In a word, Ramone Moore has been inconsistent throughout his career at Temple. We all know that he has the talent to compete with the big boys, but are anxiously awaiting for that version of Ramone to arrive. Well, Ramone certainly looked like a man on a mission against the Explorers.
When asked about Ramone in the routine post game press conference, Dunphy had nothing but praise for the sophomore slasher.
“Ramone Moore really bailed us out”, Fran Dunphy declared after the game. The Temple offense was sputtering throughout the first portion of the game, but Ramone quickly changed the fortunes of the offense. In fact, Ramone was Temple’s leading scorer at the end of the first half. Ramone brought more of the same to the table in the second half and finished the game with 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists on 7-11 shooting.
Michael Eric also had a breakthrough game against a solid team. Even with the solid game, I can’t help but think of the moments where it seems as if Michael doesn’t even belong on the same court. Michael had a play that he will probably remember for the rest of his basketball career and not in a good way. He missed an emphatic dunk that would have given Temple a load of momentum.
“He’s such a novice at the game still”, Dunphy declared. With hard work over the last 2 year his Temple career, Michael can completely change that. He has unlimited potential. With seasoning, Michael could turn into a real force for Temple. At this point he has been compared to a more athletic Sergio Olmos.
Perhaps the most impressive thing Michael did in today’s contest was get Aaric Murray in foul trouble. La Salle raced out to a quick 7-2 lead less than 3 minutes into the game. Less than 3 minutes later, Michael’s aggressive play in the post had the talented freshman taking a seat for the remainder of the half. Michael finished the game with 13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal.
Michael Eric is still a work in progress
I’m sure we’re all tired of hearing this next key to the game (at least I am). Team defense simply can’t be overlooked with this Temple team. They remain an average at best offensive team, but their defense is simply amazing. Dr. John Giannini certainly agrees.
“Temple was more physical inside. Once again, they had a great defensive game”, Giannini said. La Salle, normally a good offensive team was held to a season low 52 points on an abysmal 29.8% shooting night. There’s nothing flashy about the defense, but they get it done time and time again. Today they did their part against the dynamic duo of Rodney Green and Aaric Murray. The two combined to shoot 9-29 including numerous air balls and 1-10 from beyond the arc.
“Temple’s defense makes it hard for anybody to have a good game”, Giannini declared. Dr. G might not be the best of coaches, but he knows what he’s talking about here. Numerous stars have had down games against this Owls defense.
We can talk about all of this other stuff, but defense remains the key to every Temple game.
Top Performers:
Ramone Moore- 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists (7-11)
Lavoy Allen- 12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks (3-5)
Michael Eric- 13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal (6-9)
Rodney Green- 13 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal (5-16)
Aaric Murray- 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals (4-13)
http://espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=300300218
