Temple University Athletics
Owls Drop Men's Basketball Matchup With Xavier
2.10.01 | Men's Basketball
CINCINNATI (AP, Feb. 10) - Romain Sato hit his first five shots, all 3-pointers, and scored 19 points as No. 24 Xavier went up by 15 points and held on for a 78-71
victory Saturday over Temple.
Xavier (18-4, 9-2 Atlantic 10) rebounded from a three-point loss at St. Joseph's by playing its best overall game of the season. The Musketeers shot 50 percent,
blocked eight shots and had four players in double figures.
Temple (14-11, 8-3) was on its best roll of the season, winning its last three games by margins of 26, 30 and 33 points. But after falling behind by 15 points early
in the second half, the Owls never got closer than four again.
Xavier got around Temple's matchup zone by running fast breaks after rebounds or shooting 3's when it set up. Xavier was 11-of-28 on 3-point tries.
Lionel Chalmers added 18 points, Maurice McAfee had 12 points and 12 assists and David West had 11 points and 15 rebounds. Lynn Greer led Temple with 30
points.
Xavier set the tone in the first half by running every chance it got. The Musketeers scored off fast breaks, worked for open 3-pointers and shot 54 percent even
though Temple's bulkier front line limited West to three shots.
Xavier also stayed with full-court pressure that forced 10 turnovers in the first half.
After four lead changes, Xavier took control with a 19-4 spurt that featured a pair of 3's by Sato, who hit all of his four 3-point tries in the half. Sato's free throw
made it 37-23.
Six-foot-10 center Ronald Rollerson kept Temple in the game by getting nine rebounds and scoring six points in the first half. He had 12 rebounds overall.
Sato and Kevin Frey hit 3's that pushed Xavier's lead to 15 points early in the second half. Sato was 6-of-10 overall on 3-point attempts.
Greer rallied Temple by scoring eight of its first 10 points in the second half, and Alex Wesby made a 3-pointer and a three-point play that cut it to 51-48 midway
through the half.
Xavier responded with a 15-2 spurt that included three more 3's. McAfee's 3-pointer and driving bank shot rebuilt the lead to 66-52 with 4:40 to play.
Greer's 3-pointer trimmed the lead to 66-59 with 2:08 to play, but Xavier hit 12 of its 14 free throws the rest of the way.
