Temple University Athletics
Second Half Scoring Silence Dooms Owls in 80-71 Loss to Cincinnati
12.9.06 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 9, 2006
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - Junior forward Marcus Sikes and freshman guard Deonta Vaughn each scored 17 points while junior forward John Williamson posted his second double-double (15 points, 13 rebounds) of the season in leading Cincinnati to a come-from-behind 80-71 win over Temple Saturday afternoon in the 2006 Atlantic City Lenape Trail Classic at Boardwalk Hall.
Owls sophomore guard Semaj Inge turned in a career-best 17 points while senior guard Dustin Salisbery and sophomore guard Dionte Christmas matched their season averages in posting 18 and 20 points, respectively. In their first road contest of the season, the Bearcats improve to 6-2 overall following the win. For the Owls, the loss snaps a three-game winning streak and evens their season mark at 3-3.
Despite being beat on the glass to the tune of 27-14, the Owls carried a lead (46-39) into the intermission for the fifth time in six outings this season. The 46-point first half performance was a season-best and balanced by the guard trio of Salisbery (12 points), Christmas (14 points) and Inge (12 points). Inge's 12 points, on three-of-three shooting from the field and six-of-eight from the charity stripe, eclipsed his previous career-high of 10 points (vs. Buffalo, 11/27/06) after the first 20 minutes.
The Cherry and White raced to a 12-5 advantage just under five minutes into the first frame behind six points from Inge and a three-ball from both Salisbery and Christmas, the reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Week. Temple's ensuing 10-2 run was sparked by seven points from Salisbery and provided the Cherry and White a 22-7 lead with 12:58 remaining in the half.
The Owls' advantage grew to as many as 16 points before a 14-3 run by the Bearcats, capped by a Vaughn triple, cut the Temple advantage to 31-26 with exactly seven minutes left. Vaughn's 15 points in the first stanza was a team-best while Williamson swiped 10 of his 13 rebounds. As an achilles heel for the Cherry and White this season, the Bearcats did most of their glass work on the offensive end in grabbing 12 caroms.
In a tale of two halves for the Owls, Temple responded from nailing four-of-eight long-range attempts in the first stanza to hitting just one-of-eleven tries in the final 20 minutes. Following six straight points from senior forward Dion Dacons, Inge's lay-in at the 13:07 mark gave the Owls a 63-53 lead, but would be the last Cherry and White field goal scored until just 2:49 remaining.
"We did not keep our compusure," said Temple coach Fran Dunphy. "While our defense was not great our offense was nowhere to be found at that (18-0) stretch.
"I think those guys came out and pressured us alot," Salisbery said. "We really could not get into our offense. The shots we were making in the first half were not falling in the second half."
Through the Owls' shooting woes, Cincinnati responded with an 18-0 run capped by a Cedric McGowan jumper. Sikes and Williamson, two of five players in double-figures, combined to score 11 points over the span as the Bearcats claimed their first lead of the afternoon, and never looked back, with 7:43 remaining.
"We have a young team and it is early in the season but have to learn to bring games in when it gets to crunch time," Salsibery said. "We start off good and the second half, when we know teams are going to go on a run, we just have to do a better job of keeping our composure and playing at those times of the game."
After a week-long lay-off, the Owls return to the hardwood next Saturday, December 16, at Towson for a 2:00 p.m. tip-off.
