Temple University Athletics
PHILLY NATIVE LEADS RHODE ISLAND OVER MEN'S BASKETBALL, 69-63
3.1.06 | Men's Basketball
KINGSTON, RI -- Philadelphia native Dawan Robinson turned in one of his best performance of his stellar career while playing in his final home game. The fifth-year senior guard scored 19 points and dished eight assists to lift host Rhode Island (13-13, 7-8) to a 69-63 win over Temple (15-12, 8-7) Wednesday night at the Ryan Center. The Rams snapped a four-game losing skid with the victory while the Owls dropped their fifth straight road game.
"He played a great ball game," said Temple coach John Chaney on Robinson. "He has always been able to get up for games like these (against Philly teams)."
Robinson scored 11 of his points from the free throw line as he was able to penetrate the Owls' match-up zone throughout the second half. His assists hit open Ram marksman who drained a season-high 11 three-pointers on 22 attempts. URI came into the game last in the league in three-pointers made (4.2 per game) and 12th in percentage (.297).
"You have to give credit to them," added Chaney." They played one of their better games. They shot the ball well and played zone all game and left it in our hands to shoot over it."
Senior Mardy Collins turned in another All-America performance, scoring 18 of his game-high 27 points in the first half. Collins was on fire from the perimeter, connecting on a career-high seven treys (10 attempts), and many coming from NBA range.
Collins, however, did not have much help from his teammates. Senior Antywane Robinson was the only other Owl to reach double figures, scoring 14 points. The 6-8 forward needed a career-high 20 shots (5 made) to reach that total.
Junior guard Dustin Salisbery, still laboring due to a back injury, scored just two points while playing only 17 minutes. He was replaced in the second half starting lineup by sophomore Chris Clark.
The Owls fell behind right from the start as URI hit its first three three-pointers to take a 13-4 lead by the first media timeout. The Rams extended it to 11 points, 27-16, with 8:46 on the clock on a Robinson trey. Temple would cut the deficit to five, 37-32, at the break courtesy of a 7-2 run which was capped by a long-range Collins three.
Temple started the second half on a 10-4 run to take its first lead (42-41) of the contest following a Robinson steal and slam with 15:41 to play. A Collins three-pointer a minute later pushed the margin to 45-41, but then the Rams defense put the clamps on the TU star.
Collins would not score again until there was 16 seconds remaining.
Meanwhile URI orchestrated an 11-2 run behind five points and one assist from Robinson to take a 55-50 advantage with just over five minutes on the clock.
The Owls tied the game at 58 with 2:13 left following consecutive three-pointers by Robinson. Then Jimmy Baron (11 points), the son of URI head coach Jim Baron, drained his third trey of the game, to give the Rams the lead for good.
Sophomore Mark Tyndale missed two free throws on the Owls' next possession and URI quickly capitalized on a Jamaal Wise lay-up to make it 63-58 with 1:11 on the clock. Salisbery made his lone basket, a short one-handed jumper in the lane with 53 seconds left to make it 63-60. The Rams, however, converted six of eight free throws to close out the contest.
Temple now finds itself in a four-way tie for fifth place in the Atlantic 10 standings with one-game to play. The Owls host Fordham Sunday (noon) in their final regular season game. The contest will serve as Senior Day for Collins, Robinson and Nehemiah Ingram.
