Temple University Athletics
MEN'S BASKETBALL MAKES 19 STEALS IN 88-46 DRUBBING OF A-10 EAST RIVAL UMASS
2.26.03 | Men's Basketball
The Owls have won eight of their last 10 games and are in second place in the Atlantic 10 Conference Eastern Division, one game ahead of St. Bonaventure (13-13, 7-6). The Bonnies defeated George Washington, 94-89 in overtime Wednesday night to move ahead of Rhode Island (15-10, 7-7), who suffered an 82-70 loss at home to No. 25 Dayton.
Wednesday night's game was not televised, breaking a string of 19 straight regular season games between Temple and UMass, dating back to 1993, that have appeared on national television.
All five Temple starters registered double-digit scoring totals, led by co-captains Alex Wesby and David Hawkins who each scored 17 points. Junior Brian Polk deposited 11 points and freshmen Maurice Collins and Keith Butler scored 14 and 10, respectively. Butler also grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds to record his second double-double of the season, both against UMass.
UMass got on the scoreboard first and later led 8-7 after an Anthony Anderson three-pointer at the 16:14 mark of the first half. Then came the tidal wave. Polk responded with a trey 43 seconds later to start a 40-6 Temple run that extended to the 17:58 mark of the second half, when a Jackie Rogers slam dunk registered a 47-16 score to interrupt a flurry of Temple field goals. UMass went scoreless for a stretch of nearly seven minutes midway through the initial stanza before suffering a nearly 10 minute drought from the 7:03 mark of the first half to the 17:58 mark of the second half.
Temple led 42-14 at the midpoint, its largest half time advantage of the season.
The 88-46 final score, courtesy of two Nile Murry free throws with 32 seconds remaining, marked the Owls' largest advantage of the evening. Temple led by thirty points or more for over nineteen minutes of the second half.
The Owls shot 47 percent (31-66) on the evening while the Minutemen deposited 35.4 percent (17-48) of their attempts from the field. Temple out-rebounded UMass by a 40-28 margin and scored 36 points in the paint to the visitors' 14.
Temple returns to the hardwood this Saturday, March 1 in a 4:00 p.m. contest against St. Bonaventure at the Liacouras Center.
