PENNSBURY:Allen, Owls getting set for Sun Devils

Temple sophomore hits another double-double

Temple sophomore Lavoy Allen recorded his 13th double-double of the season and the second in as many games, scoring 10 points and pulling down 14 rebounds as the Owls captured their second consecutive Atlantic 10 Championship with a 69-64 victory over Duquesne on Saturday, March 14 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Temple senior Dionte Christmas led the scoring effort for the Owls, pouring in 29 points including seven three-pointers and junior Ryan Brooks and senior Sergio Olmos each added 14 points.
The championship is Temple's eighth Atlantic 10 title, the most of any team in the conference. The Owls also became the first team to repeat as champions since the 2001 team successfully defended its crown.
With the win, Temple secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. The 11th-seeded Owls (22-11) will face No. 6 seed Arizona State (24-9) on Friday afternoon in Miami in a South Region first-round matchup.
The winner faces either Syracuse or Stephen F. Austin on Sunday, March 21.
Last Friday, March 13 in Temple's 55-53 huge upset win over Xavier, Allen recorded his 12th double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and pulling down a team-high 11 rebounds. The Musketeers were the top seed in the tourney. The Owls were seeded fourth.
In Temple's tournament opening 79-65 victory over St. Joe's, Allen added 13 rebounds and nine points--five of which came at a critical point in the game when the Hawks had cut the lead to nine points.
And that was despite suffering a mild right ankle sprain two days before the A-10 tournament tipoff.
"He's showing a lot of toughness right now because I think some guys might not have played today," said head coach Fran Dunphy.
TCNJ finished the trip with a 4-6 record, finishing strong with three wins in their final four games.
The 69-64 victory over the Dukes on Saturday night was ironic because Temple defeated St. Joseph’s by the same score in last year’s A-10 title tilt before losing to Michigan State, 72-61, in the first round of NCAAs.
Arizona State (24-9), meanwhile, lost in the Pac-10 finals to USC, 66-63, and is making its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2003. Conference player of the year James Harden, named a first-team All-American by Sporting News, CBSSports.com and FOXSports.com, leads the Sun Devils. He is averaging 20.8 ppg., 5.5 rpg. and 4.2 apg. for third-year head coach Herb Sendek.
Jeff Pendergraph is averaging 14.5 ppg. and shooting 66.5% from the field, while Rihards Kuksiks added 10.0 ppg.
ASU leads the all-time series with the Owls, 4-1. The teams last met on November 30, 2005 at the Liacouras Center with the Sun Devils winning, 65-62.
The Owls tipoff their second straight and 27th overall NCAA Tournament appearance at 2:45 p.m. Friday. The game is being broadcast on CBS.
You can also join fellow students, alumni, faculty, staff and fans to cheer on the team at The Fieldhouse, located at 1150 Filbert St. in downtown Philadelphia.
All are welcome; no pre-registration is necessary.
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Compiled by Sports Editor Steve Sherman.