Men's Basketball Hosts Temple Saturday In Big 5 Matinee on NBC Sports Philadelphia

12/10/2021 9:56:00 AM

GAMEDAY LINKS
Saint Joseph's: Roster | Schedule | Stats
Temple: Roster | Schedule | Stats

THE TIP-OFF
• Saint Joseph's continues Big 5 play this Saturday as the Hawks host Temple at 1 p.m.
• Saturday's contest will be broadcast locally on NBC Sports Philadelphia and streamed on ESPN+.
• The Hawks cap a three-game Big 5 swing, and are coming off a 78-71 victory over Penn on Wednesday.
• Jordan Hall is coming off a career-best 33-point performance in Wednesday's win over the Quakers.
• Hall finished the night going 12-of-19 from the field, including 8-of-11 from three-point range, and 1-of-1 from the foul line.
• Like Hall, Ejike Obinna also had a career night on Wednesday as he went 9-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-4 from the line for a career-high 20 points.
• Erik Reynolds II added 10 points in the Hawks' win over Penn, marking the fourth time this season he finished in double figures.
• The Hawks connected on 12-of-29 three-pointers versus the Quakers, notching their second-most production of the year and second-best percentage (.414).
• Saint Joseph's enters Saturday's matchup with the Owls with a 129-116 all-time record in Big 5 play, and has captured 20 city series titles.
• The Hawks are currently 4-2 at home this season and are averaging 76.0 points per game at home this season, compared to 61.3 points per game away from Hawk Hill.

THE MATCHUP
Series vs. Temple: Temple leads 92-69
First Meeting: 1911, Saint Joseph's, 22-19
Last Meeting: 12/10/2019, Temple, 108-61
Coach Lange All-Time vs. Temple: 0-1

SAINT JOSEPH'S VERSUS TEMPLE
• The Hawks and Owls meet for the 162nd time on Saturday.
• Saturday marks the first matchup since the 2019-20 season as the two teams didn't face each other in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.
• Temple has won the past four meetings and hold a 92-69 edge in the all-time series.
• The two programs share a discrepancy in the all-time series as the Temple includes a 1901-02 contest in its series history, while St. Joe's does not as its first official season as a collegiate program did not begin until 1909-10.
• The Hawks are 8-6 all-time versus the Owls on Hawk Hill.
• Isaiah Miles scored a then career-high 20 points to help Saint Joseph's hold off Temple, 58-56, in the Hawks' previous home over the Owls on December 3, 2014.

HALL HITTING NEW HIGHS
Proving to be one of the most versatile players in the Atlantic 10 as a rookie a season ago, Jordan Hall has increased his production this year across the board. Named Big 5 Co-Rookie of the Year after averaging 10.6 points, 5.65 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game in 2020-21, Hall has continued to excel this season as he enters Saturday averaging a team-best 16.3 points and 5.9 assists per game, while ranking second in rebounds 6.3 (rpg). Additionally, Hall is coming off a career-high 33 points in Wednesday's victory over Penn.

OBINNA OFF TO CAREER-BEST START
Despite being only nine games into the season, starting center Ejike Obinna has made an instant impact for the Hawks as he enters Saturday averaging a career-high 13.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. A three-year letterwinner at Vanderbilt, Obinna came to Hawk Hill as a graduate transfer having averaged 2.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game for his career. Along with new highs in scoring and rebounding this year, Obinna also has collected the first two double-doubles of his career, earning them against Monmouth and #24 USC, and is coming off a career-best 20 points against Penn on Wednesday.

NEXT UP
Following a break for semester finals, the Hawks return to action next Saturday, December 18, at Bradley.

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