SMU Mustangs

No. 25 SMU faces tough task in Temple (Feb 09, 2017)

Published Feb. 8, 2017 7:59 p.m. ET

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AP

Playing its best basketball of the season, No. 25 Southern Methodist University has a tough trip ahead to play a Temple program that's made a habit of pulling off top-25 upsets.

SMU (20-4, 10-1) has won six straight and 16 of its last 17 games dating back to Dec. 2.

Ranked for the first time this season and fourth year in a row, the Mustangs led by 6-foot-7 junior Semi Ojeleye (17.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and 6-foot-6 sophomore Shake Milton (13.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg), two of four double-digit scorers for head coach Tim Janovich.

"I've really been pleased with basically every area," Jankovich told the Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal about his players. These guys are really cut in, they're very mature, they're hard-working and it's a high-IQ team, easy to coach. Because of that, you can be good in all areas."

All five of SMU's starters stand 6-6 or taller, and nobody in the rotation is under 6-5. That's a big reason they're third in the country in rebounding margin, grabbing an average of 11 more misses than their opponents in each game.

Temple is 288th, at minus-2.4 rebounds/game.

"They're a terrific, terrific team," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said. "Anybody can go for 20, anybody can get double-doubles, they're ready to go and they've had a terrific, terrific season."

The Owls (13-11, 4-7) already have wins over No. 13 West Virginia and No. 14 Florida State under the belt, accomplished on back-to-back days in November to win the NIT Season Tip-Off. That makes 10 consecutive years Temple has knocked off a team ranked in the top 25, a feat the program accomplished three teams the season before.

So, despite being without its injured senior, Josh Brown -- the 6-3 guard has only played five games this season due to an Achilles tendon injury -- Temple has its hopes high for another ranked win on the resume.

"That was the real Temple team," senior Daniel Dingle said of the early-season upsets. "We're getting better, we're in practice, we're engaged, guys are getting the film, this is serious business right now so I think we're more engaged than we've ever been."

The Owls have won their last two games, beating the AAC's basement-dwellers Tulane and South Florida, who have a combined league record of 1-21.

Going up against the Mustangs will be something of a different animal. Southern Methodist already beat Temple once this season, 79-65 on Jan. 4 in Texas, taking a 21-point lead in the first half and holding on.

"We have to play our best basketball, absolutely our best basketball," Dunphy said. "Limit the turnovers, be in the right spot defensively, make our share of shots, do a great job rebounding, plenty of things."

Since Southern Methodist and Temple became conference opponents, the Mustangs have taken five of the seven meetings, including four of the last five.

Lately, seniors have been leading the way for both programs.

Southern Methodist senior Sterling Brown was named American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Monday after scoring 42 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in a pair of wins last week

Dingle is averaging 14.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game over the team's last eight games. His last time out, the 6-foot-7 forward went 6-for-7 from 3-point range to tie his career high with 22 points.

"If we can get that out of him every game that would be tremendous," Dunphy said, "But we just need him to take care of the basketball, make some plays for us, do a great job on defense, rebound the ball."

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