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FRESNO, California (Ticker) -- Temple looks to snap a three-game skid in National Invitation Tournament action on Wednesday when it visits Fresno State for a first-round contest. Temple (15-14) makes its 19th straight postseason appearance under coach John Chaney, but its first in the NIT since 1989, when it lost its third straight tournament game to Richmond, 70-57. That was Chaney's only coaching appearance in the NIT. The last 12 years Temple had played in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the regional finals last year. Overall, the Owls are 13-10 in the NIT, capturing the championship in 1938 and 1969. Temple, champions of the Atlantic 10 Conference East Division, won nine of its last 11 games to earn the invitation to the NIT. The Owls had their season-high five-game losing streak stopped with a 72-66 setback to LaSalle in the first round of the conference tournament. Lynn Greer is Temple's top scorer with 22.6 points per game while David Hawkins adds 15.2 points and Alex Wesby 11.0 and 5.8 rebounds. Kevin Lyde leads the team with 8.3 rebounds. Fresno State (19-14) is playing in the postseason for the seventh time, despite finishing fifth in the Western Athletic Conference. This is the Bulldogs' eighth trip to the NIT, where they own a 14-7 record. They last played in the event in 1999, losing a first-round game to eventual champion California, 79-71, and claimed the title in 1983 with a 69-60 victory over DePaul. Bulldogs coach Jerry Tarkanian needs one more win to tie former North Carolina coach Dean Smith's NCAA record of 30 20-win seasons. Rumors have circulated that Tarkanian may retire before next season. Fresno State is led by WAC Player of the Year Melvin Ely, who is the nation's fifth leading scorer at 23.5 points per game. The Bulldogs last played Temple on December 31, 1999 at home when they recorded a 66-63 win. The Owls won the only other meeting. |
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