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-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.

Chronicowls '12, Temple-Villianova

This is our ciTy.  So read the final rollout yesterday at the Liacouras Center during Temple’s  BigFive matchup with Villanova. Fans attending the game yesterday were reminded throughout of Villanova’s unwillingness to support Temple’s bid for membership in the Big East. The Cherry Crusade, Temple's  student section, came out in strong numbers (as did the Pep band) and were clever in their rollouts (below are some of the better ones).

You're scared to make this a conference game

VILLAINova
Nova Law can't add points to This score
Villanova: Latin for Liar
Nova says jump, Big East asks how high?

The best from the student section came with just under a minute remaining in the game (I thought a bit premature but others thought it timely), when the Cherry Crusade broke out in the customary victory chant of “I believe we have won…”. And so we had. Over local rival Villanova.

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The charged atmosphere inside the Liacouras Center was sparked by a stirring rendition of the National Anthem by Temple student (and former Diamond Gem) Chelsea Wargo.

Chelsea has sung the National Anthem at least three times before a Temple hoops game – we certainly hope it wasn’t her last. Catch the ending here.

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A solid performance from the Owls. Ramone Moore had a career-high 32 points, including 14 of 15 from the foul line. Only 10 turnovers. And holding their own on the boards against a taller Villanova team, led by Hollis-Jefferson’s 14 rebounds.  Both sides were cold-shooting, especially in the first half. During an eight-minute stretch, Villanova scored but one field goal, and Temple could open only a four-point lead.

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A sellout crowd was announced. Saw a bunch of unfilled seats, but I guess I’m nit-picking. Those with tickets who didn’t attend missed an entertaining Philly BigFive college basketball game. Attractive home schedule this season, with Xavier and a much-improved St. Joe’s squad coming in to the Liacouras Center for Saturday games. I expect a few more sellouts. The Liacouras Center is a fabulous place to take in a basketball game. You don't have to take just my word on it. The ESPN broadcaster said so during the game telecast. And let’s not forget Duke at the Wells Fargo Center  and Maryland at the Palestra.

For the most part, a classy display from the Temple faithful.  On the lesser side, The Pep Band drowned out the Villanova cheerleaders performance (it was their only one) during a timeout, and the student section disregarded their instruction sheet and shouted “Sucks” after the introduction of the Villanova starters.  Instructions for the Cherry Crusade are to turn their back to the court during the introduction of the opposing team’s lineup, and to stand in complete silence (silence=unnerving). Let’s see how long it takes for this to become standard practice.

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I’m certain the sellout crowd was a contributing factor, but walking through the concourse during intermission was a particular challenge. I heard one fan say it brought to mind the narrow concourses at the Spectrum.  At one point, what I thought was one  long beer  line snaking through the concourse turned out to be TWO long lines, one for the rest room and another for the beer kiosk. I’m a regular at the Liacouras Center and even I was confused.

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The Diamond Gems were not in mid-season form last night. Here they are in full form, at the 2011 national championships.

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The spread had Temple favored by 8.5 points. During the last seven minutes of the game, Temple’s  lead was between 7 and 11. Those oddsmakers were right on the mark, again!

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Last night’s post-game wrap-up took place at Bar Ferdinand. In Northern Liberties, less than 10 minutes from the Liacouras Center. Recommended for its conviviality, food, and Spanish wines. Fine selection of tapas. So much fun you could easily run up the tab.

Chronicowls '11, Post 11 (Temple-LaSalle)

Very entertaining, and tight, game yesterday. More than 20 lead changes. The student section, which was depleted because spring break had emptied the campus, didn't break into their "I believe we have won" chant until the final 30 seconds of the game (if you're unfamiliar with the chant, see video above). 14 times the Owls played at home this season, and 13 times we heard the chant ( the Owls won all fourteen home games, but the Georgetown game went down to the final shot, see video below). Temple leads the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense (allowing 61 points per game) but defense was decidedly absent from yesterday's game. First time this season the Owls reached 90 points. Temple had earned fans a taco at Qdoba midway through the second half , and LaSalle had 61 points with 11 minutes remaining in the game. The game's key stat: 19 assists and only 7 turnovers for Temple. The Owls rank third in the A-10 and 39th nationally with 11.5 turnovers per game this season.

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A 24-win regular season is surely impressive. So why not a higher ranking? Quite simply because the Owls had a soft schedule - only one team in the top 30 has had an easier schedule - and the Owls have beaten only two schools in the top 50 RPI rankings (Georgia and Georgetown). And only six games against teams in the top 50 (by comparison, Villanova has had 14 games against top 50 teams). And the Owls played six games against teams that weren't even among the top 250.
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22 wins in a row at home. Very impressive. Last loss at home was in December 2009, to Kansas, ranked #1 at the time.
Coach Dunphy's fourth consecutive season with at least 20 wins.
To receive a #5 seed like last year, Temple undoubtedly will need to win the A-10 tournament. If the tournament holds to form (highly unlikely), Temple and Xavier will meet in the final next Sunday, in Atlantic City.
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The Diamond Gems brought back alumni Gems to celebrate their 20 years of dancing. I didn't realize the Gems were organized before the Liacouras Center opened, they surely were one of the first college dance squads performing at basketball and football games. Dance teams have evolved into more than a spirit squad to entertain, energize and inspire - just like basketball and football, there are national competitions, clinics and camps. You should know that the nationally ranked Temple University Diamond Gems will be hosting a College Dance Team Prep Clinic on Sunday, March 27, 2011 for high school and college dancers who strive to be a part of a college dance team in their future or who wish to work on their technique and style.

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Crowd of 8154. Respectable. Attendance continues to be disappointing, in light of the entertaining product on the floor. For 14 home games, crowds averaged fewer than 6000 per game. One sellout (St. Joe's) and five crowds that would not have filled the capacity of McGonigle Hall (3900). At halftime the 1969 Temple NIT Championship team was introduced as the newest members of the Temple Athletics Hall of Fame. That team was responsible for my becoming a Temple basketball loyalist, as I was in my freshman year on north Broad Street.
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Saturday was Senior day. Lavoy Allen played his final game at Liacouras Center. He was one of coach Dunphy's first recruits, and had a distinguished basketball career. And unlike many of today's college players, he played all four years of his eligibility. Lavoy Allen scored a career high 24 points, and recorded his fifth straight double-double. And while technically not a senior, Dutch Gaitley played his final regular-season game at Temple. Dutch's story is not the usual one - I commented that he's not a senior - Dutch has already graduated from college (cum laude from Monmouth) where he played for three years, and is now attending graduate school at Temple where he decided to join the team for his fourth and final year of playing eligibility. Dutch started yesterday's game (classy move by Coach Dunphy). It was not , by the way, Dutch's first time in the starting lineup in his college career - he was on the floor at tip-off 42 times during his three-year playing career at Monmouth.
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Graduate student Dutch Gaitley,along with junior Jake Godino and freshman Jimmy McDonnell make up "The Parliament". The trio are the vocal bench supporters of the Cherry and White, and have coined themselves The Parliament. They arrived at the name due to its meaning - the literary collective noun for a group of owls (you know, like a school of fish). They also write a blog (see The Parliament in My Blog List along the sidebar).
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In a welcome change, purchasers of 50-50 tickets (yesterday supporting the track and field team) were publicly thanked by the PA announcer after the winning number was announced. In an unwelcome continuing development, the PA announcer gave his play-by-play of the Dunkin Donuts time-out contest. Far from entertaining, it's annoying and insulting to the crowd (all of whom can follow the action of the two students dribbling down the floor and trying tobe the first to make a layup and foul shot.
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Closing banquet for Chronicowls followers, commenters, and bloggers was held at WineO, at 5th and Poplar in Northern Liberties. Owner-chef Giovanni was accommodating to our larger-than-normal group. Give it a try - good food, reasonable prices, excellent wine selection, and generous cocktails. And less than 10 minutes from the Temple campus.

Preview of Temple's Final Home Game

For a number of reasons (all of them good) I haven't been to a Temple home game since January 19. And what a home season it's been.
The Owls enter this season's final home game with an unblemished record at Liacouras Center. Today's opponent, LaSalle, is a 14-point underdog, yet coming off two impressive wins. In February 2009, LaSalle came into the Liacouras Center an 11-point underdog and, well, see below...
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"I can't believe what I've just seen" was the prevailing sentiment at the end of last night's game. From both Temple and LaSalle fans. And there were a bunch of infiltrators last night among us. A decent turnout of Explorer fans boosted the attendance at the Liacouras Center above 6000 for only the fourth time this year. On-street parking was at a minimum last night, so the parking garage became our last, and best , resort. Getting out in a timely fashion was not an issue, as we made a stop at the Draught Horse (on the ground floor of the Liacouras Center) for a post-game beverage.
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The Diamond Gems, with their dance number in the second-half, gave the best performance by a Temple student on the floor last night. I just don't know what to say about, or how to explain, last night's result. Certainly not what the oddsmakers had in mind - the Owls were favored by 11 points. It's not as if Temple played poorly (OK, it wasn't up to their standards but they weren't sloppy with the ball as they had more assists than turnovers) or that LaSalle had an exceptional game (Rodney Green did, but one has to expect that from LaSalle's best player). It just seems as if the Owls made poor choices in their shot selection, and as a result their field-goal percentage was below their season average, and Temple players went to the foul line for only 7 shots. Not much else to which I can point, and I'm not going to dig much deeper, because it will only serve as a reminder of last night's outcome. If you find this Chronicowls posting to be briefer than most, I trust you'll understand.
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Temple has to win Saturday at Dayton (4pm tip-off, game telecast locally by Comcast) to have any chance of an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. A bye into the Atlantic 10 tournament is still likely(awarded to top-four regular-season finishers), but probably two upset wins would be necessary to capture the conference tournament and thus secure an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. While 4 of Temple's 10 losses were to teams in the top 15 in RPI rankings, three have been to teams OUT of the top 100 (including last night). And Temple does not have a win over a team in the top 25. So, their resume (to use current bracketology-speak) for an at-large bid is light.
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Last home game of this season next Thursday night, against St. Joe's. Let's get a big turnout for that game, the Owls will benefit from our support.

Chronicowls '11, Post 8 (Temple-UNC Charlotte)

The 1:30pm tweet from Temple read: ALERT more info : Eve classes after 5 canceled. Facilities/clinics open. Men's bball game v Charlotte 7pm LiacourasCtr *ON*.  Hmmm, classes canceled, game on? Former Governor Rendell would be pleased to learn this news.
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The game against Charlotte was broadcast on a Comcast cable channel. Good viewing, if you look past the absence of HD.  The Owls put in a strong performance. Coach Dunphy was interviewed on the post-game recap show. He should make more TV appearances.
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In the most recent blog post of Chronicowls, I commented on Lavoy Allen's breakout game in his freshman year,  against Charlotte. Tonight's play from Allen may be his breakout game in his senior year.  A double-double. His 30th career double-double (I can't imagine that there's  three Owls who have more). We're looking for many more.
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19 assists, and but 9 turnovers. That ratio of better than 2:1 will win most games. So will four scorers in double figures.
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More than 2,600 were in attendance, according to the offical box score.  I figure that the Broad St. subway was the way to travel. Those at the game were witness to Temple's 17th home win in a row.

Chronicowls '11, Post 7 (Temple-Penn)

Penn had cut a 14-point Temple lead to 6 early in the second half , and the Owl supporters were getting restless. The oddsmakers’ 17 point spread on the game seemed way off the mark.  And then Temple went on one of its characteristic runs, separating themselves from the Quakers and coasting to a (yep, you guessed it) 17-point victory. Competent at their craft, are those oddsmakers.  Ramone Moore’s two free throws in the final minute of play made 17 the winning margin AND won every ticket-holder a free taco at Qdoba.

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Khalif Wyatt had a breakout game, leading Temple with 27 points. That made Wyatt the 7^th Owl to be the high scorer of a game this season. Lots of talent on this team.  Wyatt also recorded a team high 5 steals last night, and Lavoy Allen had season-high of 6 blocked shots. 

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Former Governor Ed Rendell joined nearly 8,000 fans at the Liacouras Center. Larger crowd than I expected. Good to see the suites in use, they're dark on many game nights.

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Diamond Gems were uninspired, in their outfits and performances. Must have been worn out from their recent appearance in Florida, where they competed in the College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship held at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex.  The Diamond Gems competed in the Division 1 Hip Hop Category (7^th place finish) and Division 1 Pom Category (a very respectable 4^th place finish).

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Last night the halftime entertainment once again consisted of a youth basketball game. Impressive play last night from the youngsters, including a handful of successful three-point shots. I wonder, though, why music has to be blaring out of the PA system while the game is underway. If someone insists that music must accompany halftime entertainment, then, please, turn  down  the volume.

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Former Temple great Bill Mlkvy (Owl Without a Vowel) was honored at halftime. He celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday. Looks 15 years his junior, and perpetually wears a smile. Sixty seasons ago, Bill Milkvy averaged 29 points a game, and scored 730 points. The former still stands as a school record. Only five players since Mlkvy  have scored more than 700 points in a season (and there are many more games in a season now than in Dr. Mlkvy's day). Those five are (descending from most recent): David Hawkins, Lynn Greer, Nate Blackwell, Terence Stansbury, and Hal Lear. If Mark Macon came to mind, he scored 699 points in his freshman season.

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The loss to Duquesne hurt Temple’s ranking in the polls and RPI, dropping out of the top 25 in each. A win this Saturday, in Cincinnati against Xavier, would be a huge boost. The Musketeers are the only Atlantic 10 school ahead of the Owls in the RPI rankings (read here for more).

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Lively post-game gathering at Pub Webb.  Seems like the place to be on campus on Wednesday nights. DJ spinning music, Yuenglings at a special price, and fans celebrating a hoops victory.

Chronicowls '11, Post 6 (Temple-St. Bonaventure)

Lots of positives. First half may have been the finest Temple has played this season. Made better than 60% of shots from the field. Made 7 three-pointers, out of 12 attempted. And made every foul shot. Twice as many assists (18) as turnovers (9). Ramone Moore scored 13 points in the closing five minutes of the first half. -----------------------
St. Bonaventure never had the lead. At one point around the middle of the first half, Temple's lead had been cut to one, 20-19. Temple's defense limited the Bonnies to one basket over the next six minutes, the Bonnies, The Owls then went one of their characteristic runs, outscoring the Bonnies 29-9 to take a 21-point lead at intermission.Khalif Wyatt had an outstanding game. 15 points, six assists, and but one turnover. We've become familiar with his love for shooting, last night he showed the small gathering at the Liacouras Center that he has playmaking skills as well. Five players scored in double figures. Balanced scoring once again. It's a team strength.
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When the Owls score 72 points, every ticket-holder wins a taco from Qdoba. This game was the fourth this season that the fans had earned a taco. The milestone was reached earliest in last night's game, as with 12 minutes remaining, the Owls scored their 72nd point of the evening. Those who left early because the outcome had been determined didn't miss much.The reserves had playing time, and made much of it (at least on defense). St. Bonaventure did not record a basket over the final 7 minutes of the game. Not that the Owls were doing much better, registering just one field goal in that span.
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3213 fans in attendance last night. Is there another top 25 team that draws as poorly? I just don't understand the apathy. Philadelphia, after all, is supposed to be a college basketball town. Last night was a busy night for the Big Five schools. All were in action, with St. Joe's the only school playing out of town. The Penn-LaSalle matchup at Gola Arena attracted fewer than 2000 fans. Villanova drew more than 13,000 to its game at the Wells Fargo Center.
The small crowd meant short or no lines. At the concession stands, rest rooms, and exiting the parking garage.Some consolation.
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Halfway through the season. 12-3 mark. Losses to a #9 ranked team (at Villanova) , to Texas A&M (that loss doesn't look so bad now, as Texas A&M has won 12 in a row and is ranked in the top 20) and California (that remains a bad loss). One game remaining against a ranked team (Duke). And wins against two currently ranked teams - Georgetown and Georgia. Defense has been key to Temple's success. Opponents have averaged fewer than 60 points per game, ranking Temple among the top 25 among the nation's 300 plus Division 1 schools in that category. After averaging a double-double last year (first Temple player in 40 years to do so), Lavoy Allen has had but two games thus far in which he has recorded a double-double. Fans expected more. And the Owls three-point shooting has been erratic. Last night's nine three-pointers was their second highest of the season, and it was only the fourth game they made more than five. But to keep proper perspective, 12 wins out of 15, against a difficult schedule, is more than respectable. It's impressive.
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The Comcast network will be televising next Temple game, noon on Saturday, from Pittsburgh, where the Owls will be headed for a game against Duquesne. Temple has a single game scheduled at the Palestra this season. It's January 29, against St. Joe's. The Hawks are the home team. What's unusual is morning tip-off (11am). Don't recall one of those before. Temple did have a midnight game several years back, against Villanova, at the Liacouras Center.
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The A-10 is weak this year. In the RPI rankings, Xavier is the only school besides Temple in the top 50. Temple sits today at number 20. In fact, Temple has but 6 games left against schools that are presently in the top 100 of the RPI rankings.

Chronicowls '11, Post 5 (Temple - St. Louis)

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.

Chronicowls '11, Post 4 (Temple- Northern Illinois)

Day after finals week. Week before Christmas. Didn't expect much of a crowd (over-under was 4200). But seriously, only 3100 fans? The crowd at the Villanova-Delaware game (not exactly a marquee match-up either) at the Wells Fargo Center was announced as 12,000. Certainly respectable. Leaves me perplexed as to the reasons behind such a wide gap in fan suppoer between the basketball programs of Temple and Villanova.
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The Liacouras Center has been friendly. Counting yesterday, 13 straight wins at home for the Owls.
Not very often the nation's leading scorer, at 28 points per game, comes into the Center. Xavier Silas scored 27 in an impressive performance. Didn't have much of a supporting cast, however.
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Yesterday's key stat: 21 assists, only 9 turnovers. Second straight game in which the Owls have had twice as many assists as turnovers. Lavoy Allen had his breakout game of this season, scoring 22 points. Michael Eric was one basket short of a double-double. Impressive when one considers that his playing time was limited by foul trouble to only 12 minutes. Several not-so-highlights. Only 2 three-pointers, none in the second half. 10 games into the season Temple's 3-point shooting has been, to put it kindly, subpar. Only 25% of their three-point shots have gone through the net. Their free throw shooting has been, well to put it bluntly, average. Yesterday, the Owls missed fifteen.
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We heard the announcement of the winning number of the 50-50 raffle. Of course, we didn't purchase tickets this time. If anyone from the Athletic Department is reading this post, I ask you to inform the student - athletes selling the raffle tickets that the announcement of the winning ticket is NOT at halftime, but at the first timeout following intermission.
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Three weeks until the next home game, so Chronicowls will be taking a holiday break. Despite the disappointing outcomes at the tournament at Disney World last month, the Owls have a chance to be 10-game winners before January. Reaching that milestone will require a win December 30 over Villanova on its home floor.
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It's certainly too early in the season to be paying much attention to the RPI rankings. But they're useful as far as getting a picture of a team's comparative performance to date. Temple is ranked 19. Ahead of Villanova. And the number one RPI ranked team is Georgetown.

Chronicowls '11, Post 3 (Temple-Akron)

The Temple and Akron men's basketball teams were in action yesterday afternoon at the Liacouras Center. And while 3800 fans were reportedly in attendance for the hoops game, greater attention was focused upon other activities of both schools' athletic departments. While the basketball game was in session, the Akron men's soccer team was winning the school's first national championship in any sport, prevailing over Louisville in the NCAA Division 1 soccer final. And Temple fans were following the rapidly unfolding saga of football coach Al Golden, who, at about the same time the basketball team was putting the finishing touches on an easy victory, announced that he had received and would be accepting an offer to be the next head coach of University of Miami (Florida). Even Owlscoop, which usually has a running twitter stream covering the basketball game, interrupted coverage of the hoops game to offer latest on coach Golden.
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As far as the size of the crowd was concerned , Owlscoop's tweet of "Pathetically small crowd at the Liacouras Center for today's Temple-Akron game" sums it up best. Good news - the pep band was in full force, and spirited as well. Bad news, the pep band outnumbered the student body in attendance.
Studying for finals, I guess.
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Proceeds from the 50-50 raffle yesterday supported the dance team (aka Diamond gems). We purchased a string of tickets. Once again, no one in our crowd heard the announcement of the winning ticket. The dance team was especially inspired, as their second-half performance was their finest of the season. Well synchronized.
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Allen. Or Alan. Must not be a very popular name among Philadelphia hoops fans. But I give credit to the Athletic Department for making the effort to promote the game, and one of its high-profile players. Anyone with the first or last name of "Allen" or "Alan" was entitled to a heavily discounted ticket for yesterday's game.
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With yesterday's win, the Owls have now won 12 straight in the Liacouras Center. Defense has been the key to Temple's start. The Owls lead the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense (56.6 ppg.) and rank 11th nationally in the category. Georgetown's 65 points were the most an opponent has scored against Temple all season. A side note - yesterday's win was Temple's first ever over Akron.
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Encouraging signs from yesterday's victory. Akron made their first three shots. Then they made three of their next 27 shots. To end the half, Temple scored 16 consecutive points, stretching a 24-15 lead to 40-15 at the half. Oppressive defense which held the Zips to nearly 30 points below their season average.For the Owls, twice as many assists (19) as turnovers (9). Shooting better than 50% from the field. Balanced scoring. Ten Owl players scored. Four Owls scored in double figures. Five, if you combine the points of Lavoy Allen and Juan Fernandez.
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Congratulations to Coach Golden. He leaves in good shape a once-downtrodden football program. I was among those who expected he would take over at Penn State for Joe Paterno. But perhaps he may end up there in a few years. Of course, whoever succeeds JoePa will have enormous shoes to fill. Probably unrealistic expectations to fulfill as well. Quite likely that whoever follows Joe as Penn State head football coach will not be given a great deal of time to meet those lofty expectations. And in several years Penn State will be looking for a coach again. Enter Al Golden.
　

Chronicowls '11, Post 2 (Temple-Georgetown)

This tweet from the Temple University's Office of University Communications:
#Temple takes down #10 Georgetown 68-65! Hoyas 1st loss 2010; Dunphy's 400th career win. Students storm court. Moore career-high 30 pts.
There you have it. Last night's game, summed up in 140 characters.
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We secured a parking spot on Cecil Moore Avenue, just outside the Liacouras Center. We took it as a sign that the evening was going to be a memorable one.We were further convinced that this game had the makings of an evening to remember when, 15 seconds into the game, Juan Fernandez scored. Temple supporters were thus able to quickly take their seats, much to the relief of a handful of fans (first-timers to the Liacouras Center, no doubt, as they were unaware of the Temple tradition of standing until the Owl's first point) seated behind us who were quick to call out "down in front" as the tip-off approached. Temple scored the first six points of the game, and never trailed. Plenty of drama remained, nonetheless, as the game's outcome came down to the final shot.
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Temple had featured balanced scoring thus far in the season. Not last night. Juan Fernandez had seven points in the game's first five minutes. He did not score again. 16 minutes remained in the game when Lavoy Allen scored his first basket. Allen and Fernandez combined for 13 points for the entire game. Ramone Moore tallied more points just in the FIRST HALF.
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And what an evening Moore had. On national television, no less. A breakthrough game. One year ago,almost to the day, a Big East school (Villanova) came into the Liacouras Center unbeaten and ranked in the top 10. An Owl guard (Fernandez) had a career game (scoring 33 points) to lead the Owls to a stunning victory over their city rivals. Last night, another Big East school , unbeaten and ranked in the top 10, visited the Liacouras Center. And another Owl guard , Ramone Moore, produced a career game to lead the Owls to an upset victory.
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Temple's first half was one of the better stretches of basketball they've played this season. Better than 50% shooting from the field. Making almost half of their three-point shots. And not missing a foul shot. (In fact, neither side missed a foul shot in the opening half). Yet the Owls couldn't shake the Hoyas. At one point in the first half, Georgetown went four minutes without scoring , yet Temple led only by seven points. Five minutes without scoring a basket didn't help matters for Temple.
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Enthusiastic and sizeable crowd last night. Student section full and spirited. The pep band in full complement. And new time-out contests introduced last night ( a bowling game and dice game). And an entertaining intermission show by a talented acrobatic tumbling squad. Yet, while last night's attendance (9509) is likely to be the largest this season, there were nearly a thousand empty seats. Disappointing.
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We were pleased to learn at the beginning of the season that Chickie and Pete's and Whelihan's would be setting up concession stands at the Liacouras Center. Their food choices, we discovered last night, are limited, and so I expect we'll be back to having pre or post game meals outside the Liacouras Center.
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A milestone was reached last night. Congratulations to Coach Dunphy, who picked his 400th win as a college coach. Only his predecessor, John Chaney, has more wins as a Big Five coach.

Chronicowls, '11, Post 1 (Temple-Seton Hall, Toledo)

Quirky start to the Owls hoops schedule this season. First two games at home (an unusual Friday night game, followed by a Sunday afternoon game the same weekend). Then, the Owls go on the road and don't return until nearly four weeks later, for one of the prime match-ups this season at the Liacouras Center, against the Georgetown Hoyas. To accommodate national TV, this game will have a 9pm tip-off.
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A recent issue of Sports Illustrated included its annual college basketball preview. On the cover were SI's picks for the top 20. Among the elite, for the first time in recent memory ( at least a decade) was none other than Temple. Optimism unbounded. Could this be the season of 30 wins?
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How fortuitous. A fund and friend raising gala at the Wagner Free Institute of Science brought a group of us to 17th and Montgomery (three blocks from the Liacouras Center) just hours before the home opener. The Wagner Institute is one of those lesser-known museums worth a visit, or two.
The Wagner Institute’s nineteenth century exhibit hall – a soaring three-story space – houses an extraordinary collection of natural history specimens including mounted birds and mammals, fossils, rocks and minerals, insects, shells, dinosaur bones, and the first American saber-toothed tiger, discovered on a museum-sponsored expedition to Florida in 1886. Among the exhibits is one of the larger collection of owls I've come across anywhere.  A good ten minutes admiring this collection was a fine, if not unusual, way to "get ready" for the imminent Owls hoops season. Speaking of owls, I realize they're predatory birds, but I sure preferred the Temple Owl that exuded wisdom over  the current one.
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Following a convivial time at the Wagner, we trekked the three blocks to the Liacouras Center for the home opener against  Seton Hall. A slow start  for the Owls (which we thankfully missed) but our arrival coincided with an 18-4 first-half Temple run that gave Temple a lead  they didn't relinquish. Thinking the game was well in hand (the Owls had a 10-point lead with less than a minute remaining), some of us made our way to the exit.  Only later did we learn that Seton Hall ran off twelve consecutive points and cut the deficit to four.
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A respectable crowd of more than 8300 was in attendance. I won't be surprised if that turns out to be among the three largest crowds this season (it would have been the fourth largest crowd at the Liacouras center last season). Too bad, because the Owls have shown to be an exciting (and winning) team over the past few years, and  this season should be no different.   At least the athletic department has been more aggressive this year in its promotional efforts. Perhaps that will make a difference in drawing larger crowds this season.
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Some disappointing signs from the game. The Owls had 18 turnovers.  To put this in context, Temple ranked ninth nationally last year  in fewest turnovers per game (just over 10 per game). They made only 2 of 12 three-point shots, and but 61% of  free throws.  Will need to do better (much better , actually) than that to have a 25-win season.
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A crowd half the size of Friday night's showed up Sunday to watch the Owls square off against Toledo, a 31-point underdog. In an impressive display against an unimpressive opponent, the Owls prevailed by 33.
Uncanny, how good those oddsmakers are at their jobs. Five Owls in double figures (now that's balanced scoring) and an astounding 26 assists, against only 6 turnovers. The winning margin was Temple's largest in nearly four years. Our exit rule for the game - 30 point lead with 10 minutes left in the game. We left at the 10-minute mark. Not much more to be said about this day. Temple went into the game ranked 22nd nationally, and did not hurt their ranking.
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Most likely, there won't be another Chronicowls until after the next home game - against Georgetown.
Your comments to these blog posts are invited. Let's grow this community of Temple hoops fans.

Chronicowls, MMX, Post4

An exciting college basketball game at the Liacouras Center last night. Plenty of good shooting , especially by Temple in the second half, making more than two-thirds of their shots, and many tense moments. Juan Fernandez had a season (and career) high seven assists, Luis Guzman had a single turnover in 39 minutes of action while contributing 10 points, and four Owls (led by Ryan Brooks' 22 points) score in double figures. Temple's defense, which has been holding opponents to 55.5 points per game to rank third nationally, was good, but not exceptional, last night. But like every other game this season, the Owls held their opponent last night to a score below its season average.
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The oddsmakers , once again, were right on. Temple was favored by 5 points. Temple's winning margin was 5 points.
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The over-under for attendance last night was 7300 (no, you won't find the attendance over-under in the morning paper, it's available only in Chronicowls) . It was hard to tell from a glance around the arena whether the crowd last night was larger or smaller than 7300. Those who bet the under were winners - the crowd was announced as 6813 . Rather meager, considering that Temple is nationally ranked and Xavier was undefeated in conference play coming into the game. At least the student section was full of loud supporters. And the pep band was in full strength.
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In the most recent Chronicowls, I mentioned that there wasn't much energy flowing from the crowd or the court at last Saturday's game, and I added that even the Diamond Gems were absent from the event. Turned out their absence was for good cause. Over the weekend, the Temple University Diamond Gems Dance Team competed in its first ever national championship at the Universal Dance Association College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship, held at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. Over 85 dance teams from across the nation competed in this event (its basketball equivalent would be the NCAA tournament). The Diamond Gems competed in the Division 1 Hip Hop Category and finished in FOURTH place.
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If you weren't at the Liacouras Center last night, your options to follow the game were limited. There was NO radio coverage, nor streaming video. But if you accessed
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A loyal Owl fan commented the other day that he would have found laughable the preseason prediction that Temple would win 16 of its first 19 games. I agreed. But put together good coaching, solid defense, crisp ball movement that leads to more assists than turnovers, and balanced scoring, and all of a sudden you have the makings of a 16-3 team.http://www.owlsports.com you could listen to a streaming audio version of the game featuring Harry Donahue doing play-by-play with John Baum providing game analysis. By the way, a group of us attending a Temple soccer game at Ambler Field this past fall were joined on the sideline by John Baum. John is an administrator in the Temple athletic department, a classy guy, and a fine representative of the athletic department and university.