Tough Temple defense next for sputtering Tigers

The men's basketball team will not face Ivy League rival Penn until February, but tonight's game against Temple (3-2 overall) could give Princeton a flavor of where it will stack up against the Quakers. On Saturday, Temple won a tight 50-46 contest over Penn in a Big Five Classic game. The Tigers (1-3) did not have as successful of a weekend, and they will look to erase the memory of Saturday's disappointing loss to Colgate when they face the Owls at 7:30 tonight in Jadwin Gym.

Last season Temple edged the Tigers by just two points in Philadelphia, when Will Venable '05's layup attempt was blocked at the buzzer. Revenge for that loss would be sweet, but Princeton has struggled this season to replace the scoring that Venable and his classmates produced.

Princeton's 38-point total against Colgate was its lowest since 2002, and it would seem that the Tigers have nowhere to go but up. Cold shooting hurt the Tigers as they managed just 33 percent from the floor, and their veterans failed to produce.

Against Colgate, junior forward Luke Owings was ineffective offensively for the second game in a row, scoring just three points. Senior guard Scott Greenman also struggled, shooting one-of-seven for two points total. Sophomore forward Noah Savage once again had to bear the load, which he did by playing every minute of the contest and scoring 13 points.

For a team struggling offensively, the Owls are far from the ideal opponent. Coach John Chaney's teams are known for their oppressive matchup-zone defenses, which have traditionally stifled some of the NCAA's best offensive teams.

Temple has been impressive in its first five games of the year, posting dominant wins over Army and Miami. The Owls' first loss came to No. 16 UCLA by just seven points and the second to Rutgers on a night when Temple was plagued by unusually poor shooting.

The Owls are led by a strong backcourt, headlined by All-American candidate Mardy Collins, who is averaging 15.2 points per game. Guards Dustin Salisbery and Mark Tyndale are also netting 10 points or more apiece for the Owls. Inside, forward Antywane Robinson is a steady scoring threat for Temple, averaging 12.6 ppg. These four players form the core of the Temple team and have played the majority of every game. A steady fifth has not yet arisen for the Owls, leading to rebounding difficulties.

The Tigers, who have been sorely outrebounded so far this season, may have a chance to improve upon that statistic against the Owls. Temple lacks a dominant presence inside, as Salisbery is the team's leading rebounder with just five per game.

Against Colgate, head coach Joe Scott '87 started junior center Pat Ekeruo for the first time, benching sophomore center Harrison Schaen, who had started the season's first three contests. Despite foul trouble, Ekeruo had a strong game, scoring a career-high nine points and leading the Tigers in rebounding with five boards. Ekeruo is expected to start again versus Temple.

If Ekeruo and company can outmuscle the Owls inside, it could go a long way toward snapping Princeton's two-game losing streak. But after two straight games in which the Tigers have looked inept offensively, Temple seems poised to produce one of its patented dominating defensive performances.