No. 24 Temple loses to UMass, 77-71

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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.–The Owls entered the Atlantic Ten Conference Tournament with the top seed and a No. 24 ranking, but the Massachusetts Minutemen played disruptive basketball as the eight-seeded underdogs.

The Minutemen (22-10, 10-7 A-10) trailed by five points at half, 36-31,  but came out in the second half on a 15-0 run in the first five minutes to take a 46-36 lead. Sophomore guard Jesse Morgan scored seven of those points during that stretch and finished with game-high 21 points.

The Owls’ loss marked just the second time in 20 games this season they lost after holding a lead at halftime.

Temple remained close down the stretch and reclaimed a lead with just under nine minutes remaining after redshirt-freshman forward  Anthony Lee knocked down two free throws to give the Owls a 58-57 advantage. Lee ended up with eight points, four rebounds and three blocks in the game.

Senior guard Juan Fernandez made a three-pointer to extend the Owls lead to four points–their largest lead of the half–after Lee blocked a shot attempt by UMass’ junior forward Terrell Vinson on the other end.

With five minutes remaining, UMass regained the lead at 65-64 and held on to win its first A-10 Tournament quarterfinal game since 2001.

Listen to post-game audio from UMass players, sophomore guard Chaz Williams, Morgan, redshirt-senior Sean Carter and coach Derek Kellogg, and Temple players, redshirt-senior guard Ramone Moore, Fernandez and coach Fran Dunphy.

Williams, Morgan, Carter, Kellogg

Moore, Fernandez, Dunphy

Check back with The Temple News later for a full game recap.

Owls lead by five points at half against UMass in A-10 quarterfinals

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TTN ABI REIMOLD

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.–The men’s basketball team is up five points, 36-31, to the eight-seeded Massachusetts Minutemen at halftime of the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Ten Conference Tournament.

Junior guard Khalif Wyatt started the game on the bench for the Owls, as redshirt-junior T.J. DiLeo spelled the Norristown High School product in the lineup.  Wyatt saw action with less than 10 minutes remaining in the first half and scored a game-high eight points off the bench.

No. 24 Temple is also led by multiple starters who have provided at the half, as the team shot 46.4 percent from the floor. Senior guard Juan Fernandez and junior forward Rhalif Hollis-Jefferson each scored six points and redshirt-senior guard Ramone Moore and graduate center Micheal Eric each added five points.

The two teams last met on Feb. 29 at the Liacouras Center, where the No. 23 Owls defeated the Minutemen in overtime, 90-88.

The Minutemen shot 37.5 percent as a team and are led offensively by redshirt-sophomore guard Chaz Williams and bench player redshirt-freshman forward Maxie Esho who each have seven points.  Williams scored a team-high 26 points last time the Minutemen played the Owls.

Check back on www.temple-news.com for post-game coverage.

Temple to join Big East in all sports

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Temple football will join the Big East for the 2012 season, while all other sports will be added for the 2013 season, multiple sources have confirmed.

The Owls will give the Big East eight football teams, along with Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Louisville, Rutgers, Cincinnati and South Florida, for the 2012 season.

Temple was a founding member of Big East football in 1991 before being booted out of the conference in 2004 for a lack of university support. Since then, the Owls have turned the program around with the help from coaches Al Golden and Steve Addazio, who have guided Temple to two bowl games and a bowl victory since Temple got kicked out.

Boise State and San Diego State will join the conference as football-only members for the 2013-14 season, while Houston, Memphis, SMU and UCF will be added as all-sports members. Navy will join for football only in 2015.

If Pittsburgh and Syracuse, which have already negotiated exits to the Atlantic Coast Conference, cannot leave the Big East prior to the 2013 season, the conference would have 14 football schools and 20 basketball schools during that year.

Man wanted for homicide arrested

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Maurice Jones, 27, of the 5300 block of North 12th Street, turned himself in to officers at Police Headquarters March 5.

The fugitive wanted for the Feb. 25 murder of Charles Tresse, 35,  in the 22nd Police District turned himself in to Police Headquarters yesterday, March 5, at 11:45 p.m.

Maurice Jones, 27, of the 5300 block of North 12th Street, is responsible for Tresse’s multiple gunshot wounds to the chest which resulted in his death.

When police responded to a call regarding “person with a gun” on the 1800 block of North 20th Street, near 20th and Montgomery streets, they found Tresse, badly injured. He was taken to Temple Hospital where he died shortly thereafter.

Dunphy, guards earn A-10 honors

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Men’s basketball coach Fran Dunphy was named the Atlantic Ten Conference Coach of the Year, while guards, redshirt-senior Ramone Moore, senior Juan Fernandez and junior Khalif Wyatt also earned conference honors on Monday.

This is Dunphy’s second Coach of the Year award since becoming Temple’s head coach in 2006. He led the Owls to their first outright A-10 regular season title since 1989-90 this season and a 24-6 record overall while missing starting senior forward Scootie Randall for the entire season and graduate center Micheal Eric for 13 games.

“I appreciate the vote of confidence by our fellow coaches,” Dunphy said in a teleconference call Monday. “They did not have to do that, and I appreciate it. I’m grateful for that. It’s just a stroke of good luck. We have some good players and the kids did a nice job. Obviously it’s never the head coach, it’s the players and the assistant coaches doing all the work and we take the lead. Certainly you can’t do anything without good people around you, but I appreciate the respect from the coaches in the league.”

Moore was beat out by St. Bonaventure senior forward Andrew Nicholson for A-10 Player of the Year, but was named to the A-10 First Team All-Conference. Wyatt was named to Second Team All-Conference, while Fernandez was named Third Team All-Conference and to the All Academic Team.

“It’s meaningful stuff for these kids and I appreciate the time that the coaches spend on this,” Dunphy said. “It’s terrific, we’re appreciative of how tough this league is and how many great programs and how many great players are in it.”

Moore averaged 17.8 points per game, good for first on the team and second in the conference, in his final season at Temple. Wyatt ranked third in the A-10 in scoring with 17.1 points per game, and fourth in steals per game (2.1) and free-throw percentage (.849). Fernandez led the Owls in assists per game (3.8) while averaging 11.4 points per game and maintaining a grade-point average of 3.08.

Here’s a complete list of the A-10 end-of-the-year awards.

Coach of the Year

Fran Dunphy, Temple

Player of the Year

Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure

Defensive Player of the Year

C.J. Aiken, Saint Joseph’s

Rookie of the Year

Kendall Anthony, Richmond

Sixth Man of the Year

Ronald Roberts, Saint Joseph’s

Chris Daniels Most Improved Player

Earl Pettis, La Salle

All-Academic Team

Luke Fabrizius, Dayton
Nemanja Mikic, George Washington
Brian Conklin, Saint Louis
Kyle Cassity, Saint Louis
Juan Fernandez, Temple

First Team All-Conference

Chaz Williams, Massachusetts
Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
Brian Conklin, Saint Louis
Ramone Moore, Temple
Tu Holloway, Xavier

Second Team All-Conference

Kevin Dillard, Dayton
Chris Gaston, Fordham
Ramon Galloway, La Salle
Langston Galloway, Saint Joseph’s
Khalif Wyatt, Temple

Third Team All-Conference

Chris Braswell, Charlotte
T.J. McConnell, Duquesne
Kwamain Mitchell, Saint Louis
Juan Fernandez, Temple
Mark Lyons, Xavier

All-Conference Honorable Mention

Chris Johnson, Dayton
Earl Pettis, La Salle
Carl Jones, Saint Joseph’s
Halil Kanacevic, Saint Joseph’s

All-Defensive Team

T.J. McConnell, Duquesne
Darrius Garrett, Richmond
Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
C.J. Aiken, Saint Joseph’s
Jordair Jett, Saint Louis

All-Rookie Team

Pierria Henry, Charlotte
Jerrell Wright, La Salle
Jonathan Holton, Rhode Island
Kendall Anthony, Richmond
Dezmine Wells, Xavier

 

No Big East announcement today

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Temple does not expect to make any kind of announcement on its future with the Big East today, according to Assistant Vice President of University Communications Ray Betzner.

Multiple sources reported that Temple could announce that it would join the conference as at least a football member for the 2012 season, with the option of adding all other sports for 2013, before the Big East men’s basketball tournament starts on Tuesday.

Betzner said the university does not expect anything definitive to come out today.

The Big East will meet on Wednesday to discuss its future with football and possibly vote on Temple’s all-sports membership. The conference targeted the university to fill the spot as the eighth football team for the 2012 season after West Virginia negotiated an early exit from the Big East, effective this upcoming year.

The executive committee of Temple’s board of trustees met last Wednesday, Feb. 29, to “discuss contracts,” according to Betzner after an athletics committee meeting was canceled.

Betzner couldn’t specify as to what was accomplished by the meeting, but multiple media outlets reported that Temple and the Big East had reached a verbal agreement two days later.

The contracts that were discussed last week could have been the legal issues that have to be worked out among Temple, the Mid-American Conference and the Atlantic Ten Conference.

Temple plays football in the MAC and all other sports, save gymnastics, in the A-10. To leave the MAC with less than a year’s notice would cost the university at least $2.5 million. If Temple were to join the Big East for all sports next season, the exit fee would be $2 million for the A-10.

If Temple has negotiated those contracts and the Big East members vote on the university’s membership Wednesday, a definitive announcement on Temple’s future with the conference could come this week.

 

 

Owls clinch No. 1 seed in overtime thriller

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The men’s basketball team defeated Massachusetts 90-88 in overtime on Wednesday night, clinching the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Ten Conference Tournament and at least a share of the A-10 regular season title.

Temple (23-6, 12-3 A-10) honored graduate center Micheal Eric, redshirt-senior guard Ramone Moore, senior guard Juan Fernandez and senior guard Jake Godino in a ceremony before the game for senior night.

Eric, Moore and Fernandez all scored in double digits, and Godino made his first career start. Eric tied a career high with 19 points and added 15 rebounds for his third straight double-double.

Owls’ junior guard Khalif Wyatt paced Temple with 26 points, including 17 from the free throw line. Wyatt scored Temple’s last seven points to clinch the win in overtime.

Listen to post game audio from Wyatt, Eric and coach Fran Dunphy. Check back with The Temple News for a full game recap.

Fran Dunphy

Khalif Wyatt, Micheal Eric

Athletics committee meeting canceled

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The Temple Board of Trustees athletics committee meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. today that was reportedly going to include discussions about adding Temple as an all-sports member to the Big East, effective the Fall 2012 season, has been canceled.

Assistant Vice President of University Communications Ray Betzner said there was no stated reason for canceling the Athletics Committee meeting, but the executive committee of the board of trustees will meet at 2 p.m. to “discuss contracts.”

Temple has a lot of contractual work to go through before the Owls can leave the Mid-American Conference for football and the Atlantic Ten Conference for all other sports.

If the Owls were to join the Big East immediately, Temple would have to pay $2 million to leave the A-10 with less than a year’s notice and at least a $2.5 million exit fee from the MAC.

The Big East desperately needs an eighth team for football in 2012 after West Virginia made an early exit for the Big 12. After Boise State couldn’t pay its exit fee to leave the Mountain West Conference and Western Athletic Conference a year early, the Big East turned its attention to Temple.

The Owls would give the Big East its crucial eighth team for football for the 2012 season and improve the conference’s basketball profile immediately while filling in as the 16th team.

Though initial reports stated that a decision on Temple’s future could be made before the end of February, Betzner said the university does not expect an announcement or movement of any kind today.

 

 

 

Shey Peddy named A-10 POY and Defensive POY

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Senior guard Shey Peddy has been named the Atlatntic Ten Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the year, becoming the first player to win both awards since Temple’s own Candace Dupree did so in 2005 and 2006.

Peddy finished second in the conference with 17 points per game, second in steals with 3.1 per game, fifth in assist-to-turnover ration with 1.6, and third with 60 three-pointers.

Peddy’s numbers spiked during conference play as she helped lead the Owls to a 13-1 record in the A-10, good enough for the tournament’s second seed. She led the A-10conference season with 18.6 points per game and was first in assist-to-turnover ratio with2.5, second in steals with 3.1 per game, and sixth in assists with 3.8 per game.

Peddy beat out Dayton’s Justine Raterman (14.7 points per game), both of whom alsoreceived A-10 All-Conference first team honors. Richmond’s Abby Oliver and St.Bonaventure’s Jessica Jenkins and Megan Van Tatenhove round out the first team.

A four-time A-10 Player of the Week this season, Peddy also won the United States Basketball Writers Association’s National Player of the Week. She was also a candidate for the preseason Naismith Award watch, for the nation’s 35 best players.

She wasn’t the only Owl to receive conference honors. Senior guard Kristen McCarthy was named to A-10 Second Team for the second consecutive year. She was named to thefirst team in her sophomore year and the All-Rookie Team in 2008-09.

Peddy and McCarthy lead the Owls to action in the A-10 Conference Tournament, hosted by St. Joseph’s at Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena, on Saturday in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. They face the winner of the Duquesne vs. George Washington game. Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m.

-Jake Adams

The Temple News recieves interesting letters

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A crate of mail arrived at The Temple News office this afternoon. While this is normally a very uneventful occurance, today’s batch of mail included the following:

-An unsigned letter in which the author calls Americans “totally stupid people who elect moronic criminals.” The author, who TTN assumes is Russian, describes his uncle who “died a wealthy man” from reporting people to the Cheka (The now-defunct Soviet Union equivalent of the CIA) as “subversives.” Americans will be meeting this same fate of the people his uncle reported in six years if they keep being stupid, the author said.

-Not one, but two identical letters from the same author imploring TTN to investigate the events behind 9/11.

-A flyer for a student cartoon contest. The contest’s theme: 9/11.

-A letter from a Craig White, who said he used to preach “the Word of God” in front of Temple’s student activities center from 1993 to 2003. He is currently serving time in a correctional facility in Cresson, Pa. where he writes that his civil rights are being violated because he is unable to get out of prison on parole.  His crime, in his words, was “my choice to commit at deviant offense against a teenager.” A quick glance at his court docket shows he was convicted of soliciting prostitution and attempting to lure a child into a motor vehicle in 2004.

-A lengthy and comprehensive two-part letter from a Curtis Thomas in which he addresses the following:

  • He wishes to become columnist for TTN with the title “Truthful Slave Narratives.” 975 percent of what he writes will be true, said. He intends to write about life at the “Slave Plantation at Greene” which, judging from the address Thomas provided, is a correctional facility in Waynesburg, Pa. His fee is $500 an article.
  • He said he never committed any crimes although he admitted he was convicted of assault and battery in 1976 when “a cat” tried to steal his leg brace while he was washing his leg.
  • He was kidnapped at gunpoint in 1974. He has since spent his life in Pa. prisons.
  • Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett and his wife received two puppies upon becoming governor and held a statewide contest to name them. “F––– both them damn dogs!!!” he said.
  • He recommends the movie “Matilda.” “Get the DVD,” he said.
  • He referenced a scene in “Matilda” where she rides a red wagon to the library. He too had a wagon, except his had wooden slats on the side to carry stuff. One day in 1964, he was playing with his wagon when two men pushed him in his wagon into traffic on the 1400 block of South Street. He was hit by a motor vehicle.
  • He solicited the help of his friend and former South Philly politician Vince Fumo to try and get him out of prison. Fumo has yet to respond to his requests for aid.
  • His lawyer is a racist.
  • All he requests of his “enslavers” is a new leg brace, a cane and pair of blue dungaree pants.
  • He has solicited his column services to other newspapers in order to earn money to get the three aforementioned items.

While The Temple News would love to assist Mr. Thomas in his quest for blue dungaree pants, he is not a Temple student and thus is ineligible to become a columnist. His fee is also a little steep.

The Temple News will investigate all claims brought to our attention.

A sampling of some of the letters mentioned in this post.