Temple falls to Southern Methodist, 69-61, ending four-game winning streak
Temple's recent run of four games won ended against Southern Methodist.
Temple lost for the first time in five games, falling 69-61 to Southern Methodist at Moody Coliseum on Saturday
“The turnovers late in the game hurt us,” said coach Aaron McKie.
The Owls (11-7, 4-3 AAC) stayed close to the Mustangs (16-4, 7-1 AAC) for most of the game, until Southern Methodist opened the second half with a 7-0 run to take a 38-28 lead.
Though Temple clawed back after the run to eventually take a lead, the comeback wasn’t enough to overcome the Mustangs’ offense, which shot 59.3% from the field in the second half.
Mustangs’ run
After the the Mustangs jumped out to take a 10-point lead early in the second half, the Owls responded.
Temple guard Damian Dunn, who led the Owls with 16 points, ended the SMU run with a three-pointer, which began a 15-2 run by the Owls. Dunn then narrowed it down to 40-34, making two key shots, one at the three-point line and then midrange with 15 minutes left in the game.
The run gave the Owls a 44-42 lead. However, Southern Methodist answered with a 13-0 outburst to take over the game. Mustangs guard Kendrick Davis made a three-pointer from the top of the arc, followed by a driving layup from forward Marcus Weathers, who led all scorers with 27 points, to extend the lead to 67-58 with 48 seconds left in the game.
“Making a couple of mistakes down the stretch,” said Temple’s Jeremiah Williams, who added 13 points. “We gave them a little bit of life, let some buckets go in and they took advantage of it.”
Next for the Owls
Temple takes on East Carolina at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, N.C. on Wednesday. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.