Temple University Athletics
Men's Basketball Falls At Rhode Island, 67-59
1.28.09 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 28, 2009
KINGSTON, RI - Temple rallied from a 12-point second half deficit to tie the game at 53, but the Owls hit a dry spell, connecting on only one field goal over the final 10 minutes in falling to Rhode Island, 67-59, at the Ryan Center Wednesday night. Dionte Christmas led all scorers with 27 points for the Owls, who fall to 11-8 overall and 3-2 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Kahiem Seawright topped URI (14-7, 3-3) with 17 points.
"This is a good basketball team," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said of Rhode Island. "Jim (Baron) does a good job of coaching and Seawright is a beast in there."
The Owls opened the game without the services of sophomore forward Craig Williams, who sprained his knee in practice earlier in the week. With Sergio Olmos filling his spot among the starters, TU made eight of its first 10 shots, but could not break away from the Rams as the score was deadlocked at 22 midway through the opening stanza.
Christmas, who had scored 20 points over the last two games, both blowout wins, was on fire, hitting his first five shots of the period, and had 14 of the Owls' first 22. The Rams, who lead the A-10 in scoring (82.2 ppg,), kept pace with the visitors despite missing their second leading scorer, Keith Cothran (14.3 ppg.), who was out for the third straight game with a knee injury.
Temple hit a cold spell after that, making only of its final eight from the field, and a back-breaking dunk by Seawright with two seconds left in the period sent the Cherry and White into the locker room with its largest deficit of the half, 36-28.
The Rams fed off their momentum and opened the second half by converting two Owl turnovers to easy baskets in extending their lead to a dozen, 40-28. Dunphy replaced Semaj Inge, who went scoreless over 17 minutes after matching his career high (19) against Charlotte, with Luis Guzman at that point.
Temple then went on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to five, 42-37, on a lay-up by Ryan Brooks (12 points). URI answered that with an identical run, to build the margin back to 12, 51-39, with just under 12 minutes to play. During that run both Olmos and Lavoy Allen picked up their fourth fouls.
With freshman Micheal Eric, who pulled down a game and career-high seven rebounds, as the lone Owl big man on the floor, Temple scored 14 of the next 16 points to tie the game at 53. Christmas and Brooks each had five in the spurt with Christmas' fifth trey deadlocking it with 9:01 remaining.
"We did a poor job on the offensive end of executing (at that point)," Dunphy stated. "That would have been a big thing if we could have regained the lead and then the next thing I know we are down six."
The Owls then went ice cold, missing their next six shots and 11 of their final 12. A Christmas lay-up with 4:42 on the clock broke a 6-0 Ram run. The Temple All-America candidate was fouled on a three-point attempt a minute later, but made just one of three from the line, leaving the score 61-56.
Jimmy Baron, the Rams' leading scorer entering play (17.1 ppg.), made a lay-up and then two of four free throws to ice the win. Baron, who finished with 13 points, had been held in check all game by Brooks.
"I thought Brooks did a good job of guarding him, but we get that all the time from him," Dunphy said.
The Owls return home Saturday for a nationally-televised (CBS College Sports) game against Richmond. The Temple women play first taking on Dayton at 3:30 p.m. with the men's game tipping off at 6:30 p.m. The Owl Club Auction will also be held Saturday and it is also Dollar Dog Day.
