Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Men's Basketball Caps Super Saturday With 73-69 Win Over Siena
11.21.09 | Men's Basketball
Moore, Fernandez and Eric tally career highs in the victory
Boxscore | Gallery
PHILADELPHIA - Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore and Micheal Eric all scored career highs to lead Temple to a thrilling 73-69 win over highly-regarded Siena Saturday night in front of 6,759 fans at the Liacouras Center to cap a Super Saturday for Owl Athletics. Besides the men's basketball team's win, Temple Football team won its school-record ninth straight game while the men's cross country team won the University Division of the ICAAA Championships.
The game was part of the Philly Hoop Group Classic. The Owls are now 2-0 in the four-game tournament which concludes next weekend at The Palestra with games against Virginia Tech (Nov. 27/8:00 p.m./The Comcast Network/1210 AM) and St. John's (Nov. 28/8:30 p.m./1210 AM).
Fernandez tallied 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting to pace the Cherry and White (2-1) against the veteran Siena squad (2-1) that was ranked #26/27 in the latest polls. The Argentine sharpshooter drained four three-pointers (on six attempts) in the game while the rest of his teammates struggled to two-of-13 from behind the arc.
It was Moore, however, who sealed the win with two free throws with 22 seconds to play to extend the Owls' lead to 72-69. It was redemption for the sophomore guard who missed the front end of a one-and-one on Tuesday in a similar situation that allowed #19/20 Georgetown to pull out a 46-45 win.
"Ramone Moore redeemed himself tonight and stepped up and made a huge one and one," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said. " Whereas if he would have done that late in the game against Georgetown maybe it would have been a different outcome."
“As soon as we got back (from Georgetown) I went to the gym to practice free throws,” Moore said. “That went through my mind the whole time because I thought I let my team down missing those free throws, so I thought it was big for me to go out there and knock those down.”
Eric, the 6-11 sophomore, topped double figures for the first time in his career, scoring 12 points on six-of-eight from the field, while blocking two shots.
Senior co-captain Ryan Brooks added 17 points to round out the Owls' double-figure scorers.
Alex Franklin led three double-figure scorers for Siena, which led by as many as 11 in the first half, with 22 points. Local product Ronald Moore (Plymouth Whitemarsh HS) added eight points and a game-high 12 assists.
It was a hard-fought game which saw six ties and six lead changes - five in the second half.
Trailing by seven, 43-36, at the 16-minute mark, Temple ran off 13 unanswered points to take its first lead, 49-43, since the opening minutes. Brooks had five of his points in that run that saw four TU players contribute.
Siena came right back, scoring eight straight, to regain the lead, 51-49, with 9:22 to play.
The Owls, who made 18 of 27 from the field (66.7%) over the final 20 minutes, were up to the challenge, matching the Saints basket for basket over the next five minutes. Then a mini 7-0 run capped by a Fernandez trey, gave TU a 66-62 lead with 2:47 remaining.
Contested lay-ups, first by Moore and then by Fernandez, countered a tough zone-press by the athletic Saints, Following Fernandez basket, Ryan Rossiter drained two free throws to cut the Temple led to 70-69, setting up Moore's free throws. The sophomore calmly drained both ends of the one-and-one to make it 72-69 with 22 seconds to play.
Ronald Moore then missed a lay-up with seven seconds to play and Fernandez was fouled on a breakout. He, however, missed the front-end of a one-and-one, giving Siena a final chance to tie it.
Siena moved the ball down court quickly but a pass on the wing to Kyle Downey went through his hands. Brooks then made one of two free throws to seal the win.
“I think we can still improve. This team is not 100 percent yet,” Fernandez said. “Today is a good win, and Georgetown would have been great, but we're still trying to find each other and to play together, and I think we'll get better.”
Temple next hosts Ball State Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. in the second half of a women's/men's doubleheader. The Temple women's team, off to a 4-0 start, host Eastern Michigan at 5:00 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA - Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore and Micheal Eric all scored career highs to lead Temple to a thrilling 73-69 win over highly-regarded Siena Saturday night in front of 6,759 fans at the Liacouras Center to cap a Super Saturday for Owl Athletics. Besides the men's basketball team's win, Temple Football team won its school-record ninth straight game while the men's cross country team won the University Division of the ICAAA Championships.
The game was part of the Philly Hoop Group Classic. The Owls are now 2-0 in the four-game tournament which concludes next weekend at The Palestra with games against Virginia Tech (Nov. 27/8:00 p.m./The Comcast Network/1210 AM) and St. John's (Nov. 28/8:30 p.m./1210 AM).
Fernandez tallied 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting to pace the Cherry and White (2-1) against the veteran Siena squad (2-1) that was ranked #26/27 in the latest polls. The Argentine sharpshooter drained four three-pointers (on six attempts) in the game while the rest of his teammates struggled to two-of-13 from behind the arc.
It was Moore, however, who sealed the win with two free throws with 22 seconds to play to extend the Owls' lead to 72-69. It was redemption for the sophomore guard who missed the front end of a one-and-one on Tuesday in a similar situation that allowed #19/20 Georgetown to pull out a 46-45 win.
"Ramone Moore redeemed himself tonight and stepped up and made a huge one and one," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said. " Whereas if he would have done that late in the game against Georgetown maybe it would have been a different outcome."
“As soon as we got back (from Georgetown) I went to the gym to practice free throws,” Moore said. “That went through my mind the whole time because I thought I let my team down missing those free throws, so I thought it was big for me to go out there and knock those down.”
Eric, the 6-11 sophomore, topped double figures for the first time in his career, scoring 12 points on six-of-eight from the field, while blocking two shots.
Senior co-captain Ryan Brooks added 17 points to round out the Owls' double-figure scorers.
Alex Franklin led three double-figure scorers for Siena, which led by as many as 11 in the first half, with 22 points. Local product Ronald Moore (Plymouth Whitemarsh HS) added eight points and a game-high 12 assists.
It was a hard-fought game which saw six ties and six lead changes - five in the second half.
Trailing by seven, 43-36, at the 16-minute mark, Temple ran off 13 unanswered points to take its first lead, 49-43, since the opening minutes. Brooks had five of his points in that run that saw four TU players contribute.
Siena came right back, scoring eight straight, to regain the lead, 51-49, with 9:22 to play.
The Owls, who made 18 of 27 from the field (66.7%) over the final 20 minutes, were up to the challenge, matching the Saints basket for basket over the next five minutes. Then a mini 7-0 run capped by a Fernandez trey, gave TU a 66-62 lead with 2:47 remaining.
Contested lay-ups, first by Moore and then by Fernandez, countered a tough zone-press by the athletic Saints, Following Fernandez basket, Ryan Rossiter drained two free throws to cut the Temple led to 70-69, setting up Moore's free throws. The sophomore calmly drained both ends of the one-and-one to make it 72-69 with 22 seconds to play.
Ronald Moore then missed a lay-up with seven seconds to play and Fernandez was fouled on a breakout. He, however, missed the front-end of a one-and-one, giving Siena a final chance to tie it.
Siena moved the ball down court quickly but a pass on the wing to Kyle Downey went through his hands. Brooks then made one of two free throws to seal the win.
“I think we can still improve. This team is not 100 percent yet,” Fernandez said. “Today is a good win, and Georgetown would have been great, but we're still trying to find each other and to play together, and I think we'll get better.”
Temple next hosts Ball State Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. in the second half of a women's/men's doubleheader. The Temple women's team, off to a 4-0 start, host Eastern Michigan at 5:00 p.m.
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