Whoa, kids. Unfortunately, due to my lack of organization, I am just signing on to Broad & Cecil now at about 4:56 p.m. I guess this is what happens when you dream up ideas in the shower.

Alright, well, for better or for worse, we’re off. Unfortunately, I’ll be going back and forth between our Temple News conference room and our main room (where the computers are), so I’m going to be a little behind. Bear with me (I hope I used the right word, “bear” or is “bare”? … Someone please help. I’m an idiot.).

Also, feel free to play along and comment, if you wish. I could use the company.

OK, enough of this foreplay … Temple. Xavier. A-10 Championship Game … Go, go, live blog! (Make sure to keep pressing “refresh” for more snarky, dumbass comments!) Continue reading →

With a win over Dayton Sunday afternoon, the Temple women’s basketball team advanced to the Atlantic Ten Conference Championship game for the fifth time in eight years. Temple is 4-0 in A-10 Championship games, winnning in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

The No. 1-seeded, four-time champion Owls (21-11) will take on No. 3 Xavier in this year’s conference finale at Saint Joseph’s Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse. Tip off for the game, which will be broadcast live on ESPN2, is set for 5 p.m.

Xavier (23-8) knocked the Owls out of last year’s tournament in a 54-53 upset victory on their home court, the Cintas Center, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The defending A-10 champion Musketeers also won their regular season match-up against the Owls, 64-55, on Feb. 9. The Owls have won seven straight games after that particular loss.

Starting around 4:50 p.m., Broad & Cecil will attempt to LIVE BLOG tonight’s game from the ever-so-familiar surroundings of The Temple News office … So stay tuned for that, hoopball fans.

Also check out Temple-News.com after the final buzzer for stories from tonight’s contest.

Then head back over to Broad & Cecil for POST-GAME AUDIO and a PHOTO SLIDESHOW from TTN photographer Ron Davis, both of which will hopefully be posted by tomorrow morning at the latest.

To check out all of TTN’s A-10 Women’s Tournament coverage, click here.

(Photo courtesy of TTN photographer Ron Davis.)

The men’s basketball team had lost three of their last four at Tom Gola Arena, playing the La Salle Explorers. Today’s 4 p.m. match up was crucial, if Temple lost and St. Joe’s beat Dayton, then the Hawks would take over second place as the A-10 conference tournament began.

Things went our way.

Behind a career high 22-points from Chris Clark, in the last regular season basketball game of his career, the Owls beat La Salle comfortably 85 – 66.

In other news, Dayton beat St. Joe’s, even after the Hawks handed a huge upset to then No. 8 Xavier last week. (It was just the second loss for the A-10 first place Musketeers, yes, the other loss came at the hands of Temple)

The A-10 tournament begins this week, and The Temple News has all the coverage for both the men and the women.

Photo courtesy of Owlsports.com

Today, you should consider yourselves the luckiest boys (and girls) on the face of the earth.

Why, you ask?

Broad & Cecil has EXCLUSIVE photos of a hawk attacking a defenseless squirrel earlier today outside of Gladfelter Hall courtesy of TTN photographer and all-around good girl, Julia Wilkinson.

As this unidentified hawk took to the business of slowly dismantling Mr. S.Q. Uirrel, an inquiring group of students gathered around to bear witness to one of nature’s more horrific massacres.

Unfortunately for the squirrel, none of these bystanders tried to intervene.

No word yet on where the squirrel’s funeral will be held.

If anyone can I.D. this squirrel killer, let us know. Remember, kids, only you can prevent this from happening again.

More hawk on squirrel pictures after the jump. Continue reading →

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 …

It’s the A-10 Tournament commandments! (What?).

That’s right folks. Whether it’s men’s or women’s, The Temple News has got you covered when it comes to coverage of the A-10 Tournaments. Game recaps, features, photos – just about everything you need while you’re hunched over your computer over Spring Break, wondering why people don’t like you (Just kidding. We know you’re hip enough to be hunched over something else over the break).

Starting tomorrow, expect daily TTN coverage of postseason Owls basketball, starting with the women’s adventures at Saint Joseph’s Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse. Then we’ll continue our all-out hoopball coverage Wednesday once the men’s tourney tips off in Atlantic City, N.J.

So, to recap, what are you going to do tomorrow, students? All together now …

“Check out Temple-News.com and BroadandCecil.com for coverage of Temple’s teams during the A-10 Tournament.”

Good. Everyone gets an ‘A’.

(Archived photo courtesy of TTN photographer Kevin Cook)

In the final regular season home game of their careers, seniors Mark Tyndale, Chris Clark and Orlando Miller went out on top.

The Owls defeated Duquesne, 90-85, Wednesday night at the Liacouras Center to clinch a first round bye in next week’s Atlantic Ten Conference Tournament in Atlantic City, N.J.

The junior duo of Dionte Christmas and Sergio Olmos both set career highs, scoring 37 and 16 points, respectively, and partially upstaging the four-year members of the team, who were honored before the game in a ceremony that included former Owls coach John Chaney.

Tyndale, the most lauded member of the Owls’ 2004 recruits, scored 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists. The 6-5 Simon Gratz alumnus, who was accompanied by several members of his family, including both of his grandmothers, fell awkwardly on his head in the first half after colliding with a Duquesne player. After being attended to by team physicians, Tyndale left the floor, only to return to the game several minutes later. He appeared at the post-game press conference with ice wrapped around his left arm as he talked about the back pain he felt after the fall:

“I’m just ready to go home and get some rest. I’m tired, man.”

In other news, Tyndale and Al Shrier are both being considered for the role of John McLane in the next Die Hard movie*.

(*This may or may not be true.)

For their regular season finale, the Owls will play La Salle at the Tom Gola Arena Saturday at 4 p.m.

For more on Temple’s win, read: “Juniors shine on Senior Night”

More hoopball photos after the jump. Continue reading →

Last week, Metropolis columnist Ryan Briggs raised a glass to Philadelphia Brewing Co., the new venture by former Yards partners Bill and Nancy Barton.

Tonight, just in time for Philly Beer Week, the Bartons tap the first kegs at the Green Rock Tavern, 2546 E. Lehigh St. in Port Richmond. Drafts are just $1 from 7-8 p.m.

For more information about PBC, here’s a Philadelphia Weekly story by TU prof./ J-School heartthrob G.W. Miller III.

via Foobooz

A huge weight was lifted off of Mark Tyndale’s shoulders Sunday night.

In January, the 6-foot-5 senior guard missed the front end of a crucial one-and-one free throw attempt and had a potential game-winning lay-up blocked – albeit, controversially – at the buzzer by Saint Joseph’s junior center Ahmad Nivens and the Hawks beat Temple, 68-67.

The burden of that loss stayed with Tyndale. Until last night.

Tyndale scored a game-winning layup with 22.3 seconds left to lead Temple to a come-from-behind 57-56 victory over St. Joe’s in front of a sold out crowd of 8,722 at the Palestra. The Owls rallied from a 14-point second half defecit to move into second place in the competitive Atlantic Ten Conference standings.

St. Joe’s was the sixth A-10 team to push the Owls to a game that was decided by two points or less. Temple is 3-3 in those contests this season.

Tyndale finished with a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds, while junior Dionte Christmas was held to just 10 points. Tyndale received help from an unlikely scoring partner in junior guard Semaj Inge, who notched 10 points off the bench and held little back about his feelings toward St. Joe’s in the press conference:

“Me personally, I just don’t like St. Joe’s … I just don’t like those guys.”

Talk about animosity … Maybe they could play this song over the loud speakers before the next Temple-St. Joe’s game. It couldn’t hurt … Could it?

The Owls will host Duquesne at the Liacouras Center Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Hit the “Keep reading” link at the bottom of this post for more pictures, sports fans.

Read TTN reporter John Kopp’s game story: “Men’s basketball team tops St. Joe’s in a thriller”

Also read: “By the bucket”

(Photos by TTN photographers Kevin Cook and Ron Davis. Headshot of Tyndale courtesy of Owlsports.com)

Continue reading →

Huge news from the Palestra.

With the help of a resurgent second half from Mark Tyndale, the men’s basketball team defeated St. Joseph’s, 57-56.

The win gives the Owls sole possession of second place in the A-10, with  two games to play before the conference tournament begins March 12.

Complete game analysis, including a game story and photos from tonight’s match up will be online later tonight. Check back.

In the mean time, take pleasure in knowing this game breaks a five game losing streak the Owls had against the Hawks. In addition, Temple hadn’t beaten St. Joe’s away since 2002, back when legend Lynn Greer was still sticking threes for Chaney. Check out the video below of his recent handiwork playing overseas.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYQI4eyAS04 350 292]

The Owls next play host to Duquesne on Wednesday and they’re at La Salle at 4 p.m. next Saturday.

Tonight, the Cherry Crusade gets what it wants.

The group of student fans for Temple athletics has been chanting ‘Bring on St. Joe’s’ and its more expletive-ridden brother, since the first half of the Owls win over Charlotte on Wednesday, which Temple won 75-61.

And today they get them. At 7 p.m. tonight check out Comcast Sports Net to see your Owls take on the Hawks.

Everything is on the line.

The rivalry is already hot, but now St. Joe’s is second in the A-10 and Temple is locked in third. Only the top four teams in the conference get a first round bye in the tournament.

So huge, that scoring duo Mark Tyndale and Dionte Christmas really ought to prepare with some campy interview schtick, like this one from earlier in the season by CSTV.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I6TxowqYxI 350 292]