Temple University Athletics
Owls Snap Skid With 85-79 Win Over Saint Louis
1.17.07 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2007
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PHILADELPHIA - Guards Dustin Salisbery, Dionte Christmas and Mark Tyndale combined to score 69 points to lead Temple to an 85-79 victory over Saint Louis at the Liacouras Center Wednesday evening. Salisbery posted 25 points, while Christmas and Tyndale each contributed 22, to help the Owls snap a five-game losing streak and earn their first Atlantic 10 Conference win of the season.
"We needed it very, very much," said Temple head coach Fran Dunphy. "I'm happy for the guys that they hung in there. We did not give the lead up. I thought the last couple seconds of the first half could come back to haunt you."
Salisbery, who was honored pre-game for scoring his 1,000th point at Xavier, made eight of 16 field goal attempts, including four of six three-pointers, while also grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. The senior also connected on five of six attempts from the charity stripe. The effort marked the Lancaster, Pa. native's third career double-double.
Tyndale tweaked the twine on eight of 13 attempts, while Christmas made six of 13 field goals, including three of four from behind the arc. The Owls shot 46.2 percent (12-26) from three point range and 42.4 percent (25-59) from the field overall. Saint Louis made 51.7 percent (30-58) of its attempts and made 15 of 25 shots (60 percent) from behind the arc. The Billikens, however, committed 11 turnovers, while the Owls had a season-low five miscues, including just one after intermission.
Sophomore guard Tommie Liddell led Saint Louis with 28 points on eight of 12 shooting. Four Billikens scored in double figures, but the visitors shot just eight free throws, making four. Temple, conversely, had 28 attempts from the charity stripe, converting 23. All of the Owls' points came from their starting five, marking the first time this season TU did not have bench points.
Temple (7-9, 1-3) held the lead for the entire second half, but had its mettle tested on multiple occasions in the latter stages. Saint Louis (12-6, 2-3) reduced its deficit to a single point four times in the second half, but the Owls consistently answered. The final test came with 3:15 remaining after a Danny Brown jumper registered a 70-69 score. A Tyndale driving lay-up then gave way to a three-point play by the Philly native on the next trip down the floor to squelch the threat and give the Cherry & White a 75-69 advantage.
Temple increased its lead to nine (78-69) before making its free throws in the final minutes to secure its first win over Saint Louis in two attempts.
Saint Louis made its first three field goal attempts and added one from the charity stripe to take an early 8-4 lead. Tyndale knotted the score at eight on his second driving lay-up, as Temple's guards were successful penetrating the lane in the initial stages. The Billikens then began to shut down the paint to the Owls' four-guard attack, but the efforts forced the home squad to look outside for points. When they did, hot shooting hands were in ample supply.
The Owls took their first advantage of the contest when Christmas hit his second straight three-pointer to give the home squad a 14-11 edge. Salisbery followed with consecutive treys of his own to provide TU a 20-11 lead with 12:36 before the break. Temple made 12 of its initial 16 field goal attempts, including seven of nine three pointers, en route to a 32-20 advantage. At the other end of the floor, however, Saint Louis was also shooting well. At the third media timeout, the Billikens trailed 34-26 despite depositing 10 of its first 15 field goal attempts.
As the first half wound down, the contest began to resemble a three-point shooting contest. With the clock stopped at the final media break of the opening stanza (3:47), the Owls had made nine of 14 (15-23 field goals) from behind the arc, while SLU had made an impressive seven of nine three pointers (14-20).
When the first half came to a close, the twine needed a rest as much as the players. Temple had made 16 of 30 field goals, including 58.8 percent (10-17) from extra distance. The Billikens scored eight of the game's 10 points prior to intermission, including a long range trey at the buzzer. Despite the visitor's efforts, they trailed 49-45, after shooting 70.8 percent (17-24) from the field and an astonishing 72.7 percent (8-11) from behind the arc.
Temple returns to the hardwood this Saturday afternoon in the first of two men's/women's doubleheaders at the Liacouras Center this season. The men host Rhode Island at 2:00, with the women tipping off against the Lady Rams at 4:30. At halftime of the men's game, John Chaney's 1986-87 team, which then set a school record with 32 victories, will be honored.
