Liacouras Center

Sesame Street Live: 1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo and Friends is in town through Sunday at the Liacouras Center. The plot of the show begins with Sam delivering the mail to Sesame Street and sharing a secret that Elmo and his friends can go on an imaginary journey to visit their pen pals if they use their imagination. Ernie becomes captain of the Good Ship Rubber Duckie, and Elmo plays drums in an African rain forest. With the power of imagination, kids will learn from Elmo and his friends that they can fulfill their dreams by using their imagination.

Several years ago, when Temple assistant women's basketball coach Ervin Monier was on a summer recruiting jaunt at a national tournament in Washington for his boss, Dawn Staley, he was attracted to the play of 6-foot-2 forward-center Candice Dupree. "Everyone was busy watching someone at the other court, but I could see she could be something special for us," Monier said yesterday. If the sophomore from Tampa, Fla., wasn't attracting a crowd that day, she certainly is now. Dupree was the most valuable player of the Atlantic Ten Conference tournament two weeks ago in leading the 21-9 Owls to their second title in three seasons and an automatic berth into the NCAA 64-team field.

The latest chapter in this doomed Temple season unfolded a little differently last night. This time, the Owls came from ahead and lost it at the end. They were nine points clear of Richmond, looking as if they would get to smile for a change. That was with 9 minutes, 42 seconds remaining in the game at the Liacouras Center. The clock might as well have said midnight. The Owls made only one more shot from the field, when Temple center Kevin Lyde picked up an air ball and banked it in. Some things had not changed.

Who: Temple (9-7, 1-1 Atlantic 10) vs. Saint Louis (11-6, 2-1) When: 8 o'clock Where: Liacouras Center TV/Radio: None/WPHT (1210-AM)

The women's Atlantic 10 title game will be all Philly, with Temple and Saint Joseph's both advancing in yesterday's semifinals at the Liacouras Center. Stacey Smalls made five free throws in the final 20 seconds of overtime and Lisa Jakubowicz made a key offensive rebound as the Owls beat Massachusetts, 67-61. Temple advanced to the A-10 conference title game for the first time in 13 years. In the other game, Susan Moran had 32 points and Stephanie Graff added 18 as the Hawks defeated Xavier, 90-80.

Dawn Staley's Owls used balanced scoring and Temple eased to a season-opening 83-45 victory over Central Michigan last night at the Liacouras Center. Lady Comfort scored 16 points, Ashley Morris had 15 points and freshman Lindsay Kimmel added 14 points and eight assists for Temple, which shot 55 percent from the field. Shanea Cotton led all rebounders with 12. Angel Chan had 17 points to lead CMU (1-1). Shonda Long added 10.

Temple fans can get an up-close and personal look at their seats in the Liacouras Center for the upcoming season for the men's and women's basketball teams. Temple's Select-A-Seat Open House, to be held on Tuesday Sept. 28 from 6-8:30 p.m.) is an opportunity for those interested in purchasing Temple Basketball season tickets to see - in person - what seats are available.  

His name has always been Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson. It was just that the Chester Upland School District unofficially dropped the hyphen for school purposes. And what soft-spoken first-grader wants to make a big deal over having his last name shortened? "Since that's where it started, I just used Jefferson," he said. Years later, when he became recognized as Temple's undersized do-everything power forward, he confused some people by changing his name from "Jefferson" to "Hollis-Jefferson" on the back on his jersey.

TEMPLE'S BASKETBALL team doesn't go down back-to-back. Or, at least it hadn't in exactly 3 years and a day. So you didn't really think this season's Senior Night at the Liacouras Center, where the Owls have dropped one in the last 2 1/2 seasons, was going to be any different? Well, almost. The 23rd-ranked Owls, who had lost by 10 on Saturday at Saint Joseph's to end their 11-game winning streak, needed overtime for the second time in three games to finally get past Massachusetts, 90-88.

JUAN FERNANDEZ arrived on North Broad Street the day after Christmas in 2008, pretty much right off the plane, as a guy who Davidson coach Bob McKillop had once described as Juan "Pepe" Sanchez with a jump shot. As comparisons go, not too shabby. John Chaney even showed up at the Liacouras Center to greet him. "You know I had to beat Pepe up a few times when he got here," Chaney told the newest Owl, who only smiled. "Don't make Franny [Dunphy] have to do that to you. "Remember, no turnovers.

Senior guard Shey Peddy scored 24 points as the Temple women's basketball team held off Harvard, 64-59, on Saturday in the second round of the WNIT at the Liacouras Center. The Owls (23-9) will play the winner of Monday's Syracuse-Drexel game in the third round, which will take place between March 21 and 23 at a site to be determined. Temple and Harvard (18-12) were tied with under five minutes remaining before the Owls pulled away. Senior guard BJ Williams broke a 56-all tie on a layup with 2 minutes, 42 seconds remaining, and another layup by Williams two minutes later gave Temple a 60-57 lead.

Sesame Street Live: 1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo and Friends is in town through Sunday at the Liacouras Center. The plot of the show begins with Sam delivering the mail to Sesame Street and sharing a secret that Elmo and his friends can go on an imaginary journey to visit their pen pals if they use their imagination. Ernie becomes captain of the Good Ship Rubber Duckie, and Elmo plays drums in an African rain forest. With the power of imagination, kids will learn from Elmo and his friends that they can fulfill their dreams by using their imagination.

THEY SHOW up this time every college basketball season. A guy whose off-court drama ended just as March rolled around. A guy whose maturation coincides with March Madness. A guy who inexplicably plays better as a starter than a sub, or the other way around. And then there is that guy with a story. A long, arduous story, the guy who wanted so badly to be involved but couldn't stay healthy long enough to be counted or counted on. Until now. They are arguably the most significant - and dangerous - of all. "I'm not going to lie to you," Micheal Eric was saying before Temple's practice yesterday at the Liacouras Center.

JUAN FERNANDEZ arrived on North Broad Street the day after Christmas in 2008, pretty much right off the plane, as a guy who Davidson coach Bob McKillop had once described as Juan "Pepe" Sanchez with a jump shot. As comparisons go, not too shabby. John Chaney even showed up at the Liacouras Center to greet him. "You know I had to beat Pepe up a few times when he got here," Chaney told the newest Owl, who only smiled. "Don't make Franny [Dunphy] have to do that to you. "Remember, no turnovers.

TEMPLE WAS scared. The 21st-ranked Owls believed they blew a potentially high NCAA Tournament seed after an Atlantic 10 quarterfinal loss on Friday. "Coach [Fran] Dunphy didn't even think we were going to get in after the tournament," Temple center Micheal Eric said. Of course, Dunphy wasn't serious. His Owls were a lock to reach the tourney, with an RPI of 20 and the 54th-ranked strength of schedule. "But we were scared a little bit and thought about those things," Eric said.

Temple was scared. The 21st-ranked Owls believed they had blown a potentially high NCAA tournament seed after an Atlantic Ten tournament quarterfinal loss Friday. "Coach [Fran] Dunphy didn't even think we were going to get in after the tournament," Temple center Micheal Eric said. Of course, Dunphy wasn't serious. His Owls were a lock to reach the tourney, with an RPI of 20 and a schedule ranked 54th-hardest in the nation. "But we were scared a little bit and thought about those things," Eric said.

ATLANTIC CITY - On the basketball court, Khalif Wyatt's clutch shots seem to always come at the right time. The Temple guard just slips up when it comes to being on time for team functions. That's why he didn't start in Friday's 77-71 loss to Massachusetts in an Atlantic Ten tournament quarterfinal at Boardwalk Hall. Wyatt said he was late for a team meeting earlier this week. He was benched for the first 9 minutes, 36 seconds as T.J. DiLeo started in his place. "I let my team down," said Wyatt, who finished with a team-high 15 points, five steals, four assists, and three turnovers in 27 minutes.

ATLANTIC CITY - Temple's run in the Atlantic Ten Conference tournament lasted less than a blink of an eye. So instead of a semmifinal game, the Owls will spend Saturday wondering where they will be placed in the NCAA tournament on Selection Sunday. Perhaps the Owls were distracted by the recent news that they would become an all-sports Big East conference member in 2013. Or maybe Khalif Wyatt being held out of the starting lineup for showing up late at an undisclosed team function affected the players.

TEMPLE'S BASKETBALL team doesn't go down back-to-back. Or, at least it hadn't in exactly 3 years and a day. So you didn't really think this season's Senior Night at the Liacouras Center, where the Owls have dropped one in the last 2 1/2 seasons, was going to be any different? Well, almost. The 23rd-ranked Owls, who had lost by 10 on Saturday at Saint Joseph's to end their 11-game winning streak, needed overtime for the second time in three games to finally get past Massachusetts, 90-88.