The best Big 5 matchup of the season wasn’t even played in Philadelphia.

The men’s basketball team held on for a victory over their intra-city rival, St. Joseph’s, 69-64, in the Atlantic 10 championship game Saturday night, punching their ticket for the 2008 NCAA tournament.

Junior Dionte Christmas, held in check for most of the tournament, exploded for 22 points in the victory. In addition to the guaranteed tournament bid, the win gives Temple a 3-2 edge in the season series. For more on the teams’ rivalry, check out John Kopp’s column from yesterday.

Stay tuned to temple-news.com and broadandcecil.com for more on the A-10 championship, and all your Owls NCAA coverage.