Temple drops third straight in 86-78 loss to Maryland-Eastern Shore

In its final nonconference game, Temple lost to Maryland-Eastern Shore, 86-78, at the Liacouras Center on Tuesday.

Temple now rides a three-game losing streak heading into American Athletic Conference play. Ranked fifth in the AAC preseason poll, through 13 games, the Owls (6-7) have failed to meet expectations.

Fourth-year head coach Aaron McKie’s squad sits at eighth in the conference. With no nonconference games remaining, the Owls’ at-large NCAA Tournament bid opportunities are slim.

With less than four minutes remaining, Temple went on a 6-0 run and made 6 of 7 shots, capitalizing on four turnovers. Trailing by five points, guard Zach Hicks made 1 of 3 from the line, and forward Nick Jourdain missed the putback layup with 27 seconds left.

“We gave this team 86 points,” McKie said. “I have been talking about defense all year because I am a firm believer ... better defensive teams are the ones that have the say come March. We are nowhere near that.”

Temple guard Zach Hicks went 5 of 7 for 15 points, including 4 of 6 from three-point range. Additionally, guard Khalif Battle added 15 points and eight rebounds.

“We didn’t come together as a team,” Hicks said. “Top teams in the country that we want to compete with come together, and I think we’re struggling to do that right now.”

Maryland Eastern Shore (5-7) was led offensively by two players. Guard Da’Shawn Phillip finished 7 of 10 from the floor for a team-high 18 points, and forward Nathaniel Pollard Jr. added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Hawks attacked the Owls, making 11 of 24 from three-point range. Additionally, Maryland Eastern Shore scored 43 first-half points, 22 coming off the bench.

Overall, the Hawks finished 29-of-61 from the floor and made 17-of-24 from the free-throw line.

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The small things, including rebounding and defensive execution, contributed to Temple’s struggles tonight. The Hawks grabbed three consecutive first-half offensive rebounds, and forward Troy Hupstead made a second-chance layup with 7 minutes, 25 seconds left to give Maryland Eastern Shore an eight-point lead.

The Hawks also dominated the boards, grabbing 40 rebounds. The absence of forward Jamille Reynolds, who is out six to eight weeks after getting right thumb surgery last week, was noticeable.

Temple finished 27 of 56 from the floor, including 8 of 27 from beyond the arc.

Battle only made 2 of 11 from three-point range, and guard Damian Dunn exited the game with an injury in the first half.

“He is being evaluated right now for a head injury,” McKie said of Dunn’s status. “We don’t know anything right now.”

The Hawks went on a 15-2 second-half run over four minutes, which swung the momentum. Guard Chace Davis made a three-pointer to give the Hawks an eight-point lead. Guard Zion Styles hit from beyond the arc at the 12:26 mark on the following possession.

The Owls open AAC play on the road against East Carolina (8-4) on Dec. 28 (7 p.m., ESPN+).