Temple @ East Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 1, 2020 ) East Carolina 64, Temple 76

After losing seven of eight, Temple got its season back on track with a win over East Carolina earlier this month. That victory ignited a 4-2 stretch for the Owls, who visit the Pirates on Sunday in an American Athletic Conference rematch.

Temple topped Connecticut 93-89 its last time out as Monty Scott (25 points) and Nate Pierre-Louis (career-high 23 points) helped the Owls prevail in double-overtime. Temple's leading scorer Quinton Rose missed 12 of his 15 shots, forcing the team's complementary pieces to rise to the occasion in order to secure a big victory for the Owls. "It was huge," Owls coach Aaron McKie told reporters of the play of Scott and Pierre-Louis. "We had to ride that out." East Carolina has lost nine of its last 11 games and is tied with Tulane for the fewest wins (four) in AAC play.

TIME: Noon ET. TV: ESPNU

ABOUT TEMPLE (14-12, 6-7 AAC): The Owls have struggled with their shooting for much of the season, as they connect on just 41.1 percent of their shots overall, and their 3-point percentage (32.3) is nothing to write home about either. Of their top eight scorers, only two shoot above 42.4 percent from the field, and none of their top three scorers shoot above 41.7 percent from the floor. Scott has come on lately with scoring efforts of 16, 22 and 25 points in the last four games after playing sparingly up to that point.

ABOUT EAST CAROLINA (10-17, 4-10): The Pirates missed 16 of their 20 attempts from 3-point range in a 77-73 loss to Memphis last time out and 15 turnovers didn't help matters either. Tristen Newton tied a season high with 23 points and added 13 rebounds, while Jayden Gardner pitched in 16 points and has scored in double figures in every game this season. Gardner leads the team in scoring (19.9) and rebounding (9.5), while Newton in second in both categories (10.2, 4.5) and leads the team with 3.7 assists per outing.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Rose, a 6-8 G, leads the Owls with 19 blocks. Only three Temple players have at least 10 blocks on the season.

2. In his last four games, Newton is just 2-of-11 from 3-point range.

3. Gardner matched a season low with 11 points in the first matchup - a 76-64 win by the Owls.

PREDICTION: Temple 64, East Carolina 60