Temple University Athletics
OWLS DEFEAT VISITING A-10 NEMESIS XAVIER IN DRAMATIC FASHION
1.25.06 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA -- Senior forward Antywane Robinson hit a 15-footer with 1.1 seconds remaining to lift Temple to an 81-79 win over Atlantic 10 foe Xavier at the Liacouras Center Wednesday evening. The Musketeers, who trailed by as many as 16 points in the second half and by 11 with 1:23 remaining, went on a nine-point run in the game's final minute to forge a tie at 79 with 23 seconds on the clock, setting the stage for Robinson and the dramatic finish.
Senior point guard Mardy Collins scored a season-high 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting and Mark Tyndale dished out a career-best eight assists to lead Temple. Xavier had Collins' number called in the final seconds, triple teaming the All-America candidate, who found Robinson in the corner for the baseline jumper before the exasperated home crowd.
Robinson contributed 17 points as four Owls scored in double figures. Tyndale and center Wayne Marshall posted 15 and 11, respectively.
Temple (10-7, 4-3), scored 25 points off of 16 Xavier turnovers and looked to have the game in cruise control in the second half. The Owls made seven of their first eight shots after the break, including a Tyndale four-point play and three pointers by both Robinson and Collins, to take a 55-39 lead, their largest of the game. Meanwhile, the Musketeers continued to struggle for an answer to John Chaney's famed match-up zone. It appeared to the Cherry & White faithful the answer would never come.
With the clock winding down in game's final minute, however, the Musketeers full court press proved effective, forcing a pair of late turnovers from the Owls, who committed just five miscues the entire contest. The visitors made the most of their opportunity, pouring in a trio of three pointers in the final minute, including a pair by sophomore guard Stanley Burrell.
Burrell scored 25 points on nine-of-17 shooting. He was joined by Justin Doellman (16) and Josh Duncan (15) as three Musketeers registered double figures.
Xavier (12-4, 3-2) suffered the defeat despite shooting 57.7 percent (30-52) from the field and 48.3 percent (14-29) from behind the arc. Temple attempted 11 more shots than its opponent, making 42.9 percent (28-61) of its field goals and 32 percent (8-25) of its three point attempts. The Owls, who had 79 of their 81 points provided by their starting five, had a 34-20 scoring advantage in the paint.
Xavier opened the scoring with a Doellman three-pointer before the Owls went on an eight-point run. Collins capped the run by converting from the charity stripe after being fouled on a fast break slam dunk. The teams proceeded to play an up-tempo contest, highlighted by a stingy Temple defense and solid Xavier field goal shooting.
TU took a 16-12 lead on Collins' third fast break dunk in the game's early stages. The Owls extended their advantage to 19-12 on a Robinson trey, made possible by a Collins' steal, with 11:37 remaining before the break. The Musketeers closed the gap, 19-17, before a Robinson lay-up and a Tyndale dunk, following his own theft, increased the lead to 23-17.
The teams proceeded to trade baskets before a Robinson lay-up and a Salisbury three-pointer at 3:09 provided the Cherry & White a 31-21 lead, its first double-digit advantage of the contest. A pesky Xavier squad, however, would not relent and reduced its deficit to five points, 33-28 with a Duncan three-ball with just over a minute to play before halftime.
A Dionte Christmas lay-up closed out the first half scoring and the Owls took a 35-28 lead into the locker room, courtesy of nine Xavier turnovers that resulted in 17 Temple points. The home squad did not commit a single miscue in the opening stanza and made seven steals, with Collins and Tyndale earning three each.
Temple, which attempted 14 more field goals than their opponent in the opening stanza, made 42.9 percent (15-35) of its first half shots, including just 25 percent (4-16) from behinds the arc. The Musketeers were successful on 52.4 percent (11-21) of their field goal tries and made 30 percent (3-10) of their three point attempts.
Temple returns to the hardwood this Saturday in a 2:00 p.m. tip-off versus No. 19-ranked Maryland at the Liacouras Center. Only 1,500 tickets remain for the contest with the Terps. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
