NFL Tickets
TV Schedule: Tuesday, Feb. 23, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN News
Arena: Reynolds Center, Tulsa, Okla.
After a horrible start to the 2015-16 college basketball season that saw them lose four of their first seven games, the Temple Owls have bounced back in a huge way thanks to their extremely difficult non-conference slate. Picked to finish sixth in the American Athletic Conference to begin the season, the AAC leaders have surged since the end of January, winning six straight conference games prior to their Tuesday night road matchup with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
Tulsa, on the other hand, peaked a little earlier in the season and are currently in the midst of a 5-3 run to remain 1.5 games behind Temple for first in the AAC. A win at home on Tuesday night would mean that they would likely at least earn a share of the American Athletic Conference regular season title by winning out.
Both of these teams have extremely easy schedules to close out the season, with their toughest opponents both being the Memphis Tigers, who are below .500 in conference play. Because of this and the much more difficult remaining schedule of the SMU Mustangs, a win for either team puts them in the driver’s seat to win the conference.
That being said, Tulsa narrowly lost to Temple earlier this season in Philadelphia. The Golden Hurricane will feel that they could have pulled off the road upset and will believe they can definitely win this game at home.
However, Temple’s early-season experience against expected top college basketball teams, even in losses, will continue to help them win close games down the stretch. Give this one to the Owls, who could be a dark horse to make the Elite Eight.
Prediction: Temple 79, Tulsa 75
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