Temple won back-to-back games on the road, but tougher tests are coming
The Owls are tied with Tulsa, South Florida, and Charlotte for second place in the conference. They’ll face two of those teams this week. Here’s what we learned from their consecutive road wins.
After consecutive losses, Temple needed to get back in the win column, and it took a road trip to Texas against two teams sitting at the bottom of the American Conference to do so.
Temple battled with Rice last Wednesday, before winning, 69-65. The University of Texas at San Antonio gave the Owls a similar test on Saturday, but Temple prevailed, 70-64.
The Owls (13-7) now are 5-2 in conference play and are tied with Tulsa, South Florida, and Charlotte for second place in the American. Florida Atlantic is currently in first place.
Temple’s two-game homestand against Charlotte on Wednesday and South Florida Saturday will mark a true test for the Owls.
Let’s evaluate where Temple stands after its road trip.
Offensive lapses
Temple’s offense has lacked balance.
Against UTSA, the Owls made 37% of their first-half shots and didn’t score from the floor until more than three minutes into the game.
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The second half was the opposite. Temple shot 51.9% from the field to take a 12-point lead, but another field-goal drought allowed the Roadrunners chip away at the Owls’ lead.
Temple’s core played cohesively during its scoring burst, though. Guards Derrian Ford, Aiden Tobiason, and Jordan Mason recorded double figures in each game. Guard Gavin Griffiths had 12 points against Rice.
Holding onto the ball
Before their game against Memphis on Jan. 14, the Owls were among the least turnover-prone teams in the country. However, they had 14 against the Tigers and 15 against FAU, a season high.
The Owls addressed their turnover issue and recorded six against Rice and nine against UTSA.
A big factor was Mason returning to form. He had four turnovers combined in the past two games, after having as many turnovers (10) as points against Memphis and FAU. The San Antonio, Texas, native also scored 18 points against his hometown Roadrunners and added 15 points and six assists vs. Rice.
The bench
Temple’s offense takes a noticeable dip when its bench players hit the floor. The team is averaging 16.7 bench points and had just 19 during their road trip.
Forward Babatunde Durodola and guard Masiah Gilyard have been the best options off the bench, but aren’t the biggest scoring punch, averaging 4.5 and 4.4 points, respectively.
With guard AJ Smith out for the remainder of the season because of shoulder surgery, the Owls lack scoring depth on the bench. Guard CJ Hines could have been an option, but he never played a game and was dismissed from the team on Jan. 16 amid a national gambling investigation.
Wins against Charlotte and South Florida would go a long way if Temple wants a chance at securing the American tournament’s No. 2 seed, which grants a bye to the semifinals in the conference’s new format.