March 15, 2008
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ -
Temple (20-12) and Saint Joseph's have meet 145 previous times, but tonight (6:00 p.m./ESPN/12 AM WPHT)will be the first time the teams take the Boardwalk Hall floor against each other in the A-10 title game. It is not, however, the first time these rivals have played for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Owls own a 3-2 lead in conference title games, defeating the Hawks once for the East Coast Conference Championship (1979) and twice for the Middle Atlantic Conference Championship (2-2 overall).
The teams split two games this season, each winning on the other's home floor by a single point. Temple's 57-56 on March 2 snapped a five-game losing streak to SJU. The Owls lead the series, 81-64, but the Hawks have had the upper hand of late. winning 13 of the last 15 encounters. SJU has also won the last two A-10 Tournament meetings after dropping the first seven games in Championship play
Junior Dionte Christmas, who was held to a season-low six points in the Owls' semifinal win over Charlotte, leads the Atlantic 10 with a 20.2 scoring average. Senior Mark Tyndale tops the Owls in rebounding (7.2 rpg.), assists (4.2 apg.) and steals (1.6 spg.) while ranking second in scoring (16.1 ppg.). Junior center Sergio Olmos (5.8 ppg., 49 blocks) has been hot of late, scoring in double figures in three of his last four games, while senior Chris Clark (7.6 ppg.) has averaged 12 points in TU's two tournament games.
Senior guard Pat Calathes (17.9 ppg., 7.6 rpg.), a first team all-Atlantic 10 selection, tops SJU and is one of four Hawks' that average double figures. Junior center Ahmad Nivins (14.3 ppg.) earned third team all-conference honors while junior transfer Tasheed Carr (10.8 ppg.) leads SJU and ranks second in the A-10 in assists (160).
Temple is 6-7 in A-10 title games, last winning the Championship in 2001. SJU is 2-2 in A-10 title games with its last Championship coming in 1997.
