Listless. How a nearby fan described yesterday afternoon at the Liacouras Center. Apt, if describing the Temple basketball team, the Diamond Gems, and the crowd. Only the Temple pep band, small in number but large in enthusiasm, were undeserving of the label.
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Good teams find a way to win games they don't deserve, according to conventional sports wisdom. That's probably the best which can be said about the Owls performance against St. Louis University. The Owls were outrebounded by one of the poorest rebounding teams in the nation. The Owls had one stretch where they missed 11 shots in a row. Lavoy Allen committed as many fouls (4) and turnovers (4) as he scored points (4). St. Louis did not help their cause - they did not make a three-point shot. Don't recall the last time an opponent came into the Liacouras Center and failed to make a three-pointer.
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The nickname of St. Louis University is the Billiken. It's a mythical creature, like the dragon, griffin, or elf. The school newspaper describes it as a jovial creature with a broad smile, a rotund belly and a tuft of hair on top of his head. Translation: some weird member of the elf family. Or as another observer of college mascots put it, if an Ewok and a Gremlin produced offspring, you may have an idea of what a Billiken looks like. Though no one is certain of why the Billiken came to be the mascot, there are a couple of things the Billiken positively stands for: good luck, happiness and heaps of grins. Apart from a rabbit's foot, souvenirs symbolizing a Billiken are next in line for bringing you luck. Not a bad mascot to have on your side.
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As if to stir the crowd out of its somnolence, the music during time-outs was cranked up to ear-splitting levels. And, please, will someone in TU's athletic department ask the PA announcer to push away the microphone once he announces the names of the contestants during a time-out. The fans don't need a running commentary (she dribbles, he shoots, he misses). We're perfectly able to follow the action on the court. It's really no different than following the action during the game - we don't need the PA announcer to describe what we're seeing.
One of the contests during a time-out turned out to be a test of endurance for the contestants, who had to make at least 3 full-court dashes before even getting to pick up a basketball. It took the The PA announcer nearly 30 seconds to describe what the contestants had to do to win a $100 certificate to the Fresh Grocer. Nice prize, bu t next time just let the two students play out the contest and skip the explanation for the fans. We already have an idea that the first one to score a basket is the winner.
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Home team usually receives four points from the bookmakers. Familiarity with the baskets/rims is one reason. Temple made fewer than one out of three shots yesterday. Loud support from a large crowd is another reason. 3300 fans, mostly sitting on their hands. Favorable calls from the referees is yet another reason. Surely, the referees were worth all four of those points yesterday, as most of the late-game calls favored the home team.
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Fernandez was on the bench in street clothes. Injured his knee in a practice. His presence was missed. The Owls only recorded seven assists. His status for Wednesday's game against St. Bonaventure is uncertain.
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Pub Webb (on Cecil B. Moore Avenue) turned out to be an ideal post-game spot. Just a block walk from the Liacouras Center. Available table for a party of six, large-screen TV for Eagles viewing, and meaty chicken wings (the mild sauce is on the spicy side, can't imagine what the "atomic" sauce is like).
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Next game is Wednesday night, against a St. Bonaventure squad that has racked up 9 wins already, including one over St. John's. Students will still be on break, so I'll be surprised if the attendance tops 4000. Too bad, because the Owls are one of the top teams in the country.
