Temple 93, UConn 89 (2OT): Stats, highlights, and reaction from Owls’ win
Monty Scott's career-high 25 points allowed the Owls to outlast the pesky Huskies.
Monty Scott of Temple goes up for a shot between Isaiah Whaley, left, and James Bouknight of Connecticut during the first half.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Aaron McKie looked upward in exasperation and wiped his head with his trusty towel as the second overtime began. If it was the same towel he’d been using, it had to have been pretty smelly by then.
Temple had two chances to close out UConn on Thursday night at the Liacouras Center, leading by two possessions with less than two minutes to play both in regulation and overtime. An 11-2 run in the second extra period finally slammed the door on the pesky Huskies and gave Temple a 93-89 victory.
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Temple (14-12, 6-7 American Athletic Conference) led UConn for nearly all of the second half. After missed free throws by the Owls kept UConn (14-12, 5-8) alive with less than a minute to play, an Isaiah Whaley bucket for UConn at the 5-second mark tied the score at 69. A buzzer-beating attempt by Monty Scott rimmed out and sent the game into overtime.
Temple again controlled much of the first overtime before a flurry of missed chances allowed the Huskies to sneak into the lead with 48 seconds left after a three-point play by James Bouknight. Temple trailed by three with 21 seconds to play when redshirt junior guard Monty Scott, who finished with a career-high 25 points, drained a game-tying three and kept the Owls alive.
Buckets by Alani Moore and J.P. Moorman, as well as important free throws by Scott and Nate Pierre-Louis, finally put the game away for Temple. Scott’s career high led the Owls while Pierre-Louis also scored a career high with 23 points. Christian Vital paced the Huskies with 21 points.
Justyn Hamilton, right, of Temple and Isaiah Whale , center, of Connecticut battle for rebound during the 1st half at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Nate Pierre-Louis, left, of Temple goes up for a shot against Isaiah Whaley of Connecticut during the 1st half at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
J.P. Moorman, center in white, of Temple collides with Jalen Gaffney, #0, and Isaiah Whaley, right, of Connecticut during the 2nd half at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Monty Scott of Temple goes up for a basket against Connecticut during the 1st half at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Monty Scott, left, of Temple and James Bouknight of Connecticut go after a loose ball during the 2nd half at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Monty Scott, center, of Temple heads down court after coming up with a steal against Connecticut during the 2nd half at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020. Josh Pierre-Louis is right.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Quinton Rose, of Temple battles for a rebound with Josh Carlton, , 2nd from left, of Connecticut at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020. Brendan Adams is left, and Jake Forrester is right.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Nate Pierre-Louie, center, of Temple gets sandwiched between James Bouknight, left, and Isaiah Whaley of Connecticut during the 2nd overtime at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Nate Pierre-Louis, right, of Temple goes up for a shot against James Bouknight of Connecticut during the 2nd half at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Justyn Hamilton, right, of Temple and Isaiah Whaley, left, of Connecticut go after a rebound during the 1st half at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Monty Scott of Temple hits a 3-pointer to tie the score during the 1st overtime against Connecticut at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020. Temple went on to win 93-89 in double overtime.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Quinton Rose, #1 in white, of Temple scores against Josh Carlton, center, of Connecticut during the 1st half at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Monty Scott, center, of Temple goes up for a shot between Isaiah Whaley, left, and James Bouknight of Connecticut during the 1st half at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Nate Pierre-Louie, center, of Temple gets sandwiched between James Bouknight, left, and Isaiah Whaley of Connecticut at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Nate Pierre-Louis of Temple celebrates after their 93-89 double overtime victory over Connecticut at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Josh Pierre-Louis , center, of Temple does a victory dance after their 2 overtime vicotory over Connecticut at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Josh Pierre-Louis , center, of Temple does a victory dance after their 2 overtime vicotory over Connecticut at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Monty Scott of Templeis congratulated by Temple great Shizz Alston after their 2 overtime victory over Connecticut at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 20, 2020.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Keys to the game
Monty Scott was heroic. He came off the bench and hit five of his first six field goals en route to his second career high in four games. He wasn’t able to hit the buzzer-beater in regulation, but he more than made up for it with the tying shot that electrified the Liacouras Center.
After an impressive effort against Villanova, Quinton Rose struggled offensively against, missing his first 10 field goals. Pierre-Louis was there to pick up the slack, completing a double-double with 14 rebounds on top of his 8-for-14 shooting.
Quotable
“I think I’m kind of used to taking tough shots,” Scott said about his game-tying three in overtime. “It was a tough shot to make, but I was confident enough to put it down. … I was thinking three the whole way.”
“Every time we come to the huddle, all the guys were saying let’s run this and get it to Monty,” coach Aaron McKie said. “I was comfortable letting Monty have the last shot there because he had a good flow going on the offensive side.”
Takeaways
Temple has wanted Scott to be a go-to scoring threat off the bench all season, but he hasn’t been able to put together consistent offensive performances. On Thursday, McKie trusted Scott with the game on the line and he delivered.
