Temple University Athletics
Sunday, February 5
Liacouras Center
1:00 p.m.
Temple University
13-11, 4-7
83
vs
74
USF
6-16, 0-11
1
2
F
USF
23
51
74
Temple
46
37
83
Photo by: Zamani Feelings
Men's Basketball Gives Hooter the Owl an 83-74 Birthday Win Over USF
2.5.17 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - Thanks to its best first half of the season, Temple men's basketball had enough cushion to withstand a late USF run and win 83-74 on Hooter the Owl's birthday. Temple (13-11, 4-7) remains undefeated on its mascot's special day at 12-0 all-time. Daniel Dingle scored 11 points in each half to tie his career high with 22 overall, also hitting a career-high 6-of-7 three-pointers.
Temple built its lead to as many as 27 points early in the second half, allowing the Owls to hold off the Bulls (6-16, 0-11) despite a 15-3 USF run later in the game. Nine points was as close as the Bulls could get, a deficit they matched four times in the final two minutes.
Dingle led five players who scored in double figures for Temple. Shizz Alston, Jr. scored 14 points while tying his career high with seven assists, and Ernest Aflakpui also scored 14 points (a career high) while pulling down a game-best seven rebounds. Both Obi Enechionyia and Alani Moore II scored 10 points apiece. As a team, the Owls matched their season high with 12 three-pointers.
The Owls set the tone early on, jumping out to a 9-0 lead and staying in command the entire first half. They hit eight three-pointers in the period, shooting 50 percent from long range, while also shooting a season-best 62 percent and scoring a season-high 46 points.
All eight players on the court scored for Temple in the opening half, led by Dingle with 11 points. Dingle, Alston and Moore all hit multiple treys, with Dingle making 3-of-4 from long range.
USF cut a 15-point Temple lead down to eight with 7:26 remaining, but Dingle then hit back-to-back three-pointers and the Owls led by at least 10 the rest of the way. The Bulls' last points of the period were scored with 5:34 remaining, and Temple got scoring from four different players as the Owls closed out with a 13-0 run to lead 46-23 at the break.
Over a minute and 20 second span early in the second half, all five of Temple's points were Aflakpui free throws. He gave the Owls their largest lead of 27 points, 54-27 with 17 minutes left. The lead remained at 20 points or more until USF made up a lot of ground with a 15-3 run from 9:42 to 6:09, coming within 11 points at 68-57.
Dingle's sixth three-pointer stopped the run at 5:04, and the teams traded points the rest of the way. Over the final minute and 24 seconds, Alston hit 6-of-6 free throws to keep USF from coming within fewer than nine points.
USF's Geno Thorpe was the game's leading scorer with 25 points as he hit 11-of-19 from the field. Thorpe scored 21 of his points in an impressive last 10 minutes.
The Owls will be back home for their next game, a 9 p.m. contest against SMU on Thursday, Feb. 9 (ESPN2 /1210 AM WPHT).
Temple built its lead to as many as 27 points early in the second half, allowing the Owls to hold off the Bulls (6-16, 0-11) despite a 15-3 USF run later in the game. Nine points was as close as the Bulls could get, a deficit they matched four times in the final two minutes.
Dingle led five players who scored in double figures for Temple. Shizz Alston, Jr. scored 14 points while tying his career high with seven assists, and Ernest Aflakpui also scored 14 points (a career high) while pulling down a game-best seven rebounds. Both Obi Enechionyia and Alani Moore II scored 10 points apiece. As a team, the Owls matched their season high with 12 three-pointers.
The Owls set the tone early on, jumping out to a 9-0 lead and staying in command the entire first half. They hit eight three-pointers in the period, shooting 50 percent from long range, while also shooting a season-best 62 percent and scoring a season-high 46 points.
All eight players on the court scored for Temple in the opening half, led by Dingle with 11 points. Dingle, Alston and Moore all hit multiple treys, with Dingle making 3-of-4 from long range.
USF cut a 15-point Temple lead down to eight with 7:26 remaining, but Dingle then hit back-to-back three-pointers and the Owls led by at least 10 the rest of the way. The Bulls' last points of the period were scored with 5:34 remaining, and Temple got scoring from four different players as the Owls closed out with a 13-0 run to lead 46-23 at the break.
Over a minute and 20 second span early in the second half, all five of Temple's points were Aflakpui free throws. He gave the Owls their largest lead of 27 points, 54-27 with 17 minutes left. The lead remained at 20 points or more until USF made up a lot of ground with a 15-3 run from 9:42 to 6:09, coming within 11 points at 68-57.
Dingle's sixth three-pointer stopped the run at 5:04, and the teams traded points the rest of the way. Over the final minute and 24 seconds, Alston hit 6-of-6 free throws to keep USF from coming within fewer than nine points.
USF's Geno Thorpe was the game's leading scorer with 25 points as he hit 11-of-19 from the field. Thorpe scored 21 of his points in an impressive last 10 minutes.
The Owls will be back home for their next game, a 9 p.m. contest against SMU on Thursday, Feb. 9 (ESPN2 /1210 AM WPHT).
Team Stats
USF
TU
FG%
.524
.538
3FG%
.417
.522
FT%
.750
.789
RB
27
30
TO
13
16
STL
11
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
22
FGM
7
3FGM
6
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
6
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG/F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballEp. 4: Temple Athletics Weekly Recap; Men's Soccer Captain Lukas Egarter
Tuesday, September 16
Temple Men's Basketball | Babatunde Durodola Day In The Life
Saturday, September 13
Ep. 3: Temple Volleyball Head Coach Linda Hampton-Keith || Lacrosse Student-Athlete Jenna Facciolli
Friday, September 12
Ep. 2: Temple Football Alum Tyler Matakevich || Gymnastics Junior Amelia Budd
Friday, September 05
