Temple University Athletics
Arizona State Too Much For Owls In NCAA First Round
3.20.09 | Men's Basketball
March 20, 2009
Box Score|AP Action Photos
|Photo Gallery
| Purchase Game Photos | View/Create Highlight Videos
MIAMI - Temple's Dionte Christmas won the battle of superstar guards, but Arizona State held off the Owls, 66-57, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at American Airlines Arena in Miami. Christmas did all he could in his final collegiate game, scoring 29 points and breaking the school's single season three-point field goal record. James Harden, ASU's All-American, was guarded relentlessly by junior Ryan Brooks, and was held to nine points.
"I thought for us we had our moments," head coach Fran Dunphy said. "We had our looks. We did not take advantage of it, as we need to in a game of this magnitude and on this stage."
Christmas, who had 16 of his 29 points in the second half, broke his own school record for three-pointers with his trifecta at the 6:21 mark. He set the record with 104 in 2007-08 and finished the season with 107.
He connected on 5-for-11 from behind the arc and 8-for-16 from the field. His steal and layup with 6:54 to play brought the Owls within three points at 52-49, but it would be as close as the Cherry and White would come.
But it certainly didn't stop them from trying. Every time Temple would get within striking distance, Arizona State (25-9), and most notably Harden, would retaliate. He played more aggressively down the stretch, taking the ball to the glass and drawing fouls, scoring seven of his nine points in the final five minutes.
An impressive alley-oop to Brooks got the Owls within five with 3:45 remaining but Harden connected on two free throws to make it seven. Senior Semaj Inge cut it to five once more with his two free throws with 2:58 left, but again Harden got to the line, this time only making one.
Two free throws by sophomore Lavoy Allen (11 points, 10 rebounds) brought it to 59-55 Sun Devils with 2:19 remaining. ASU made its final six free throws and held on to advance to play Syracuse on Sunday.
Jeff Pendergraph and Derek Glasser proved to be a worthy supporting cast for Harden. Both players scored 22 points, a career-high for Glasser, and made big shots for their team as Harden was struggling.
Glasser had 17 in the first half, hitting a pair of three-pointers to stretch the lead to 35-26 at the break. Pendergraph did his damage in the second, as his three straight baskets midway through the half kept the Owls from getting any closer than four points.
The contest marked the final game in the remarkable career of Christmas. He finishes his time in the Cherry and White fourth on the all-time scoring list with 2,043 points and is the all-time three-point shooter with 319.
Along with classmates Inge and Sergio Olmos, he led Temple back to the NCAA Tournament in consecutive appearances in 2008 and 2009.
"We'll gather next week and kind of critique the season and appreciate Dionte Christmas and Semaj and Sergio Olmos, and thank them for their great careers," Dunphy said. Then the rest of us will move on to try to get back here again, which is not an easy task."
The Owls finish the season with a 22-12 record. It is the most wins since the 2000-01 season.
