Temple University Athletics
Temple University
12-5, (2-2,A-10)
La Salle
13-6, (2-2,A-10)
Temple Completes Doubleheader Sweep With 76-70 Defeat Over City-Rival La Salle
1.18.12 | Men's Basketball
Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson led the way with career-high 19 points
PHILADELPHIA - Junior Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, who scored a career-high 19 points, drained his biggest shot, a 14-foot jumper with 23 seconds remaining to help lift Temple to a hard-fought 76-70 win over visiting La Salle in front of a crowd of 8,068 at the Liacouras Center. The Owls, who posted their sixth straight win in the series, improve to 12-5, 2-2 in A10 play while the Explorers fall to 13-6, 2-2.
The win helped Temple sweep a basketball doubleheader as the TU women defeated Duquesne, 67-64, in the first game.
Hollis-Jefferson, who also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds and blocked two shots while playing all 40 minutes, was joined in double-figures by Ramone Moore (17 pts), Juan Fernandez (12 pts) and Khalif Wyatt (12 pts). Anthony Lee added nine points, six rebounds and a career-high five blocks.
The Owls, who never trailed after taking a 14-13 lead on a Lee basket at the 13:03 mark of the first half, shot 51.9 percent from the field and 81.8 percent from the line. TU also handily won the battle of the boards, pulling down 38 caroms to La Salle's 27.
Even though Temple never trailed for the final 33 minutes, the game was in doubt until the final minutes.
Leading 37-33 at intermission, Temple pushed the margin to 50-40 early in the second half with a Lee monster slam off a Moore assist. The margin hovered between 10 and six for next four minutes until La Salle ran off seven unanswered points to make it 57-55 following a three-pointer by Sam Mills.
Aaron Brown (7 pts, 6 rebs) countered with a three-pointer for Temple, but the Owls lead for the next eight minutes would remain in the one-possession game. A true Big 5 battle.
Free throw shooting, which hurt La Salle (9-16), helped Temple get needed separation in the final minutes. First Fernandez, who had been mired in a slump the past two weeks, converted two at the 2:05 mark to make it 70-67. Then Wyatt, who has connected on 13 consecutive from the charity stripe, drained two more with 1:22 to play to make it 72-67.
Tyreek Duren, who led La Salle with 18 points, made a lay-up to cut the deficit to three. Then Hollis-Jefferson, who is second in the A10 in field goal percentage (.623), drained his biggest shot of the game to give the Owls a 74-69 advantage.
Ramon Galloway, who scored 17 points, hit one of two free throws before Wyatt sealed the win with two more from the charity stripe.
Temple blocked a season-high nine blocks, and held La Salle, the A10's top three-point shooting team, to five-for-15 from behind the arc.
The Owls now travel to The Palestra Saturday for a morning (11:00 a.m.) meeting with Maryland on ESPNU.
