Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

Owls exposed in overtime victory

Temple was exposed in Wednesday night's 87-85 overtime victory over Buffalo.

The Owls showed that, without Micheal Eric's towering presence, they are very vulnerable in the low post. That's something Temple must correct in order to contend for an Atlantic Ten title.

Wednesday night, the Owls yielded 50 points in the paint and didn't have any answers for Bulls post players Javon McCrea and Mitchell Watt.

McCrea, a 6-foot-7, 245-pound sophomore, basically had his way with Temple 6-9 freshman Anthony Lee, who started the last seven games in place of the 6-11 Eric (out with a right kneecap injury).

McCrea muscled his way to a game-high 28 points on 12 of 16 shooting. He also finished with seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

Watt, a 6-10 senior, added 22 points, nine rebounds and three blocks against an Owls unit that featured four guards during long stretches.

"Obviously, we're undersized and undergirthed," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said. "Is that a word? We're going to have to battle like crazy, because, unfortunately, I think we're going to have a lot of games like this."

At least until Eric returns.

The Owls hope the graduate student will return to the lineup in a couple of weeks. But until then, Temple must rely heavily on trying to beat teams with guard play.