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Temple can't afford a loss at Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio – Don't let Toledo's 6-1 record fool you.

If the Temple men's basketball team loses Wednesday night's game, it has bigger problems than playing without injured starters Micheal Eric and Scootie Randall.

The Rockets' current six-game winning streak is against teams with a combined 12-32 record. USC-Upstate (6-3) is the only team Toledo defeated with a winning record. Two other squads – Victory (0-3) and Chicago State (0-8) – are winless.

To the Rockets' credit, they already have more wins than last season (4-28). Toledo can also boast about leading the Mid-American Conference in scoring (78.6 ppg), field-goal percentage (48.2), three-point percentage (37.7), foul-line shooting percentage (74.6) and scoring margin (+12).

As impressive as those statistics are, I expect the Owls (4-2) to win the nonconference matchup against the youthful Rockets at Savage Arena.  If not, Temple will have a tough time beating a rebuilding Villanova squad Saturday and contending for the Atlantic Ten title.

The Owls have a 3-0 series record against the Rockets and won the last season's meeting, 82-49.

PROBABLE STARTERS

TEMPLE (4-2)
32 Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson F  6-6 Jr. 9.2 ppg. 4.8 rpg.
3 Anthony Lee F 6-9 Fr. 4.3 ppg. 6.2 rpg.
4 Juan Fernandez G 6-4 Sr. 13.5 ppg. 4.3 apg.
1 Khalif Wyatt G 6-4 Jr. 15.6 ppg. 2.2 spg.
10 Ramon Moore G 6-4 Sr. 17.8 ppg. 4 rpg.


Toledo  (6-1)
32  Reese Holliday F 6-4 Soph. 7 ppg. 7.6 rpg.
43 Matt Smith F 6-7 Soph. 11.7 ppg. 4.8 rpg
1 Dominique Buckley G 6-2 Jr. 13.3 ppg. 4.4 apg.
5 Rian Pearson G 6-4 Soph. 17.4 ppg. 8.3 apg
20 Julius Brown G 5-10 Fr. 13.9 ppg. 5 apg.