PHILADELPHIA – Winners of their last four, the La Salle men's basketball team looks to improve its Big 5 record to 2-1 against the rival Temple Owls on Saturday. The game will be hosted at The Palestra and the site of ESPN's College GameDay.

Opening tip is scheduled for noon, while doors to The Palestra will open at 8:00 am in preparation for College GameDay. The show is set to air live on ESPNU at 10:00am and will switch over to ESPN at 11:00am.
 
Temple Owls (5-10; 0-5 AAC; 2-0 Big 5) vs. La Salle Explorers (10-6; 3-0 A-10; 1-1 Big 5)
Saturday, January 18, 2014 | 12:00 PM | The Palestra
 
TV: Pregame – ESPNU (10 AM)/ESPN (11 AM)
TV: Game – ESPN2 | Free Video Stream via WatchESPN
Radio: 990 AM WNTP (Kale Beers, Steve Degler) Audio Stream: Click Here (Free)
 
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Game Notes
La Salle | Temple
 
Last Time Out
The La Salle men's basketball team moved to 3-0 in Atlantic 10 Conference play with a 72-62 victory over Rhode Island Wednesday evening at Tom Gola Arena. The victory marked the Explorers best start to conference play in Atlantic 10 history. Tyreek Duren continued his sparkling play, leading four Explorers who scored double figures with 15 points, while also dishing out two assists. Steve Zack and Jerrell Wright combined for 25 points and 20 rebounds against the Rams rugged interior defense. Both Wright (14 points – 10 rebounds) and Zack (11 points – 10 rebounds) recorded double-doubles, the second time both have recorded double-doubles in the same game this season.
 
ESPN GameDay
History will be made on Saturday. Not only is La Salle's matchup with Temple being played in The Palestra, one of the most historic arenas in basketball history, but the game will also be featured by ESPN on its celebrated college basketball pregame television show College GameDay. The first hour of the show will be broadcast on ESPNU from 10am-11am, with the second hour broadcast on ESPN.
 
College GameDay debuted on January 22, 2005. The show airs from the site of premier basketball matchups each week. It features in-depth analysis from its panel of basketball experts, which includes: Digger Phelps, Jay Bilas, Jalen Rose, and Rece Davis. The show also includes human-interest stories and concludes with a student from the host school attempting to sink a half court shot for $18,000. The show has aired from eight different locations over eight weeks each year since its expansion in 2007. Saturday marks the first time that La Salle has ever hosted or appeared as the featured game on the show.
 
This Saturday's show is particularly significant, as it is only the second time in the history of College GameDay that the show has broadcast from two separate locations on the same day. The evening portion of the show will be broadcast from Storrs, Conn. and feature Connecticut vs. Louisville. It is also the first time the show has been broadcast from a neutral venue with the two opponents splitting the house.
 
For more details visit: goexplorers.com/espngameday
 
Coach's Corner
Explorers head coach Dr. John Giannini on...
 
...thrill of playing at The Palestra
When the house is split, there is a reaction on every single play, which makes it really unique. I think it is great for the kids, the fans, and the overall experience.
 
...hosting College GameDay pregame show
College GameDay has become kind of a phenomenon, so to be chosen among all the games in the country for that is a tremendous opportunity. I just think both teams will probably be a little over-excited at the start of the game. I think the atmosphere and the stage is unique. They've all played on TV, they've all played on ESPN before, but College GameDay is something different, so I am sure both teams are going to be a little excited.
 
...recent record against Temple
It's not something that we like to brag about. We have great transparency in our program. It's not something that we like to talk about externally, but internally we do talk about it. It's a great challenge for our seniors in their last game against them. I think it's a point of pride. You don't want to end your career going winless against a rival and a great opponent like that.
 
...recent success
Tyreek wasn't his normal self the first few weeks; our team wasn't their normal self. I think we may have came in a little too relaxed to this season, and then we got too tight when we realized we were coming up short of our expectations. We were never just right, we were a little too lax, then a little too tight. Now we are back to our normal selves and Tyreek being healthy is a really big deal.
 
Scouting the Explorers
La Salle enters Saturday winners of their last four and seven of their last nine games. The Explorers beat Rhode Island 72-62 Wednesday evening to push their conference record to a program best start of 3-0. They are one of only three undefeated teams in conference play, accompanied by Massachusetts and Saint Louis. 
 
The Explorers offense has turned a corner over recent games, averaging 72.8 points/game in winning five of their last six. In Atlantic 10 play the offense has been even better averaging 74.3 points/game. In particular, the Blue and Gold have begun to found their range from three-point range in recent games. The Explorers have knocked down 24-of-59 (40.6%) three-pointers since the beginning of Atlantic 10 Conference play.
 
The Explorer defense has also stepped up the intensity in recent games. The Blue and Gold has only given up an average of 63.6 points/game over their last five contests and have only allowed 63.3 points/game in conference play. The Explorers rank fifth in the conference in field goal percentage defense (42.5%), but have been even stingier since conference play began allowing their first three opponents to shoot 66-of-171 (38.5%).
 
Like the Owls, the Explorers also boast four players who average double figures. Senior guards Tyreek Duren and Tyrone Garland lead the team and are tied for 15^th in the Atlantic 10 averaging 13.8 points/game. Duren has been the Explorers best distributor, ranking tenth in the conference, averaging 3.7 assists/game. He has been even better since conference play began, averaging 17 points/game and 4.3 assists/game in the last three games.
 
The duo played a major role in the Explorers most recent game against Rhode Island. Duren led the team with 15 points, while Garland produced a highlight of the season dunk that energized the team to hold on for the victory over the Rams.
 
Senior guard Sam Mills continues to turn around his play after a rough shooting start to the season. He now ranks fifth in the Atlantic 10 in three-point field goal percentage, knocking down 29-of-67 (43.3%) three-pointers. He is 10-of-18 (55.5%) in conference play. He has reached double figures in four of his last six games, including a season high 17 in the conference opener against George Washington.
 
Junior forward Jerrell Wright and junior center Steve Zack patrol the Explorer frontcourt. Wright has been a force inside, ranking 21^st in the conference averaging 12.8 points/game, while also ranking 14^th in rebounding averaging 6.3 rebounds/game. He seemingly cannot miss in recent games, posting another strong 6-of-9 shooting against Rhode Island. He is fifth in the conference in field goal percentage, going 79-of-135 (58.5%) this season.
 
Zack is nearly averaging a double-double this season. He is averaging an even ten points/game, while he also leads the conference in rebounding. Zack pulls down an average of 9.4 rebounds/game. He has also been an intimidating presence on the defensive interior, ranking fourth in the conference in blocked shots with an average of 2.2 blocks/game. Both Zack and Wright are coming off double-doubles against Rhode Island, the second time this season they have recorded double-doubles in the same game.
 
Coach's Corner
Owls head coach Fran Dunphy on...
 
...playing La Salle
I think we are playing a really good basketball team in the city of Philadelphia and we need to play well.
 
...appearing on ESPN College GameDay
I don't think it changes anything for me as a coach. Obviously, we'll talk about it with the players. Once that ball goes up, GameDay doesn't mean anything. What means something for us is trying to keep Tyreek Duren out of the lane or Jerrell Wright trying to make a jump-hook in the lane. Those are things that are going to be important.
 
...The Palestra appearing on national television
It is part of the fabric of Philadelphia basketball. That's why ESPN asked us to play this game. I don't think it would be College GameDay if it was played at Liacouras or at Gola Arena.

...La Salle's recent play
I think they are a really good team. There are just no weaknesses. I think they come off the bench with three really solid guys who know exactly what their roles are. I think that's what really makes good teams is everybody understands what their duties are and that's where La Salle is really good.
 
Scouting the Owls
Temple enters Saturday's matchup losers in seven of their last eight games. Although the losses have piled up, the Owls are still an extremely dangerous squad. They lost a one-point heartbreaker in overtime to traditional power Texas in the first game of this rough stretch. The Owls also led #17 ranked Memphis midway through the second half and #19/#23 Cincinnati with 6:30 to play, before faltering down the stretch in both contests. Their average margin of defeat in the seven losses of this stretch has been by just a touch over five points per game.
 
The Owls boast a potent scoring offense that ranks fourth in the American Athletic Conference at 76.2 points/game. Temple has been particularly lethal from beyond the arc this season. The Owls have poured in 102 three-pointers and are third in the American Athletic Conference with a .374 field goal percentage from range. They rank fourth in the conference averaging 6.8 three-point makes per game.
 
The Owls struggles have come on the defensive end, particularly on the defensive interior. They rank last in the AAC in scoring defense, allowing opponents to score an average of 75.5 points/game. They also rank last in the conference on the defensive glass, allowing opponents to collect 40.3 rebounds/game and posting the only negative rebounding margin in the conference at -3.7.
 
Four Owls players average scoring in double figures, led by senior guard Dalton Pepper. He ranks third in the AAC averaging 17.5 points/game. Pepper has been scintillating from range this season, ranking first in the conference in three-pointers/game (2.7), second in three-point makes (41) and seventh in three-point field goal percentage (44.1%). He also is active on the glass, averaging 5.5 rebounds/game.
 
Sophomore Quenton DeCosey and junior Will Cummings join Pepper to form one of the most powerful backcourts in the conference. Both players average 16.1 points/game and are tied for sixth in the conference in scoring average. Cummings has been an excellent distributor as well, leading the Owls with 57 assists on the season and ranking sixth in the conference averaging 4.1 assists/game.
 
Junior Anthony Lee patrols the frontcourt for the Owls. He averages just shy of a double-double with 13.9 points/game and 9.5 rebounds/game. His 9.5 rebounds/game lead the conference.
 
Up Next
The Explorers will look to remain perfect in conference, traveling to upstate New York to take on St. Bonaventure for a Wednesday 9:00pm matchup. The game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.