Temple Owls beat Villanova Wildcats in Big 5 matchup

The Wildcats and the Owls, part of Philadelphia's Big 5, went head-to-head for the first time in a few years.

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Saturday, November 12, 2022
Temple Owls beat Villanova Wildcats in Big 5 matchup
Nova vs. Temple -- For some, this rivalry is deep, with family members under one roof rooting for opposing teams.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Temple Owls beat the Villanova Wildcats 68-64 on Friday night, which made for a packed Liacouras Center.

The Wildcats and the Owls, part of Philadelphia's Big 5, went head-to-head for the first time in a few years.

"There's no comparison alright, gotta go cherry, vanilla. Go Owls, keep it simple," said Shawn Robinson of Northeast Philadelphia.

For some, this rivalry is deep, with family members under one roof rooting for opposing teams.

"My brother went to Temple so it's a nice family rivalry," said Villanova alum, Nancy Olewnik.

Sports brings families together - a prime example is father and son, Shawn Robinson Senior and Shawn Robinson Junior.

"We're Temple fans for several reasons: the alumni is strong, they have a great presence. But for me, they took over and revamped North Philly for me," Robinson explained.

The friendly match-up often makes the game more intense.

And one argument was heard loud and clear: "Villanova is outside the city, people forget that. People forget that they're on the city line, they had to come inside the city. They should have to pay a toll," said Temple alum, Matthew Howard with a smile.

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