Temple University Athletics
Temple Shares Big 5 Title With 85-66 Win Over La Salle
3.8.08 | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2008
PHILADELPHIA - Senior co-captain Chris Clark made his first eight shots en route to a career-high 22 points in leading Temple to an 85-66 win at La Salle Saturday afternoon. The Owls (18-12, 11-5) not only clinched second place in the Atlantic 10 Conference, but also a share of the Philadelphia Big 5 title. Temple posted a 3-1 city-series record to tie Villanova. It marked the 25th Big 5 Championship for the Owls, the most among Big 5 schools.
Clark, who recorded his fifth career scoring high of his brilliant final season, was the straw that stirred the Owls' drink, but he had plenty of help from his teammates. Junior center Sergio Olmos followed a career-high 16 point effort against Duquesne with 14 points. It was his second best scoring output and also marked the first time he scored in double figures in consecutive games.
Junior Dionte Christmas (19 points), held in check most of the game, made two three-pointers late in the second half to set a new Temple single season three-point mark. Christmas, who also joined Mark Macon and Lynn Greer as the only players in TU history to score 600 points in consecutive seasons, passed Greer (95 three-pointers, '01-02) with his second trey that put the Owls ahead 81-60 with 2:30 to play.
"I am pleased for these two guys," said Temple head coach Fran Dunphy, referring to captains Clark and Mark Tyndale. "They did a terrific job all season long - on and off the court."
It was a total team effort that enabled the Owls to break the game open against the Explorers early in the first half. Leading 20-15, Temple went on a 12-1 run to double up La Salle. Five different players scored during that stretch led by Clark who chipped in with five points.
Clark drained two more of his game-high six treys, and fellow senior co-captain Mark Tyndale added another in an 11-0 run minutes later that stretched the Cherry and White lead to 22 points, 44-22, with 3:31 left in the half. The first stanza would end with the Owls ahead 50-26.
"We did not make too many mistakes," Dunphy said of his team's effort in the first half. "Chris came in and made some big-time shots."
La Salle (14-16, 8-8) stormed out of the locker room, scoring the first nine points of the second half to cut the margin to 15. Clark, who was on fire, drained back-to-back three-pointers to stop the run.
The Explorers were not done, however, as senior Darnell Harris, who became the A-10's all-time three-point leader (335) in the game, scored four of his game-high 26 points in a 9-0 stretch that cut the Temple lead to a dozen, 56-44.
It was again Clark who stopped the Owl drought, burying another three-pointer. Tyndale, who had another great all-around game with 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists (against one turnover), followed with a lay-up to bring the margin back to 17 points.
La Salle twice cut the lead to 12, the last coming with 6:28 to play, but Christmas then exploded with nine points in a 13-4 run that put the contest away.
"We were picked to finish ninth and we finished second. That's a pretty good accomplishment right there," said Tyndale on the season.
On the Big 5 title, it was Temple's first since 2004-05, when the Owls also tied Villanova.
"Coach said we would appreciate it more later in life, but it is a great accomplishment," said Tyndale.
The Owls, who have now won a season-best four straight games, open A-10 Tournament play Thursday (6:30 p.m.) in the quarterfinal round against the winner of the #7-seed La Salle versus #10-seed Duquesne.
