Temple University Athletics
#2 SAINT JOSEPH'S TOPS TEMPLE, 76-53, IN MEN'S BASKETBALL
2.21.04 | Men's Basketball
The Hawks, now 24-0 and 13-0 in Atlantic 10 Conference play, again shot lights out, hitting 52.2 percent (24-46) from the field and an even better percentage (55%, 11-20) from behind the arc. National Player of the Year candidate Jameer Nelson took just 10 shots, the most by any SJU player in its balanced attack. He posted 18 points, a game-high-tying nine rebounds and four assists. Junior All-America candidate Delonte West was even better, tallying a game-high 20 points while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing seven assists.
Temple's All-America candidate David Hawkins finally looked human. His nation's best streak of 17 games with over 20 points came to a crashing halt as Saint Joseph's ran four different players at him. Hawkins did tie sophomore guard Mardy Collins for team scoring honors with 13 points, but hit just five-of-21 from the field in the contest.
Collins tied Nelson for game rebound honors with a career-high nine caroms, but like Hawkins, struggled with his shot (6-18). Freshman Tyreek Byard posted his second straight double figure game, tallying a career-high 12 points on four-of-nine from three-point range.
The game started with both teams playing tight. Neither team made a basket until almost four minutes had elapsed. Then SJU's John Bryant laid one in to make it 4-1 Hawks. Collins, who scored nine of his points in the first 13 minutes, countered a minute later and then things settled down.
Unlike the first outing at the Liacouras Center, Temple did not allow SJU to jump out quickly. After the Hawks took a 19-9 lead on a West three-pointer, the Owls answered with an 11-4 run with a Collins' trey making the score 23-20 with seven minutes left in the half.
Then the Hawks erupted. Three-pointers by Pat Carroll (14 points) and Nelson extended the margin to eight, 29-21. Then two free throws by West, who entered the game ranked sixth nationally in free throw percentage (90.3%), a Chet Stachitas' lay-up, a free throw by Dwayne Jones, a trey by Nelson, and all of the sudden Temple was facing a 16-point deficit, 37-21, with 2:27 before intermission.
SJU would extend it to 18 points, 41-23, at the half.
Temple, which had made second half runs against Saint Joseph's, Dayton and UMass over the last four weeks, did not have one in them this afternoon. The Hawks quickly pushed the margin to 22 points, 52-30, on a West three-pointer with 14:09 to play. The Owls would get no closer the rest of the way.
Shooting again plagued Temple, as it has all season. The Owls connected on just 29.7 percent from the field (19-64) and only 24 percent (6-25).
Temple (12-11, 6-6), which lost for the first time in February (5-1), now must regroup and head to La Salle Wednesday (8:00 p.m./CSN/WPHT 1210 AM) for its final Big Five tilt.
