After breaking back into the Top 25 this week, No. 24 Temple suffered a lopsided loss to top-ranked Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium last night, 78-61.
Owls’ forward Lavoy Allen scored a team-high 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, but the team shot less than 40 percent from the field. Duke’s Kyle Singler led all scorers with 28 points.
Temple coach Fran Dunphy has faced the Blue Devils (26-2, 12-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) three times since leaving Penn to head Temple (21-6, 11-2 Atlantic 10) five years ago, losing each matchup by double digits — Duke has been ranked in the top 10 each contest.
Wednesday’s game marked the 27th meeting between the two programs since they first played one another in 1931. The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 18-9.
The Owls have fallen twice to Duke in the NCAA tournament, with two Elite 8 losses under former coach John Chaney in 1988 and 1999.
Dunphy falls to 1-2 against top 10 teams this season, besting No. 10 Georgetown and losing to No. 8 Villanova to cede the Big 5 title in two December matchups.
With three conference games left, Temple sits one game back of Xavier for the A-10 lead. The Owls are the reigning conference regular-season champions and have won the A-10 tournament three years in a row.
Dunphy and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski both spent part of their early coaching careers at the United States Military Academy. Dunphy was an assistant from 1971-1975, and Krzyzewski served as head coach from 1975-1980. The two also played together on several Armed Forces all-star teams in the early 1970s.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.