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Two contenders for the AAC regular season title face off on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2, as the Temple Owls travel to Moody Coliseum to play the SMU Mustangs.
Temple currently sits one and a half games behind SMU for first place in the conference, but should still make the 2015 NCAA tournament if they finish in the top three. When this team is healthy, they have shown that they can compete on any night with the top teams in the nation. The Owls rely on their defense to get it done, but give this offense credit, as they are able to outscore their opponents time and time again.
SMU began the 2014-15 college basketball season with extremely high expectations, but struggled, losing three of their first five games. Since that opening stretch, this team has gone 19-2, jumping into the top 25 rankings and a legitimate dark horse for the 2015 NCAA tournament. Leading the AAC by one game, the Mustangs do not look like they’re slowing down any time soon.
These are two elite college basketball defenses, so don’t expect a thrilling game with scores up into the 80s. The winner of this game will be whoever wins the turnover battle, and likely whichever team can finish at the free throw line. I give SMU the upper hand in this one at home, because, as we saw in their first matchup this season, the Owls had trouble containing all the scorers that SMU possesses.
Prediction: SMU 61, Temple 54
Taylor Sturm is a Featured Basketball Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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