Southern Methodist @ Temple preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 18, 2020 ) Temple 52, Southern Methodist 68

SMU's current run of improved play began with a win over Temple. The resurgent Mustangs visit the Owls on Saturday in American Athletic Conference action looking for their fifth win in six games.

After losing back-to-back games to East Carolina and Houston, SMU rolled over Temple 68-52 on Jan. 18 as Tyson Jolly registered a career-high 25 points in addition to 14 rebounds. Jolly has scored in double figures in every game since, bringing his current run to five double-digit efforts in a row, and he is 7-of-13 from 3-point range in the last two games. He certainly will be among the players that Temple will focus on as it hopes to avoid its ninth loss in 11 games. The Owls fell to Memphis in their last game 79-65 as their three top scorers (Quinton Rose, Nate Pierre-Louis and Alani Moore II) combined to shoot 12-of-40 from the field.

TIME: Noon ET. TV: ESPNU

ABOUT SMU (16-5, 6-3 AAC): The team topped Tulane 82-67 in its last game as Jolly recorded 20 points and Kendric Davis had 18 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds. That was quite a turnaround for Davis, who went scoreless in the previous game, shooting 0-of-6 from the field with only one assist in 26 minutes of a 22-point loss to Cincinnati. C.J. White and Feron Hunt contributed a combined 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting off the bench against Tulane with White knocking down five 3-pointers in a crisp 29-minute run.

ABOUT TEMPLE (11-11, 3-7): Rose was 5-of-17 from the field against Memphis, although he did have a productive all-around game with six assists, six rebounds, five steals and two blocks. He has scored at least nine points in every game this season and leads the team at 15.5 points per game, but his shooting percentage (37.5) is by far a career low for the senior guard. Pierre-Louis has six steals in the last two games and has recorded at least three steals in four of the last six outings, including four steals in the first matchup with SMU.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Jolly is seeking back-to-back 20-point games for the first time since accomplishing the feat in the first two games of the season.

2. Davis, in the last seven games, is 4-of-25 from 3-point land.

3. In the first matchup, SMU F Isiaha Mike registered 12 points and 10 rebounds for his only double-double in the last 10 games.

PREDICTION: SMU 67, Temple 62