Temple University Athletics
Thursday, March 17
2:10 p.m.
Temple University
66
vs
64
Penn State
Juan Fernandez
Fernandez Game-Winner Advances Temple Past Penn State In NCAA Tournament, 66-64
3.17.11 | Men's Basketball
Owls' junior guard sinks game-winner with 0.4 seconds on the clock
Box Score | Gallery
TUCSON, Ariz. - Junior guard Juan Fernandez proved he was the man the Owls wanted with the ball with the game on the line, sinking a jumper on the right side of the key with 0.4 seconds left to give seventh-seeded Temple a thrilling 66-64 win over 10th-seeded Penn State, Thursday afternoon in the NCAA Tournament second round at the McKale Center. Fernandez had the hot hand all day for Temple, scoring a game-high tying and season-high 23 points to help advance the Owls in the tournament.
Temple, now 26-7 on the year, wins its first NCAA Tourmanent game since an 84-72 decision in 2001, ironically also over the Nittany Lions. Penn State makes an early exit in the tournament and finishes the season 19-15.
The scoring duo of Fernandez and junior guard Ramone Moore led the Owls with 23 points each, marking the fifth time this season Temple has had a pair of 20-point scorers in a game. Fernandez (8-13, 23 pts, 3 asts) missed his first three of the game and was on fire from there, connecting on his next six shots. He posted 17 of his 23 points in the first half. Sophomore guard Khalif Wyatt joined the pair as a double-figure scorer, adding 10 points off of the bench.
Senior forward Lavoy Allen led the pack with 11 rebounds, the eighth-straight game he has grabbed double-digit boards. He also got help from sophomore forward Rahlir Jefferson who pulled down five rebounds.
Senior guard Talor Battle was, as expected, Penn State's main threat on the offensive end, leading the Nittany Lions with 23 points (9-21, 5-11 3-ptr.). Sophomore guard Tim Frazier and senior forward David Jackson added 15 and 14 points respectively to round out the PSU double-figure scorers.
The Owls looked focus and poised right from the opening tip, forcing Penn State to burn a full shot clock on the Nittany Lions first possession. Moore got the Owls on the board with a runner in the lane, but Penn State responded on the other end with a strong finish by Andrew Jones to tie the game up early at 2-2.
After PSU went up 4-2 on a lay up by Brooks, Fernandez sparked a 5-0 run by completing an old-fashioned three-point play and connecting with Jefferson on a fastbreak for a highlight reel on-handed dunk to put TU up 7-4 with 17:18 to play.
Penn State jumped out to a nine point lead on an 14-2 run led by Battle who, after a jumper by Brooks, knocked down two treys to give the Nittany Lions a 14-9 lead with 14:36 left in the period. A floater in the lane by Fernandez looked to slow the Nittany Lions down, but Brooks slammed home a put-back and Battle sunk another three to make it a 20-11 game with 11:57 left.
Temple inched closer with threes by Fernandez and Wyatt, coming within five (24-19) with just over eight minutes to play. The Nittany Lions managed to keep the Owls down, however, answering with a three-point play by Frazier to keep it an eight point game, 27-19 with 7:58 left.
Fernandez and Moore were the spark Temple needed to get back in the game, each tallying four points in an 11-2 run that gave the Owls at 30-29 lead - the team's first since the 15:42 mark. Fernandez hit a jumper and sank a pair of free throws, sandwiching a Moore lay up to start things off. The duo answered a layup by Battle with a dunk by Moore and a three by Fernandez at 3:22.
The Owls took a 35-33 lead into the break thanks to solid free throw shooting. Wyatt went to the line and drained a pair, while Jefferson finished a three-point play with 28-seconds left. Temple shot 44.4% from the field in the first, compared to 52.0% shooting from the Nittany Lions.
Penn State regained the lead early in the second half, utilizing the three to tie the game and eventually taking a three point lead, 41-38, with 15:59 to play.
Moore kept Temple's offense going in the beginning of the half, and the decision to start Wyatt in the second made a significant impact. Wyatt made an acrobatic layup to turn the lead in TU's favor, but then answered a layup by PSU's Jones with a three from the top of the arch to put Temple up 45-43 with 12:00 left. The Owls would take a four-point lead just under a minute later on two made free throws by Moore.
Neither team could break away and it was still Moore who fueled the Temple attack, scoring eight-straight Temple points including a three at 3:54 to give the Owls a 58-57 lead. Four more lead changes occured with the sides trading twos until a block by Allen - easily the defensive play of the game - on Battle gave the Owls the ball with a 62-61 lead.
Fernandez picked up the loose ball and was fouled, going to the line for a one-and-one and hitting both to give Temple a 64-61 lead with 28-seconds left. PSU's Battle hit a lengthy three on the next possession, tying the game up at 64-64 but giving the Owls the ball with 11.4-seconds remaining.
Temple came out of the huddle and the inbounds was to Fernandez, who took the pass and drove down the left side of the lane. Stopped momentarily by Frazier, he pulled up and nailed a 15-foot jumper to leave Penn State no chance of redemption.
The Owls shot an improved 54.5% in the second half, limiting Penn State to 44.8% from the field. The game featured eight ties and 20 lead changes.
Temple will face second-seeded San Diego State at 6:10 p.m. ET on TNT in third round action on Saturday, March 19.
TUCSON, Ariz. - Junior guard Juan Fernandez proved he was the man the Owls wanted with the ball with the game on the line, sinking a jumper on the right side of the key with 0.4 seconds left to give seventh-seeded Temple a thrilling 66-64 win over 10th-seeded Penn State, Thursday afternoon in the NCAA Tournament second round at the McKale Center. Fernandez had the hot hand all day for Temple, scoring a game-high tying and season-high 23 points to help advance the Owls in the tournament.
Temple, now 26-7 on the year, wins its first NCAA Tourmanent game since an 84-72 decision in 2001, ironically also over the Nittany Lions. Penn State makes an early exit in the tournament and finishes the season 19-15.
The scoring duo of Fernandez and junior guard Ramone Moore led the Owls with 23 points each, marking the fifth time this season Temple has had a pair of 20-point scorers in a game. Fernandez (8-13, 23 pts, 3 asts) missed his first three of the game and was on fire from there, connecting on his next six shots. He posted 17 of his 23 points in the first half. Sophomore guard Khalif Wyatt joined the pair as a double-figure scorer, adding 10 points off of the bench.
Senior forward Lavoy Allen led the pack with 11 rebounds, the eighth-straight game he has grabbed double-digit boards. He also got help from sophomore forward Rahlir Jefferson who pulled down five rebounds.
Senior guard Talor Battle was, as expected, Penn State's main threat on the offensive end, leading the Nittany Lions with 23 points (9-21, 5-11 3-ptr.). Sophomore guard Tim Frazier and senior forward David Jackson added 15 and 14 points respectively to round out the PSU double-figure scorers.
The Owls looked focus and poised right from the opening tip, forcing Penn State to burn a full shot clock on the Nittany Lions first possession. Moore got the Owls on the board with a runner in the lane, but Penn State responded on the other end with a strong finish by Andrew Jones to tie the game up early at 2-2.
After PSU went up 4-2 on a lay up by Brooks, Fernandez sparked a 5-0 run by completing an old-fashioned three-point play and connecting with Jefferson on a fastbreak for a highlight reel on-handed dunk to put TU up 7-4 with 17:18 to play.
Penn State jumped out to a nine point lead on an 14-2 run led by Battle who, after a jumper by Brooks, knocked down two treys to give the Nittany Lions a 14-9 lead with 14:36 left in the period. A floater in the lane by Fernandez looked to slow the Nittany Lions down, but Brooks slammed home a put-back and Battle sunk another three to make it a 20-11 game with 11:57 left.
Temple inched closer with threes by Fernandez and Wyatt, coming within five (24-19) with just over eight minutes to play. The Nittany Lions managed to keep the Owls down, however, answering with a three-point play by Frazier to keep it an eight point game, 27-19 with 7:58 left.
Fernandez and Moore were the spark Temple needed to get back in the game, each tallying four points in an 11-2 run that gave the Owls at 30-29 lead - the team's first since the 15:42 mark. Fernandez hit a jumper and sank a pair of free throws, sandwiching a Moore lay up to start things off. The duo answered a layup by Battle with a dunk by Moore and a three by Fernandez at 3:22.
The Owls took a 35-33 lead into the break thanks to solid free throw shooting. Wyatt went to the line and drained a pair, while Jefferson finished a three-point play with 28-seconds left. Temple shot 44.4% from the field in the first, compared to 52.0% shooting from the Nittany Lions.
Penn State regained the lead early in the second half, utilizing the three to tie the game and eventually taking a three point lead, 41-38, with 15:59 to play.
Moore kept Temple's offense going in the beginning of the half, and the decision to start Wyatt in the second made a significant impact. Wyatt made an acrobatic layup to turn the lead in TU's favor, but then answered a layup by PSU's Jones with a three from the top of the arch to put Temple up 45-43 with 12:00 left. The Owls would take a four-point lead just under a minute later on two made free throws by Moore.
Neither team could break away and it was still Moore who fueled the Temple attack, scoring eight-straight Temple points including a three at 3:54 to give the Owls a 58-57 lead. Four more lead changes occured with the sides trading twos until a block by Allen - easily the defensive play of the game - on Battle gave the Owls the ball with a 62-61 lead.
Fernandez picked up the loose ball and was fouled, going to the line for a one-and-one and hitting both to give Temple a 64-61 lead with 28-seconds left. PSU's Battle hit a lengthy three on the next possession, tying the game up at 64-64 but giving the Owls the ball with 11.4-seconds remaining.
Temple came out of the huddle and the inbounds was to Fernandez, who took the pass and drove down the left side of the lane. Stopped momentarily by Frazier, he pulled up and nailed a 15-foot jumper to leave Penn State no chance of redemption.
The Owls shot an improved 54.5% in the second half, limiting Penn State to 44.8% from the field. The game featured eight ties and 20 lead changes.
Temple will face second-seeded San Diego State at 6:10 p.m. ET on TNT in third round action on Saturday, March 19.
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