Temple men’s conference tourney hopes in jeopardy after sixth straight loss

When February started, the Temple men’s basketball team was in a three-way tie for third place in the American Conference and in solid position to lock a top-four seed.

Now, after its 80-74 loss to Rice on Sunday at the Liacouras Center, Temple has a six-game losing streak.

During its previous five losses, Temple (15-14, 7-9) was plagued by cold shooting streaks. On Sunday, it was the defense. Rice (12-17, 6-10) constantly poked holes in Temple’s defense as it poured in 45 points in the second half.

Temple is back to the drawing board with two games remaining in the regular season and tied for ninth place, the second-to-last spot to qualify for the conference tournament.

“I think we fight right. There’s no quit,” said coach Adam Fisher. “We have to make sure that continues. The fight. You got to believe that, This is what it’s got to take. We’re right there. And you got to figure out, one bounce, one extra effort … We asked every guy, ‘Look at yourself, starts with me, and I’ll be looking, trust me.’”

Temple’s offense kept pace with the conference’s sixth-best scoring offense. Temple shot 50% from the field, led by guards Derrian Ford and Aidan Tobiason. Each finished with 20 points. Temple’s issues came in three-pointers, as it went 5-for-17.

Meanwhile, Rice shot 52% from the field and won the rebounding battle 28-25.

Guard Nick Anderson led the team with 21 points. Guard Trae Broadnax and guard Jalen Smith added 15 points apiece.

Tobiason scored six points three minutes into the game to help Temple take an 8-4 lead. Guard Gavin Griffiths ended a 4½-minute scoring drought with a three-pointer followed by a layup and a free throw to complete a three-point play to put Temple’s lead at 15-11.

But everything Temple threw at Rice was instantly answered, mainly through Anderson. Broadnax, Rice’s leading scorer, picked up two fouls in the first 12 minutes, forcing him to watch most of the half from the bench. Anderson stepped up in his place for 11 first-half points.

Temple did well containing Rice, but then it crumbled as halftime neared. Rice went on a 12-9 run, but a Ford jumper kept Temple up at halftime, 36-35.

After the break, Temple overcommitted on stopping Rice. Tobiason scored the team’s first six points in second half, but Rice contained him the rest of the way.

A nearly five-minute field goal drought for Temple ended when Ford drilled a three-pointer to cut Rice’s lead to 65-64. However, that was the closest Temple ever got.

“It’s not so much the second half,” Fisher said. “I think there’s things in the first half that you have to clean up and then it gets magnified in the second half.”

Temple’s defense began to crack with the emergence of Broadnax and guard Jalen Smith. Broadnax got on the board with a jumper to tie the game at 42. Twenty-nine seconds later, Smith made a three-pointer to take the lead.

With Anderson, the Rice trio scored 18 straight points in a six-minute span. Temple had little to no answers as 37 of Rice’s 45 second-half points were from the three guards.

“Broadnax’s [is] their leading scorer, a veteran guy,” Fisher said. “He brings you into the post … Give him credit. He had a couple [of] tough shots.”

Temple will host Tulane (17-12, 8-8) on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN2).