Temple University Athletics
AUBURN DIALS LONG DISTANCE TO SPOIL MEN'S BASKETBALL SEASON OPENER, 80-78
11.19.04 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - Auburn junior guard Ian Young hit a three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining, one of the Tigers' school-record 18 treys on the evening, to give the visitors an 80-78 victory over Temple in its season opener at the Liacouras Center Friday evening. The Owls had one last trip down the floor with a chance to win or tie, but mishandled the ball, resulting in a jump ball and subsequent in-bounds pass courtesy of the possession arrow, with four tenths of a second to play. The pass went awry and Auburn celebrated its first win under new coach Jeff Lebo before a disappointed but entertained crowd of 5,269.
Young made 10-of-14 attempts from the field, including a six-of -10 showing from behind the arc, to tie his career-high with a game-best 28 points. The Tigers made 43.9 percent (18-41) of their three-pointers and shot 47.5 percent (28-59) overall for the contest.
Sophomore guard Dustin Salisbery came off the bench for the Cherry & White to tie his career-high with 19 points on seven-of-fourteen shooting. Freshman Mark Tyndale matched Salisbery in the scoring column with 19, hitting seven-of-15 from the field. Tyndale, who had one of the best debuts in recent memory, also grabbed five rebounds, dished four assists and contributed two blocks and a steal over his 34 minutes on the floor.
Junior guard Mardy Collins had his best floor game as a Temple point guard, dishing a career-high nine assists. He also contributed 13 points as four Owls scored in double-digits. Temple made 43.5 percent (27-62) of its attempts from the field.
Trailing by 14 points, 55-41, with less than a minute played in the second half, the Owls battled back as the Tigers' hot hand from behind the arc cooled. By exploiting its size advantage, which helped give Temple a 26-6 advantage in points within the paint, and by playing tough defense, the Owls' reduced the deficit to single digits. Trailing 69-60 after a Quinnel Brown free throw with 8:06 remaining, Temple went on a 9-0 run, capped by a Salisbery lay-up to tie the score at 69 with 5:47 remaining.
Auburn's Toney Douglas and Young proceeded to score eight of the contest's next 10 points to register a 77-71 lead with 3:16 on the clock. Wayne Marshall was fouled on Temple's next possession as he made a 13-footer in the lane. He converted from the charity stripe after a media timeout before making one-of-two free throws with 1:57 remaining on TU's next trip down the floor to reduce the deficit to two points, 77-75.
Auburn came down the floor looking to put the game out of reach, but a three-point attempt by Brett Howell from the corner was blocked by Collins, who gave Temple possession by throwing the ball cross-court to Marshall as he fell out-of-bounds.
Each team failed on its ensuing possessions before Tyndale brought the home crowd to its feet with a three-pointer to give Temple a 78-77 edge with 23 second remaining in the contest. Unfortunately for the Owl faithful, the lead lasted for just 10 seconds.
Temple scored the game's first six points, as Butler, Collins and Tyndale all tweaked the twine to inaugurate Chaney's 23rd season at the Owl helm. Nathan Watson hit a three-pointer to register the visitor's first digits of the contest. The Cherry & White responded to Auburn's first basket by going on a 15-2 run. Junior Antywane Robinson and Tyndale deposited consecutive treys as the Owls made nine of their first 12 field goal attempts to post a 21-5 advantage with 13:00 minutes remaining before the break.
It looked as though the Tigers would be unable to account for Temple's size. The Owls' starting five averages 6-feet, 8.6-inches, giving Chaney his largest lineup since the 1989-90 campaign (6' 9.4"). Auburn started a lineup that averaged six--foot, 3.4-inches tall, with its tallest members topping-out at 6'5, the same height as Temple's smallest starter, Tyndale.
Then came the three pointers. Trailing by 16 points in a hostile environment, the Tigers proceeded to deposit seven treys in their next eight trips down the floor to tie the score at 26 at the 7:31 mark on a Howell conversion from behind the arc. After depositing a layup for to take its first lead of the contest, 28-27, a lead that Auburn would hold for the game's next 26 minutes, the Tigers continued their onslaught from three-point territory. Auburn ended the first half with an additional six three-pointers out of its eight baskets to conclude the first half with a 50-41 lead and 14 three-pointers to its credit.
Marshall, a Martin Luther King High School product, played a team-best 38 minutes and contributed a game-high tying nine rebounds and 12 points in a strong collegiate debut.
Temple returns to the hardwood Monday, November 22, at Georgetown. It will mark the 34th meeting between the Owls and Hoyas, with Temple holding a 20-13 advantage, including a 59-53 win last season at the Liacouras Center behind David Hawkins' 28 points.
