Temple drops a close one to Cincinnati, 88-83 on night Owls guard Damian Dunn surpassed 1,000 career points
For the second straight game, Temple star guard Khalif Battle was away from the team.
For the second straight game, Temple guard Khalif Battle was away from the team. The Owls might’ve benefitted from his scoring abilities dropping a close one to Cincinnati, 88-83 on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Arena.
A few players contributed offensively to replace Battle, the top scorer on Temple’s roster. Damian Dunn stepped up, scoring a game-high 34 points that included surpassing 1,000 career points (1,008) in the process.
Nevertheless, Battle’s absence was felt down the stretch.
Temple (15-14, 9-7 American) did not score from the floor for over seven minutes in the second half. Forward Zach Hicks made a three-pointer with 20 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Cincinnati guard Landers Nolley II went 4 of 4 for 9 points in overtime, which made things challenging for Temple. His late-game heroics created a four-point gap and put away the Owls. His performance was matched by David DeJulius, as he and Nolley II scored 20 points each. Bearcats guard Dan Skillings Jr. contributed 15 points off the bench, including hitting 4 of 5 from three.
Temple’s loss snapped a three-game win streak against the Bearcats. Losing five of their last six games, the Owls now sit in fifth place in the American Athletic Conference.
What we saw
Cincinnati (19-10, 10-6) found open guys for wide-open jump shots throughout the game. The Bearcats went 26 of 57 from the floor, including 8 of 22 from three-point range.
Nolley II and DeJulius both created matchup problems against the Owls. Both players were able to make shots from different areas of the court.
Temple answered Cincinnati’s offensive production by making important shots. The Owls went 28 of 59, including 10 of 23 from beyond the arc.
Momentum shifts
Hysier Miller made two consecutive three-pointers to start a 6-0 second-half run, but moments later, Miller received a crucial technical foul. DeJulius made both of his free throws to stop this mini-run.
Forward Zach Hicks and Dunn made two consecutive three-pointers to tie the game, 65-65.
On the following possession, DeJulius slowed down Temple’s comeback attempt by making a three-pointer to give Cincinnati a three-point lead. However, Cincinnati’s 6-0 run down the stretch fueled a six-point lead, and Temple was unable to bounce back.
Up next:
Temple returns home to face Central Florida (15-12, 6-9) on Wednesday at the Liacouras Center (7 p.m., ESPNU).