Can Temple Owls Outmaneuver SMU Mustangs at Dickies Arena?
As the Temple Owls prepare to face off against the SMU Mustangs at Dickies Arena, fans are eager to see if their team can carry forward the momentum from their recent performances. The Owls have shown a mix of resilience and areas for improvement, which could be pivotal in their upcoming clash.
In their last game on March 13 against the Roadrunners, the Owls secured a narrow victory with a final score of 64-61. Despite shooting only 36 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc, they managed to edge out their opponents with an impressive 82 percent free-throw percentage and crucial second-chance points totaling 15. Their assist-to-turnover ratio stood at a solid 1.63, indicating decent ball movement and decision-making under pressure.
However, it was not all smooth sailing for TEM; they committed nine turnovers and were outrebounded by five boards overall. These are areas that need tightening up if they hope to overcome SMU in Fort Worth.
Looking back further to March 10 against UTSA Roadrunners in San Antonio, TEM exhibited offensive prowess by putting up an impressive tally of 84 points while maintaining high efficiency with a field goal percentage of 48 percent and matching that figure from three-point land. Their ball distribution was commendable as well – dishing out twelve assists while turning over the ball just twice – resulting in an outstanding assists turnover ratio of six.
Yet it's important not to overlook that this game also highlighted some defensive lapses as TEM allowed UTSA Roadrunners to score heavily too, ending with a nail-bitingly close scoreline of 84-82.
The most concerning performance came on March 8 when facing UAB Blazers; TEM fell short despite shooting efficiently at a rate of nearly half from both two-point range (55 percent) and three-point range (38 percent). The glaring issue was rebounding; they were dominated on the glass with only nineteen total rebounds compared to UAB's forty-one.
As we approach this critical matchup against SMU Mustangs, it is clear that rebounding will be key for TEM. They must also maintain their free-throw accuracy while improving upon three-point shooting consistency demonstrated in past games.
The upcoming game is scheduled for March 14 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth at what would be an evening tip-off time locally but will air late night due to timezone differences on ESPNU network for those tuning in across different regions. Fans should expect an intense battle where every possession counts and where Temple University's ability or failure to address previous shortcomings could very well decide their fate.