By AARON BRACY
PHILAHOOPS.COM Editor
*Philahoops.com will provide comprehensive coverage of tonight’s Villanova-Temple game live from the Pavilion.*
Here’s the plan:
-LIVE in-game updates. No LIVE blogging allowed, but you will get periodic updates both here and on Twitter: @philahoops (Follow the feed on the right-hand side)
-Quick wrapup immediately following the game.
-Postgame coverage will include transcribing press conferences and a full wrapup and analysis of what occurred….
**UPDATE: All second-half updates will come via Twitter feed on right. Please be sureto check back at end of game for coverage!**
Halftime 40-39 Temple.
Halftime stats: For Temple, Moore has 13, Fernandez 12. Owls 12-21 FG (57.1%), 6-11 3-PT (54.5%).
Halftime stats: For Nova, Stokes 11, Wayns 9. Cats 13-32 (40.6%), 2-7 3-PT (28.6%).
Wish I was live blogging
1:43 left: Temple 37-31.
2:00 left: Fernandez hits 3. That’s 2. 5 more to match last year. 35-30 Owls.
3:34 left: Temple up 30-24. Owls 11-19 FG. Nova has cooled to 9-27 FG after fast start.
4:10 left: Randall 3 makes it 30-24 Owls. Temple 4-8 3PT.
*6:25 left: 22-20 Owls.
*11:50 left: Tied at 14. Temple 5-9 FG, Nova 6-13 FG. Moore has 8 for Owls.
*14:08 left: 12-9 Nova. Bad news for Owls. 2 fouls on Eric.
*15:51 left: 8-6 Nova. Owls 2-5 FG, Nova 4-7 FG
*17:03 left: 6-4 Temple. Owls playing strong interior defense.
*UPDATE, 7:05: High intensity on floor.
*UPDATE 7 P.M. : Getting ready to take floor.
*UPDATE 6:20 P.M.: We have arrived. Set up on press row. Be back with some pregame notes soon.
*UPDATE 6:50 P.M.: Warmups commencing. Student section packed. Electricity in building.
We wish the game was at the Palestra. Here is what we wrote about the game being played at the Pavilion in our weekly Q&A on Monday.
1. Q: Why isn’t Thursday’s Temple-Villanova game at the Palestra?
A: I wish I knew because that’s where it should be. Interestingly, these teams just don’t play each other at the Palestra, for whatever reason.
In the last 21 meetings since the Pavilion opened in 1985 (Mathematicians note: The series hasn’t been played every year since.), the teams have played at the Palestra just three times. They did play at the Spectrum five times, but never at the Wells Fargo Center. Thirteen of the last 21 meetings have been on the respective home floor.
Normally, these things are about money but you’d figure Villanova would stand to make more money in the larger venue (6,500-seat Pavilion vs. 8,722-seat Palestra). Heck, if it was about money the teams probably could fill, or at least come closing to filling, the 20,000-seat Wells Fargo Center.
My guess is both teams like having the home-court advantage and, probably more importantly, the respective home games are attractive to season-ticket buyers.
That’s about all I have. I’ll try to find out more Thursday.
Interestingly, Villanova holds a decided home edge in games played at the Pavilion since it opened in 1985. Here’s a breakdown of the series since 1985:
Overall: Villanova leads 12-9
At Pavilion: Villanova leads 5-2
At Temple (Liacouras & McGonigle): Tied at 3
At Spectrum: Temple led 3-2
At Palestra: Villanova leads 2-1
*You can read the entire Monday Q&A HERE.*
PHILAHOOPS.COM 
Posted on December 30, 2010
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