You have nine points!

• TWEET
• SHARE
• SHARE

Seven years ago this week, Penn fans chanted that at Princeton as the Quakers took a 33-9 lead at the half. I'm sure something else happened in that game, but it's not worth discussing ever again.

Tonight, Temple fans got their own chance at "you have nine points" as UMass headed to the locker room down 34-9 at the Liacouras Center. Leading scorers? Rashaun Freeman and Stephane Lasme each had 4. The Owls' Antwayne Robinson had 11. If you're scoring at home, 34 is the same number of points Temple scored two weeks ago at UMass - in the entire game.

Fortunately for the Big 5 host, the Quakers' fate of 1999 did not repeat itself. Temple won 76-47. This is a huge win for John Chaney's team, coming on the heels of its upset of then-No. 21 Maryland on Saturday. Usually the Owls knock off a good team, then get embarrassed (like earlier this year when they beat No. 18 Alabama then lost to unranked Auburn by 31).

If Temple (38th in the RPI) can play like this more than just once and a while, Philly should have three teams (Villanova, Penn and Temple) in the Tournament and as many as five (add La Salle or St. Joseph's and Drexel in the NIT) in the postseason. If nothing else, the strong RPIs from the rest of the Big 5 will help buoy Penn down the stretch of bad Ivy opponents.

Other Penn opponents in the 14-team Atlantic 10 tonight: SJU lost at Dayton 77-69 and La Salle won at Duquesne 75-66.