Temple defeats Ohio with help from bench

ATHENS, Ohio - Khalif Wyatt sat stoically, taking the ribbing as well as he could.

"That there is the Microwave," one Temple teammate said.

"You know why, right? It's because it doesn't take long for him to heat up and start cooking," another said.

Wyatt heated up on Wednesday night, scoring a career-high 14 points in just 19 minutes to help push the Owls past Ohio University, 76-65, at the Convocation Center.

Wyatt hit his first four shots, all from three-point range, in the first half. It gave the Owls (9-2) an edge they enjoyed the rest of the way en route to their sixth straight win. Wyatt hit the four triples in a five-minute stretch that turned a two-point lead into an 11-point cushion.

"After the first one went in, I figured if I had the shot I'd shoot it," Wyatt said. "We were in a slump offensively at the start, and I did what I could to come in there and try to give us a little spark."

He wasn't the only one. Forward Rahlir Jefferson added a career-high 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a 31-minute stint off the bench for the Owls as Temple plastered Ohio, 32-11, in bench points.

"Khalif Wyatt was spectacular in the first half," said Temple coach Fran Dunphy. "And [Jefferson] did a very good job. He knows his role . . . but I thought his offense was very good tonight."

Ramone Moore continued his torrid scoring streak with 17 points, Juan Fernandez had seven points and a career-high nine assists, and Lavoy Allen chipped in six points and 13 rebounds for Temple. The Owls appear to be rounding back into shape after getting knocked out of the top 25 with a pair of losses in late November at a tournament in Orlando.

"We always talk about trying to get better as the season goes on," said Wyatt. "We started out kind of slow, but since we came home from Orlando, the focus has picked up."

Ohio (6-6) was powered by forward DeVaughn Washington's game-high 20 points. Point guard D.J. Cooper added 13 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists.

But the Bobcats have dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season, and fell to an unsightly 4-4 at home.

"When you play a really good team and you make the mental errors and mistakes that we made tonight in the second half, you get your butt beat," said Ohio coach John Groce. "That's exactly what happened tonight."

"Every time [Ohio] made a run, somebody on our team made a big shot," Wyatt said. "Each and every time, it seemed like."