For the first time in more than three weeks, the Cincinnati Bearcats will be in action as they head to Philadelphia to face a Temple Owls team that has had its recent ups and downs.
Despite ranking 314th in the country in effective field-goal shooting percentage and 339th in steals forced on defense per possession, Temple has won three of its past five games thanks in large part to attempting 6.9 more free throws per game than its opponents.
That does not bode well for Cincinnati, which is attempting 4.2 fewer free throws per game than its opponents and ranks 326th among Division I teams in fouls committed per defensive play.
The Bearcats are also having a tough time netting points from the outside, ranking 326th in the nation with a 28.2 shooting percentage as a team from 3-point range.
The 72.3 points per game Cincinnati has allowed are the most for the program since the 1988-89 season. The Bearcats have allowed at least 69 points in their past six games and eight of their past nine. The Owls, led by guard Damian Dunn’s 14.1 points per game and forward Jake Forrester’s 6.7 rebounds per game, should exploit a Bearcats team that was struggling even before a lengthy layoff.
The play: Temple, +2.5.