Temple University Athletics
Temple Comes Back To Defeat Ball State, 75-70
12.19.06 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2006
MUNCIE, IN - Dionte Christmas scored a game-high 23 points and Mark Tyndale came off the bench to lead Temple to a 75-70 come-from-behind win over host Ball State Tuesday night at Worthen Arena. The Owls overcame a 14-point first half deficit to improve to 5-3 on the season while the Cardinals dropped to 4-7.
Trailing 52-48 with just under 10 minutes to play, Temple ran off 15 unanswered points to take a 63-52 lead with 5:50 remaining. Semaj Inge hit his second straight three-pointer to ignite the run while Christmas was the game- breaking play. The 6-5 sophomore blocked a lay-up attempt by Peyton Stovall and then fed Tyndale on a full court pass for a dunk, making the score 58-52. He then added the finishing touches with one of his three treys.
"He playing great, playing with poise, not taking any bad shots," said Temple coach Fran Dunphy on Christmas. "He is doing everything it takes to win,"
Ball State was able to cut it to six twice, the second time on a Stovall lay-up with 3:08 on the clock that made the score, 66-60, but Temple converted enough free throws down the stretch to keep the Cardinals at bay. Stovall, who led BSU with 22 points, hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to make the outcome appear closer than it actually was.
Temple struggled to find its rhythm in the first half and trailed at intermission for the first time in the Dunphy Era. The Owls turned the ball over 11 times, matching their field goal output over the first 20 minutes. Nearly half of those turnovers were due to palming calls, an emphasis by officials this season.
"We got called five times for carrying the ball and that is just the way referees are calling the game these days and we are going to have to adjust to that," said Dunphy. "On a personal note, I would rather not see that call made. This is the way the game has evolved kids do that these days and now we are trying to take away their creativity so I would rather not see it."
The Owls fell behind by as many as 14 points, 23-9, but a 12-1 run closed the gap to three, 24-21, with 6:49 remaining in the period. Christmas had five of his 10 first half points in the run while Dion Dacons added four of his career-high 11 points.
"We just started off a little sluggish and I did not do a great job of bringing energy into the game," said Tyndale, who played 31 minutes off the bench. "We did a great job in the second half fighting back to get the win.
The Cardinals answered back with five straight points to make the score, 29-21, but the Cherry and White closed the half on a 12-5 run with junior DaShone Kirkendoll scoring all five of his points in the five-minute stretch. Kirkendoll also dished a career-high four assists while playing in front of family members who made the 90-minute trek from Dayton, Ohio.
Temple, which leads the Atlantic 10 in fewest turnovers per game (12.0), had a season-high 18 miscues in the contest. The Owls did force 21 Ball State turnovers. The Owls shot 53.8 percent from the field in the second half, and 50 percent overall for the game.
Dacons nearly had a double-double, tying for game-high honors with nine rebounds. Dustin Salsibery, who was held to a season-low eight points, grabbed eight rebounds and led the team with three steals.
Inge, who hit two key three-pointers for six points, posted a career-high seven assists. He did, however, commit seven turnovers.
"He was critical in that (15-0) stretch," said Dunphy on Inge. "He makes two threes to bring us back greatly in the game, but he also does some things that he can't do. He tried to dribble through the entire team one time and got caught walking. He probably could have got called for carrying. He does some good things out there. He has a great future but he also has to play the game with a little more poise."
Christmas played the entire game for the first time in his career, and notched a season-high six rebounds.
The Owls, who evened their record against Mid-American Conference opponents to 2-2, return home to face a red-hot Drexel Dragons squad Friday. Drexel, 7-2, has won five straight with its last two victories coming on the road against Villanova and Syracuse. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m.
