Temple University Athletics
Temple University
3-3
UAB
4-2
Pepper's Career-High 24 Points Lead Men's Basketball to 87-66 Win Over UAB
11.24.13 | Men's Basketball
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CHARLESTON, S.C. - Led by Dalton Pepper's career-high 24 points, Temple men's basketball used a big second half to win the Charleston Classic's fifth-place game over UAB, 87-66. The Owls (3-3) broke open a halftime tie with a 17-8 run to start the second half, and they shot 53 percent from the field while also out-rebounding the Blazers (4-2), who had ranked second in the nation in rebounds so far this year.
Pepper hit 10-of-15 from the field including a pair of three-pointers, and also grabbed seven boards. Anthony Lee notched his third double-double of the season with 16 points to go with a game-high 11 rebounds, and Quenton DeCosey scored a career-high 18 points for the Owls. Will Cummings also finished in double figures with 17 points.
UAB was led by C.J. Washington with a game-high 28 points, and he made it a double-double with 10 boards.
The first half saw impressive shooting performances by both teams, with the Owls hitting at a 56 percent clip from the field, and UAB shooting close to 52 percent. The largest lead for either team was a 5-point advantage for Temple at 23-18, and the Blazers never led by more than two.
The teams were tied a total of nine times in the first half, which also saw 12 lead changes. DeCosey hit two early three-pointers on his way to finishing the half with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, and Lee also hit double figures by the break with 10 points after hitting 5-of-6 from the field.
The final tie of 39-39 came on a three-pointer for UAB's Jordan Swing with 1:22 left in the period, and neither team scored in the remaining time. For Temple, it was the first time in six games that the Owls did not hold a lead at halftime.
It was a fast-paced first half with few fouls. UAB hit 6-of-7 at the free throw line, while the Owls did not score a single point from the stripe, going 0-for-3.
Less than seven minutes into the second half, Pepper's second trey of the game gave Temple its first double-digit lead of 59-49. The Owls hit eight of their first 12 attempts from the field, and after taking the 10-point lead, they allowed UAB to cut the margin to single digits only once more.
Temple increased its lead to 20 points with over six minutes remaining. The Blazers used a quick, 9-0 run to cut their deficit to 12, 77-65 at 4:17, but the Owls closed the game with a 10-1 run while holding UAB scoreless from the field.
The final rebounding margin favored Temple, 39-34, and the Owls finished with a 12-6 edge in second chance points. Temple also took advantage of 14 UAB turnovers, getting 19 points off turnovers compared to eight for the Blazers.
Temple will have more than a week off before its next game, a home Big 5 contest against Saint Joseph's, set for 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4. That game will air live on ESPNews.
