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.

-------------

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.

-------------

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

-----------

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.

-----------

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

---------------

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.

----------------------

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.
---------------------
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.
--------------------
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.
-------------------

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.