Temple University Athletics
TEMPLE BEGINS ATLANTIC 10 PLAY WITH VICTORY OVER FORDHAM, 86-75
1.6.02 | Men's Basketball
Murry's 33 points was the second highest points total ever scored by a Temple freshman. Mark Macon scored 35 points in Temple's 75-62 win against St. Joseph's at the Palestra back on March 2, 1988.
Playing without senior forward Alex Wesby, who's mother passed away on Thursday night and center Ron Rollerson who is still nursing a groin pull, the Owls got out of the gate quickly in the first half. Murry scored nine points in the first 3:42 to stake the Owls to a 16-2 lead. Fordham (4-8, 0-1) would make a run of their own with the help of Teremun Johnson who scored seven of his 10 first half points, cutting the Temple lead to 27-25 at the 8:47 mark. It would be the closest the Rams would get for the remainder of the game.
Following another three-pointer by Murry, David Hawkins would score 11 of his 13 first half points as the Owls went on a 22-4 run to extend the lead to 49-29 before the Rams scored the final four points to cut the halftime deficit to 49-33. The Owls shot a season-best 18-for- 33 (54.5%) from the field while draining 10-of-19 from beyond the arc.
Murry picked up where he left off in the first half. He began the second half by draining his sixth three-pointer and contributed seven more points by the halfway point of the second half. Along with six points by sophomore Brian Polk, the Owls had their largest lead of the game, 67-43 with 10:13 remaining.
But the Rams wouldn't die. A 20-3 run over the next 5:41 would cut the Owls lead to 70-63 with 4:32 left. Then the Owls caught a break. Forward Teremun Johnson was called for a technical foul for stepping over the out-of-bounds line when the Owls inbounded the ball. All-America candidate Lynn Greer would drain both free throws and back-to-back steals resulted in layups by David Hawkins and Brian Polk to extend Temple's lead to 76-63 with 3:49 remaining.
The Owls would finish the game by nailing 8-of-10 free throws and 19-of-25 for the game. Lynn Greer scored in double-figures for the 31st consecutive game chipping in 18 points while Brian Polk added 17 and David Hawkins registered 16. Kevin Lyde, plagued by foul trouble, played just 15 minutes and did not score. It was the first time that Kevin was held scoreless since the Owls loss at Wisconsin back on December 29, 1999.
Up next are back-to-back home games for the Owls. On Wednesday, they take on Duquesne at 7:00 p.m. and follow that up with a Saturday matinee against Rhode Island at
4:00 p.m.
