GAME NOTES: The Delaware Blue Hens continue their quest for that elusive first win of the season, as they prepare for Thursday's home game against the Temple Owls.

Temple recently had a modest two-game win streak stopped by Big 5 rival and seventh-ranked Villanova, 85-62, on Sunday, dropping the team to 6-4 on the season. It was the second loss in as many true road games for the Owls, who return to Philadelphia on Saturday to face No. 10 Kansas, and then host Delaware State six days later. They open American Athletic Conference play at defending national champion Connecticut on New Year's Eve.

Just a season removed from a 25-win campaign and a Colonial Athletic Association championship, Delaware can't buy a victory this time around as the team is 0-7, and being outscored by 18 points per game. Only two games have been decided by single digits, and the Blue Hens are coming off a 66-53 home loss to rival Delaware State on Dec. 7. This is the finale of UD's current three-game homestand, and the team will kick off CAA play versus visiting Northeastern on Jan. 3.

Temple has won the last 18 meetings with Delaware, and leads the all-time series with its former East Coast Conference rival by a 38-6 margin.

The Owls put forth a poor effort at both ends of the court in their recent loss at Villanova, hitting just 34.6 percent of their field goal attempts, which included a 4-of-15 performance from 3-point range, while allowing the Wildcats to drain 9-of-15 perimeter launches and finish at 52.9 percent from the floor overall. Quenton DeCosey paced Temple with 18 points, Will Cummings had 14 and Obi Enechionyia had 10.

Temple is hoping to receive a boost from a couple of newcomers, as transfers Jesse Morgan (UMass) and Devin Coleman (Clemson) are eligible to suit up starting this evening. They will hopefully complement Cummings and DeCosey, who rank atop the team's scoring list with 14.8 and 14.7 ppg, respectively. Cummings also helps in other areas, as he grabs 6.1 rpg and dishes out 3.1 apg for the Owls, who are connecting on only 36.2 percent of their total shots while making good on just 25.9 percent of their 3-point tries. As a result, they are averaging 62.4 ppg, but their defensive effort has been much better, with foes amassing 63 ppg behind typical shooting outputs of .390 overall and .314 from distance.

Delaware has been idle for 11 days, last taking the court against Delaware State. In that game, the Hens shot just 30.4 percent from the floor, missing the mark on 21 of their 27 3-point attempts along the way. Kory Holden and Chivarsky Corbett both scored 15 points in defeat, while Cazmon Hayes chipped in with 11.

For the season, the Blue Hens are scoring just 54.7 ppg, which ranks the team 340th of the 345 Division I teams. The defensive effort hasn't been much better, as foes are putting up 72.9 ppg (293rd). Cameron Hayes (15.4 ppg) and Holden (11.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.6 apg) are the team's top offensive performers, which obviously isn't saying much considering the Hens shoot just 32 percent from the field, which includes a meager 29.7 percent showing from beyond the arc.

Simply put, the Blue Hens can't score. Delaware's futility is likely to last a bit longer, as the Owls, who despite not being world-beaters, are certainly the better team in this particular matchup.