Temple University Athletics
MEN'S BASKETBALL MISSES THE MARK IN 56-51 LOSS AT SAINT LOUIS
2.18.06 | Men's Basketball
ST. LOUIS -- Sophomore Mark Tyndale led all scorers with 23 points, but the rest of his Temple teammates struggled offensively in a 56-51 loss to Atlantic 10 Conference newcomer Saint Louis in front of 13,044 fans at the Savvis Center Saturday night. It was the fourth straight road loss for the Owls, who fall to 14-10 and 7-6 in conference play. The Billikens, who have now won five of their last six, improve to 14-10, 8-4.
Senior guard Mardy Collins scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half, but like most of his team, had trouble with his shot. The Temple floor leader hit just four of 16 shots and only one of five from three-point range.
Normally reliable Antwayne Robinson turned in his worst performance of the year, missing all five of his shots and grabbing just two rebounds over 23 minutes of work. Dustin Salisbery, who has been hot and cold all season, was frigid. The junior guard failed on all eight of his field goal attempts, and made just one of four free throws.
"They were not effective at all, I do not understand," said Temple coach John Chaney on Robinson and Salisbery. "One of them will come off the bench from now on."
For the game, the Owls made just 30.4 percent (17-56) from the field, and a dismal 13 percent (3-23) from behind the arc.
"We just can not shoot," extolled Chaney. "We have had that problem all year. Our defense is normally effective, but we just did not capitalize on many of them (turnovers)."
Saint Louis, on the other hand, was red hot from three-point range. The Billikens, who entered play ranked 12th in the conference in three-pointers made (4.61 per game) and 11th in three-point percentage (.312), connected on 10 of 21 from behind the arc.
Freshman guard Kevin Lisch, who led SLU with 22 points, made four of nine "threes" while senior guard Anthony Drejaj (15 points) led the home team with five treys (nine attempts).
Temple was able to stay in the game with its defense. The Owls forced 23 turnovers off a season-high 18 steals.
Trailing by nine, 52-43, with 2;15 to play, the Owls stepped up their pressure, and scored eight unanswered points in just over a minute to make it 52-51 at the 1:07 mark. Tyndale, who had four steals, scored six points in the run, first draining a three-pointer and then closing the stretch with a dunk and free throw as he was fouled on the play.
Chaney called timeout and pulled his defense out of its aggressive trapping press to its normal match-up. SLU's leading scorer for the season, junior center Ian Vouyoukas (13.6 ppg.), who was held to just four points, missed a shot in close just before the shot clock expired. Freshman guard Tommie Liddell, was there for a back-side rebound and lay-in to make it 54-51 with 30 seconds to play.
First Robinson and then Collins missed three-pointers that would have tied the contest from the top of the key. Salisbery grabbed the offensive board off Collins' miss and was fouled. He, however, missed both free throws.
Lisch was sent on a breakaway off a long pass to seal the game.
The Owls now return home to the Liacouras Center where they own a 10-1 record to take on Richmond Wednesday night (7:00 p.m.).
