Temple University Athletics
Temple University
Pennsylvania
#19/21 Men's Basketball Holds Off Penn, 60-45
1.13.10 | Men's Basketball
Owls improve to 2-0 in Big 5 play with the win
Boxscore
PHILADELPHIA - Ryan Brooks scored 15 points and Juan Fernandez added 12 to lead #19/21 Temple past upset-minded Penn, 60-45, in Big 5 action at The Palestra Wednesday night. The Owls improved to 14-3 on the season and 2-0 in city-series action while the Quakers fell to 1-11, 0-2.
Always a tough game for Temple coach Fran Dunphy, as he patrolled The Palestra sidelines for 17 years before taking the reins of the Owls' program in 2006, this year was even more of a tug at the emotions as he had to coach against his former star player, Jerome Allen, for the first time.
The two talked briefly an hour before the game, before pupil and teacher did battle in a Big 5 clash.
"To play against Penn is a difficult thing for me because of all the meaning that is within this building, within the program and all the years I've spent there," Dunphy said. "Then I've got to look down at the other end of the bench and there's Jerome Allen who meant so much to me as a basketball player at Penn."
But as Dunphy said, once the ball goes up it is all about coaching your team. And the Dunphy and his Owls were just too talented for the upstart Quakers, who despite their struggles this season, hung tough the entire contest.
The first half started with the Owls feeding the post, as sophomore Micheal Eric scored eight of his nine points in the period and Lavoy Allen adding four.
Penn, in its first home game in 36 days and Allen's first as the head coach, hung around, and trailed by just a basket after a Dan Monckton (10 points) dunk with 2:24 on the clock. The Owls then ran off seven straight points to close out the frame with a Brooks' trey capping the run that gave TU a 33-24 lead at the break.
The Owls opened the second half with seven unanswered points to take a commanding 40-24 lead.
Penn would not relent, however, and used a 10-0 run to cut the margin to five, 45-40, with just under nine minute to play.
Temple's big guns, Brooks, Fernandez and Allen each contributed two points as the Owls scored six straight to bring the margin back to double figure, 51-40. Penn had no answer as TU closed out its third straight win and 10th in its last 11 games.
Jack Eggleston, who tied teammate Conor Turley for game-high rebound honors (7), led Penn with 14 points. Zack Rosen chipped in with 10 points and a game-high six assists.
Temple assistant coach Matt Langel left the game to be his wife Tara, who went into labor with their second child. Lucas James was delivered later that evening a healthy seven-pounds, 11-ounces.
The Owls next host A-10 rival UMass Saturday (2:00 p.m./OwlAccess) in the first half of a men's/women's doubleheader. The Temple women host Saint Joseph's at 4:30 p.m.
