Temple, ECU Clash in Saturday Noon Showdown on ESPNU

The Temple University men’s basketball team faces off against East Carolina University (ECU) on Saturday, February 7, at noon. This game will be broadcast on ESPNU and takes place at Williams Arena in Greenville, North Carolina.

Recent Performance and Standings

Temple (14-8, 6-3) enters the matchup riding the momentum of a thrilling 79-78 victory over South Florida. In this closely contested game, Mohamed Keita delivered the game-winning tip-in with merely six seconds on the clock. The Owls displayed resilience, conducting a decisive 13-0 run in the second half.

• Aiden Tobiason led scoring with 22 points.
• Derrian Ford contributed 18 points.
• Masiah Gilyard added 13 points.

Temple’s defense proved effective as they limited South Florida to 12 points below their season average, forcing a remarkable 18 turnovers.

Team Statistics and Free Throw Success

Temple has excelled at the free-throw line in recent games, achieving an impressive 89.1% success rate over their last two outings. Notably, they made their last 23 attempts against Charlotte. Versus South Florida, they converted 14 of 17 free throws in the critical finale.

Scouting East Carolina

ECU has had a rocky start to their conference play, initially losing six straight games. However, they have recently improved, winning two of their last four contests. Their most recent victory was a nail-biter against Florida Atlantic, ending 76-75.

• ECU ranks sixth in the league for free throw attempts (23.0 per game).
• They also average 12.41 offensive rebounds per game.

One of the biggest challenges for ECU has been their perimeter shooting, as they rank last in the nation with a 27.4% success rate from beyond the arc.

Key Players

• Jordan Riley: Sixth nationally in points per game (22.9) with a high number of field goal attempts (400).
• Giovanni Emejuru: Averaging 9.4 rebounds (28th nationally) and 1.86 blocks per game.
• Corey Caulker: Main distributor with 3.8 assists per game.

All-Time Series History

In their historical matchups, Temple leads the series against ECU with a record of 13-7. However, they have struggled in Greenville, holding a 4-5 record at this venue.

The last win for Temple in North Carolina against ECU occurred during the 2022-23 season. Earlier this season, the Owls secured a victory against ECU, with Gavin Griffiths scoring a season-high 24 points.

With a focus on strong free-throw shooting and solid defense, Temple aims to achieve a season sweep over East Carolina in their upcoming showdown.