Temple University Athletics
Tyndale Tallies Career-High 37 Points To Lead Owls Past 49ers
2.24.07 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2007
PHILADELPHIA - Behind a career-high 37 points and team-high nine rebounds from junior guard Mark Tyndale, Temple (12-15, 6-8) snapped its three-game slide with an 81-69 critical Atlantic 10 win over Charlotte (13-14, 6-8) Saturday afternoon at the Liacouras Center. Junior guard Leemire Goldwire scored 20 of his team-high 26 points in the second half, but it wasn't enough as the 49ers fell for just second time in six games.
On the afternoon he was honored for scoring his 1,000th career point as Owl (2/11/07 vs. UMass), Tyndale's performance, which included a marksman-like 14-for-17 shooting from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from long-range, garnered him the third highest point total in the Liacouras Center's history behind Lynn Greer's 43 (1/30/02 vs. Fordham) and David Hawkin's 41 (3/3/04 vs. Massachusetts) points. Also, Tyndale now owns the highest point total by an Atlantic 10 player this season, an honor formerly owned by Charlotte's senior guard De'Angelo Alexander (35 pts, 2/10/07 vs. Fordham).
Alexander, entering the day's game ranked fourth among all Atlantic 10 scorers (18.1 ppg.), struggled to find his shooting rhythm all afternoon. While shooting just three-for-12 from the field, and zero-for-six from behind the arc, Alexander collected 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Senior forwards E.J. Drayton and Antwon Coleman chipped in with 13 and 10 points, respectively, for eighth-year head coach Bobby Lutz.
After both teams traded turnovers to start the contest, a Coleman turnaround jump-shot gave the 49ers their only lead of the game at 2-0. After senior guard Dustin Salisbery stroked a mid-range shot to even the scoring, sophomore center Sergio Olmos, making his first start since January 6 against Xavier, put back a rebound and the Cherry and White never looked back.
As shooting struggles continued for the conference's top scorer, sophomore guard Dionte Christmas, Tyndale turned on the offensive aggressiveness from the opening whistle as the Philadelphia native contributed to the Temple 43-31 halftime lead with a game-high 16 points. Christmas, averaging 20.6 points coming into the game, shot just four-for-12 from the field and two-for-six from long-range for 13 points. Salisbery, ranked fifth (17.1 ppg) among Atlantic scorers, posted just seven points on three-for-nine shooting.
Charlotte, despite shooting just 35.3 percent from the field in the second half, and an even 39 percent for the game, trailed by just nine points, 70-61, with four minutes and 50 seconds remaining. After the Cherry and White's largest lead of the game hit 17 points with just over six minutes remaining, Goldwire ran off 11 consecutive points for the 49ers on four free throws, a lay-in, mid-range jumper and triple.
While the Owls struggled from the charity stripe shooting a paltry 57.7 percent (15-for-26), critical free throws down the stretch from freshman guard Ryan Brooks and senior forward Dion Dacons put the game out of reach. In appropriate fashion, Tyndale found himself all alone for a dunk with just 54 seconds remaining to put the icing on the cake.
First-year head coach Fran Dunphy got his typical yeoman's effort from Dacons as the 6-6 center corralled seven rebounds and tallied four points against zero turnovers. And, Brooks continues to be a refreshing spark off the bench for Dunphy as the local Philadelphia product stroked his first two long-range attempts en route to 10 points and four rebounds.
The Owls conclude their 2007 home schedule on Wednesday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. against Dayton. Prior to the game's tip, Dacons and Salisbery, the team's two seniors, will be honored for their four-year careers as members of the Cherry and White.
