No. 25 Villanova Faces Big Five Rival Temple Sunday

Wildcats hit road for first time after comeback against LSU Thursday

Dec. 8, 2007

After a stunning rally sparked by an unlikely source, No. 25 Villanova hopes setting a new record Sunday will come slightly easier as it visits crosstown and Big Five rival Temple in its first road game of the season.

Freshman guard Malcolm Grant came off the bench and scored 13 of his season-high 18 points in the final three minutes Thursday when the Wildcats (6-1) rallied from a 21-point deficit in the final 8:50 to defeat LSU 68-67. It was the third time he made three or more 3-pointers in a game, and Grant is averaging 8.7 points.

"We showed great heart and Malcolm was incredible," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "I can't ever remember winning like that. They had us."

Grant will continue his role as a key reserve as the Wildcats travel 18 miles to visit Temple (4-4) at the Liacouras Center in a bid to win their 13th straight game versus a Big Five rival. Saint Joseph's, La Salle and Pennsyvlania comprise the other three members of Philadelphia's Big Five.

Villanova got its 12th win in a row against intracity rivals with an 87-61 rout of Penn on Dec. 1, tying the mark the Quakers established from Jan. 19, 1972-Jan. 18, 1975. The Wildcats have not lost in the series since a 53-52 defeat to Temple on Dec. 4, 2004.

They have won the last two matchups versus the Owls by an average of 20.0 points and hold a 41-40 advantage in the all-time series.

Villanova could use a better play from its guards after getting only 12 points from sophomores Scottie Reynolds and Reggie Redding.

Reynolds, the team's leader with 15.1 points and 4.1 assists per game, made only 1 of 8 shots from the floor and finished with a season-low four points after scoring 21 in the win over Penn.

He had 12 points and nine assists in an 83-65 win over Temple on Dec. 30.

Redding has slowed down of late, averaging 7.3 points in his last three games after scoring 12.3 per game the previous three contests.

The Owls (4-4) regrouped from a sluggish 0-3 start by winning four of their last five games behind strong play from guards Dionte Christmas and Mark Tyndale.

Christmas, who leads Temple with 20.0 points per game, has made 15 of 25 shots (60.0 percent) his last two games. Tyndale has been a force on the boards in that span, totaling 24 to give him a team-high 6.9 per game.

Temple has lost three of its last four games against Top 25 opponents, with its lone win a 68-53 victory over then-No. 9 George Washington in the Atlantic 10 tournament on March 9, 2006.

Fran Dunphy went 1-5 against Big Five schools in his first season coaching the Owls, but won four Big Five titles with Penn from 1989-2006.