Temple University Athletics
Owls Top Fordham, 90-72
1.23.01 | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK (AP) - Imagine what Kevin Lyde could have done if John Chaney wasn't so protective of him.
Limited to eight minutes in the first half because he had one personal foul, the junior center played the entire second half Tuesday night and finished
with a career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds as Temple beat Fordham 90-72.
The Owls (11-9, 5-1 Atlantic 10) had a season-high in points and were one off their season-best with 10 3-pointers. Still, Chaney found
something to be unhappy about in his team's 13th straight win over Fordham (11-7, 3-3).
"Kevin Lyde is the most important player on our ballclub. We take him out when he picks up his first foul now," Chaney said. "Every one of them
has come because of some guard letting his man penetrate and he won't let anybody by without a challenge and that's how he gets fouls and that's
why this is a bad team because we can't stop anybody. We're always reaching and trying for the steal. I'm just not pleased with any defense we
play."
The 6-foot-9 Lyde doesn't like this new system but he's not complaining publicly.
"It's frustrating to sit and not be in the rhythm of play. In the second half I came out fired up," he said. "But I don't question him at all."
Temple entered the game averaging a conference-worst 64.7 points and the Owls reached that with 14:48 to play. Their highest scoring game of
the season was 77 points, in a seven-point win over Fordham 10 days ago, and they reached that total Tuesday night with 7:45 to play.
The Owls were 7-for-14 from 3-point range in the first half in taking a 45-36 lead. They made their last three 3s of the game in the opening 4:03 of
the second half, building a 60-43 lead.
Then Lyde went to work inside. His rebound dunk with 13:34 to play made it 68-47 and Greg Jefferson's two free throws with 12:32 left gave the
Owls their biggest lead, 70-48.
Jason Harris' 3-pointer with 7:33 left brought the Rams (11-7, 3-3) within 77-64, but Lyde scored six points, four on offensive rebounds, in an
8-0 run as Temple regained control.
Quincy Wadley had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Temple, which snapped a two-game losing streak, while Lynn Greer had 15 points. The Owls
finished 10-for-24 from 3-point range and outrebounded the Rams 44-36.
"We're a good shooting club but that's all I can say," Chaney said. "Can you make stops on the other end? We're living off shooting and you
don't win basketball games like that.
"With Kevin Lyde sitting on the bench, I'm trying to beat an elephant with a pea shooter. It won't work. As soon as he gets his first foul he's out so
he has 20 minutes for the other four. I have to do that because we have these dumb players around him who let players penetrate to the basket."
Lyde's previous career-high was 22 points earlier this season against Cleveland State.
"It means a lot for our team for him to be on the floor," Wadley said. "He's our inside presence, both scoring and blocking shots. When he's out
of the game we struggle offensively and defensively."
Bevon Robin had 20 points and Duke Freeman-McKamey added 18 for Fordham, which missed 14 of its first 16 3-point attempts and finished
6-for-23 from beyond the arc.
"Our shooters couldn't make shots and at the other end we couldn't stop them," Fordham coach Bob Hill said. "We tried every defense we have
and they made shots. I don't have any excuses. They played a terrific game and we didn't play very well."
Temple has swept six straight season series from the Rams, who last beat Temple in 1980-81 season.
"I thought last time we outplayed them in the second half but you need to get beyond limits and I don't think we did that," Hill said.
