Third, in northern Liberties, following the game. Recommended.

Letter to Temple

Chronicowls '12 Temple-Duke. I believe that we have won!

Last evening's game left me searching for words. So I'll let others do the talking.

What a great night for Temple, Philly basketball, and Fran Dunphy.  The mayor joined in with this tweet:

@Michael_Nutter: Congratulations #TempleU Owls on a HUGE win tonight! We're all so proud of you.

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Hollis-Jefferson contributed a season high 17 points on seven-of-10 shooting while grabbing six rebounds. Lee, a freshman, had his best game as an Owl, scoring 11 points, pulling down a team-high seven rebounds and rejecting a game-high three shots.

The duo led the Cherry and White to an improbable 32-29 rebound advantage.

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For the fourth consecutive season, Temple has defeated a top 10 team. As one tweet put it, #TUMBB=giantkillers.

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Temple fan and Chronicowls contributor Scott Matlack said before the game that the Owls would prevail if they shot well. And that they did, 56% from the field, and 50% from beyond the three-point arc.  Their best shooting performance thus far in the season. It is the highest single-game field goal percentage for Temple in nearly two years. Only an uncharacteristically high number of turnovers (17) kept the Owls from closing out the Blue Devils earlier than they did.

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A Hollis-Jefferson jumper with 10:45 left in the first half gave Temple the lead. Duke never led in the game again.

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The Wells Fargo Center hosted the third-largest crowd for a college basketball game in its history. And while there were plenty of blue shirts in the crowd, the turnout of Temple fans, including the student body, was most impressive. In case you were wondering, the largest college basketball crowd  at Wells Fargo was in 2006 when 20,859 fans saw Villanova knock off #1 ranked Connecticut.

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Here are the Temple students rushing the court:

Here is the lucky Temple scarf, worn by Chronicowls blogger. Their purchase supports the Owls soccer team.Look for us at the Liacouras Center this Saturday - the scarves are available for purchase.

While Temple's win was the evening's highlight, it was quite the night for other Philly schools, as Penn, St. Joe's, LaSalle (impressive win over Xavier) and Drexel all emerged as victors.

And, here, let ESPN recap the Temple win for us.

Chronicowls '12 Temple-Buffalo

Improbable. That was how one fan described the Owls'  home victory over Buffalo. Coming from behind in the final minutes, and winning the game in the final second on Anthony Lee's only basket of the evening. No one seemed certain how the ball wound up in Lee's hands - it seemed to most of us watching from the stands that Wyatt's missed shot had been rebounded by either of two Buffalo players. So here's another look at that improbable finish.

The win kept alive Temple's remarkable home court winning streak. It's now been more than two years since the Owls have lost at the Liacouras Center. And that loss was to Kansas, at the time ranked #1 in the nation.  25 consecutive wins since. Only six schools have a longer active home court winning streak.
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Buffalo has a solid squad. It wouldn't surprise me if they finished at or near the top of the Mid-American Conference. Considering how well Buffalo shot (better than 55%) and how poorly Temple shot (36%), it's surprising Temple was able to take the game into overtime. (The Owls have fared well this season in extra time games, winning all three they've played). Temple was simply outplayed inside "the paint", being outscored 50-32 and having 7 shots blocked. The key to victory, once again, was taking care of the ball, as the Owls had half as many turnovers (11) as their opponents (22). Juan Fernandez had an especially solid game,   scoring 21 points, recording 6 assists, and turning the ball over but once.
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A decent crowd of just over 4000, considering that it was Christmas week, an unranked opponent, and the students were on semester break. The fans were treated to an entertaining game, with 13 lead changes, 13 tie scores, and no lead larger than nine points. In other words, a tight game with plenty of drama.
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The Temple soccer team sold scarves this past fall as a fund-raiser. Edna Hecht, Temple alumni and Hall of Fame member, is modeling the scarf  below. Show your school spirit, keep warm, and be stylish with the Temple scarf. Drop me a note at tpcousounis@gmail.com or to Joe Stulz at jstulz@verizon.net if you're interested in purchasing one (or several).

Two important home games this week. This Wednesday evening, at the Wells Fargo Center, the Owls take on #7 ranked Duke. And this Saturday afternoon, tipping off at 4pm, the Owls open  Atlantic 10 conference play  against Dayton. The Owls now stand at #27 in the RPI ratings.