There are very few times in sports when a moment swells up deep inside, literally shaking you down to the core.
For the 8-thousand plus fans who packed the Liacouras Center on North Broad Street Saturday afternoon, it was one of those very special moments.
Maybe it was the revealing of Temple University's Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship Banner before the game.
Maybe it was the "Merry Christmas" signs fans ecstatically waved from court side to the rafters.
Maybe it was a blind little boy named Timmy, whose trembling body brought nearly 16-thousand eyes to tears as he courageously sang the National Anthem.
Or maybe, just maybe, it was the 88-72 Temple pounding over No. 8 Tennessee.
Senior Dionte Christmas dropped a season-high 35 points, his final shot a fading 3-ball from the corner with 4:05 to play, giving Temple (5-3) its largest lead of the game, 82-59.
As the crowd exploded, waving the signs in honor of their beloved star player, any thought of a Tennessee (6-2) comeback might as well have been snowed in.
Ryan Brooks scored 16 points and Sergio Olmos netted a career high 19 for the Owls while adding five blocks, anchoring a tough, Temple inside presence out-rebounding Tennessee 35-30.
Tennessee was just the sixth top-10 team to play at the Liacouras Center since it opened on Dec. 9, 1997. The Owls now have a 3-3 record against those top-ranked teams.
The game was nationally broadcast by ESPN. Head Coach Fran Dunphy and the Owls wasted no time revealing their new banner to college basketball fans all around the nation.
It was as if Temple was telling all those who didn't know, "we're back!"
The Owls won the opening tip, scoring the first eight points of the game en route to an early 13-2 lead. The Volunteers however proved, for a brief moment, why they're nationally ranked, tying the game at 15-all before the Owls took flight again.
Temple never trailed in the game and Christmas hit 6-of-7 three-pointers in the second half, including three straight after the Volunteers cut the lead to four with just over 10 minutes to play.
With anxiety bubbling, Temple fans stared at the scoreboard that read 52-48, and Christmas was fouled on an And1 jumper.
The crowd was already in a frenzy when Tennessee Head Coach Bruce Pearl came out of his shell, throwing his jacket and screaming at the referees in disgust of the call.
With the coach's fiery red face clashing with his bright orange tie and suspenders, Pearl was awarded a technical foul. Christmas would sink the free gift from the line and the Owls went on a 17-6 run.
As the clock hit one minute to play, the arena began to shake as the crowd began to shuffle down towards the court preparing for the inevitable first storm of the season.
With the final buzzer, thousands of fans rushed the hardwood, covering it like the first winter snow.
After the blizzard calmed, Christmas remained on the floor for nearly 20 minutes after the game, signing autographs for adoring fans of all ages.
It seems in spirit of the Christmas season, maybe you're never too old to believe.
