Temple University Athletics
LATE RUN GIVES OWLS A 63-50 WIN OVER SOUTH CAROLINA
12.22.05 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA -- Temple used a 15-4 run to break open a close ballgame and welcomed back junior center Wayne Marshall in a 63-50 defeat of South Carolina on Thursday night at the Liacouras Center. Leading by two points with 6:10 to play, the Owls turned up the defensive pressure and capitalized on three costly USC turnovers to pick up their second win over a SEC opponent in two weeks.
The win, which was the nightcap of a men's/women's doubleheader, also showed that Temple (6-3) could bounce back from an embarrassing 73-42 loss at Auburn on Sunday. Unlike its last game, the Cherry and White both shot and protected the basketball well. TU shot 52% for the contest, including a sizzling 63% in the second half, and committed a more characteristic five turnovers.
Marshall's stat line was unassuming--five points, one rebound and two blocks in 17 minutes. But the junior, who had missed the first eight games with dizzy spells, provided a much needed boost in the frontcourt, taking up space on defense and giving the Owls a legitimate post option on offense.
"He makes a big difference," head coach John Chaney said. "Once he gets his legs under him, he's going to be fine. It's good to be able to play from the inside-out, like we used to do."
His presence gave the Temple perimeter players more room to operate and they did so with precision. Senior Antywane Robinson led all scorers with 18 points, and classmate Mardy Collins and junior Dustin Salisbery added 15 and 13, respectively. All three shot at least 50% from the field.
The trio was heavily involved in the late-game run, combining to score 11 of the team's 15 points over the final six minutes. The normally stoic ballclub also showed some outward emotion, no doubt aided by a boisterous Liacouras Center crowd. Temple improved to a perfect 4-0 on its home court, with wins over two SEC squads (Alabama and South Carolina) and one ACC opponent (Miami).
Most of the contest was tight, as exhibited by the ten ties and 12 lead changes. The Owls took the lead for good on a sophomore Mark Tyndale (eight points) with 12:07 to play but the advantage never reached double-digits until the 3:17 mark.
Similar to the last time that Chaney's team suffered a 30-point loss, the Owls recovered with a victory. After losing to #11 Xavier, 96-65, on March 8, 2003, TU went on to beat Richmond 66-52 one week later. In fact, that team won five of its next six to reach the NIT quarterfinals.
Tarence Kinsey led the Gamecocks with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Brandon Wallace and Rocky Trice each netted ten for USC (7-3).
The Temple women's team defeated Villanova, 52-43, in the opener of the doubleheader behind 14 points from junior Kamesha Hairston.
The Owls host #3 Villanova on Saturday, Dec. 31 at the Palestra in a Big 5 match-up. The game will be broadcast on CN8 and tips off at 4 p.m.
