Penn State and Temple are very similar teams. Both have great guard play. Both have mobile big men who use their bodies well on the inside. And both the Nittany Lions and Owls weren't expected to be in the Sweet 16.

With all of the similarities the two schools share, one can expect a tight, hard fought showdown that might come down to the final minutes to decide which squad moves on to the Elite Eight. And that's where free throw shooting will become crucial.

Getting to the line can be the deciding factor and it might be more difficult for Penn State to get to the charity stripe because Temple plays a matchup zone defense. Because there isn't as much movement on defense when playing in a zone, Temple won't be as prone to foul.

The Lions only went to the line 14 times against the Owls when Penn State beat Temple in its only matchup this season and senior guard Joe Crispin took six of those shots. Frontcourt starters Tyler Smith and Gyasi Cline-Heard only went twice each.

"It is very key for us to get to the line," Penn State men's basketball coach Jerry Dunn said. "When we can get to the line we have the confidence that our players can make the shots."

Every point will count in tonight's game against the Owls and free throws — especially from Cline-Heard and the rest of the Penn State big men — will be very important. The only substitute Temple has for 6-foot-9 center Kevin Lyde is Ron Rollerson who pales in skill to Lyde.

To get the Temple big man in trouble, though, the Lions have to find a way to either penetrate the lane and draw contact or pass the ball past the Owl guards so Cline-Heard can work down low.

But Dunn knows it won't be easy to get to the charity stripe.

"Several teams have tried to do it in the past and they have not been successful," the sixth-year coach said.

"I know in our last game we didn't get there as many times as we would have liked. I want our players to be aggressive but be smart about it. Temple is a good team and uses their fouls wisely."

Cline-Heard, who used to be the target of other teams at the end of the game, has vastly improved his foul shooting in the offseason and has brought just another threat to his game during the year. Instead of Cline-Heard spending the waking minutes of the game clanking misguided shots off the front of the rim, he is consistently hitting his free throws, making the Lions more successful during the year.

He hopes to continue his foul shooting success against Temple because he said every opportunity to capitalize and earn some points will be helpful.

"I feel comfortable every time I go out there," Cline-Heard said.

"I know that I am more confident than I have been in the past. I also know that I have the support of my teammates who believe in me that I can make those shots at the end of the game."