Temple University Athletics
Temple Advances to Finals of Preseason NIT with 69-61 Win Over Indiana
11.22.00 | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK (AP) - Interim coach Mike Davis said his young Indiana team seemed to have other things on their minds when they were shooting
free throws.
On Wednesday night, the distractions spread.
The Hoosiers, still getting accustomed to a new system following the departure of coach Bob Knight, surrendered baskets in bunches to Temple and
lost to the Owls 69-61 in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT.
Indiana never led and trailed by as many as 20 points midway through the second half before narrowing the gap with a run that was too little, too
late. The Hoosiers shot just 38.3 percent from the field and tried to play catch-up with a flurry of long range shots that misfired in the second half.
"I thought our starters played too soft," Davis said. "The second group played hard and dug in, only gave up 24 in the second half. Forty-five in
the first half was too much. We didn't play any defense."
The Hoosiers, who made just 12 of 30 free throws in the first game of the tournament and 18 of 31 in the second game, were 6-for-11 from the foul
line. Better but not enough.
The Owls (4-0) used runs of 12-3 at the start of the first game, 10-0 at the end of the first half and 12-2 midway through the second half to wear
down Indiana (2-1).
Lynn Greer and Quincy Wadley got Temple off to a quick lead with 3-pointers at the start as the Owls seemed to catch Indiana by surprise. The
Hoosiers, still getting organized under Davis, who replaced Knight in September, never overcame that early deficit.
"Temple exposed us," Davis said. "Besides their strength and toughness, we had guys who didn't come to play."
Greer led the Owls with 20 points and Wadley had 16.
"I'm a little surprised we're 4-0," Greer said. "Some teams underestimated us."
Temple rained 3-pointers on Indiana in the first half, opening a 45-30 lead. The Owls nailed eight long-range shots in the first 20 minutes, three of
them by Alex Wesby to construct their big lead. Wesby finished with 13 points.
"Forty-five points at the half," coach John Chaney said. "I'm not used it. I told them, I overcoached them. I didn't want to to do that. I'd rather yell
and holler at them."
That wasn't necessary the way the Owls came out.
Indiana stayed with Temple for a while and cut the lead to five points at 35-30, using five 3s, two each by Tom Coverdale and Dane Fife, to remain
within striking distance.
But then Ron Blackshear hit a long 3-pointer _ his only basket of the first 20 minutes _ touching off a 10-0 run. Wesby's third 3-pointer ended the
run just before the buzzer.
Indiana tried to get back into it at the start of the second half, cutting Temple's lead to 47-37. But then the Owls scored five straight baskets capped
by Greer's 3-pointer that increased their lead to 20 at 59-39.
After that, the Owls coasted to complete the win.
Andre Owens led Indiana with 16 points and Fife scored 10.
It was Indiana's first loss in the Preseason NIT since 1988. The Hoosiers had won 10 straight games in the tournament, including the titles in 1992
and 1996.
