Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Mitchell Leff
Temple Makes a Statement With La Salle Win
2.21.13 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA -- “For me, it's not who starts. It's who finishes.”
A few weeks ago, in the midst of what appeared to be the Temple men's basketball team's period of unraveling, head coach Fran Dunphy stood before the media and issued that statement as a public directive.
It may as well have been a warning message, putting the rest of the Atlantic-10 Conference on notice.
Fast forward to tonight, some 20 days removed from his original statement as both he and his team -- unshattered and unflappable in the wake of the public scrutiny that followed a tough home loss to an A-10 basement-dwelling Duquesne -- trounced Big 5 foe La Salle, 82-74.
In doing so, Temple claimed a share of the Big 5 title for the second year in a row.
But in typical Big 5 fashion, the only thing ordinary about tonight's matchup was the acknowledgment that virtually any outcome was possible.
“La Salle has a good team -- they have some Philly guys that play hard,” Khalif Wyatt said. “Those guys, they came out there and they played hard. They brought some energy.”
That energy came in the form of feisty guard play, some chirping in the lane and a little of the extra “body” intrinsic to squaring off against your uptown foes.
But this season it was different.
Both teams seemed to sense the gravity of what lies ahead -- of what's at stake with the turbulence of March lurking in the shadows.
For La Salle, it was juggling the weight of the silent albatross. Of entering the contest as the widely-touted “best team in the city” and having to prove their mettle in a definitive statement of valor.
Temple just wanted -- no, needed -- to win to send a message that this season -- their season -- is far from over.
Behind a brilliant, career-high 23-point, 18-rebound performance from Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, as well as a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double from Scootie Randall, the Owls extinguished any doubts about their place in the city of Philadelphia.
“I think we showed what we can do when we focus for 40 minutes,” said Wyatt. “We came out there with the mindset that we were going to play together and, for 40 minutes I think we did that. And we came out with a win that we needed.”
They came out not only with a win they needed, but also the bounce and spring in their step, a purpose, that was so obviously lacking in a few of the team's previous efforts.
“This is probably the most excited I've been to play,” Wyatt, who fought to will his kinetic energy into a resting state during the team's post-game press conference. “I guess it's because everyone was talking about this -- a Big 5 game, a conference game -- all week.”
Ask Dunphy about any other game and he'll tell you a win is a win is a win, but there's just something magical about the allure of a Big 5 win, and more so, a share of the Big 5 championship.
It's the ability to develop a killer instinct by proximity, to know how best to capitalize on your opponent's weaknesses -- whether by playing alongside Big 5 rivals in high school or in local summer leagues.
It's the urgent necessity to defend your home -- your borough of the city -- and protect your basketball microcosm.
It's looking your opponent in the eye, drenched in sweat, exhausted from the night's 40-minute physical battle and knowing you'll see him again next week, and then next season and maybe then again the year after that.
And, when playing teams outside of the Big 5 brotherhood, it's taking pride in supporting the fraternity of Philadelphia basketball by knocking off other A-10 opponents.
“I think anytime you can be a part of a championship or a co-championship in this city, it's really important,” Dunphy said.
From the outside, it seems so simple.
'We won another league game, but we also got a share of a title that is very meaningful to all of the people that have followed the Big 5 for years.”
But from inside Temple basketball, tonight's win was another step toward dancing in March, and the realization that Dunphy's words ring true in another sense.
It's not about who starts the season as the favorite. It's about who finishes as the champion.
By Kami Mattioli, Owlsports.com columnist
A few weeks ago, in the midst of what appeared to be the Temple men's basketball team's period of unraveling, head coach Fran Dunphy stood before the media and issued that statement as a public directive.
It may as well have been a warning message, putting the rest of the Atlantic-10 Conference on notice.
Fast forward to tonight, some 20 days removed from his original statement as both he and his team -- unshattered and unflappable in the wake of the public scrutiny that followed a tough home loss to an A-10 basement-dwelling Duquesne -- trounced Big 5 foe La Salle, 82-74.
In doing so, Temple claimed a share of the Big 5 title for the second year in a row.
But in typical Big 5 fashion, the only thing ordinary about tonight's matchup was the acknowledgment that virtually any outcome was possible.
“La Salle has a good team -- they have some Philly guys that play hard,” Khalif Wyatt said. “Those guys, they came out there and they played hard. They brought some energy.”
That energy came in the form of feisty guard play, some chirping in the lane and a little of the extra “body” intrinsic to squaring off against your uptown foes.
But this season it was different.
Both teams seemed to sense the gravity of what lies ahead -- of what's at stake with the turbulence of March lurking in the shadows.
For La Salle, it was juggling the weight of the silent albatross. Of entering the contest as the widely-touted “best team in the city” and having to prove their mettle in a definitive statement of valor.
Temple just wanted -- no, needed -- to win to send a message that this season -- their season -- is far from over.
Behind a brilliant, career-high 23-point, 18-rebound performance from Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, as well as a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double from Scootie Randall, the Owls extinguished any doubts about their place in the city of Philadelphia.
“I think we showed what we can do when we focus for 40 minutes,” said Wyatt. “We came out there with the mindset that we were going to play together and, for 40 minutes I think we did that. And we came out with a win that we needed.”
They came out not only with a win they needed, but also the bounce and spring in their step, a purpose, that was so obviously lacking in a few of the team's previous efforts.
“This is probably the most excited I've been to play,” Wyatt, who fought to will his kinetic energy into a resting state during the team's post-game press conference. “I guess it's because everyone was talking about this -- a Big 5 game, a conference game -- all week.”
Ask Dunphy about any other game and he'll tell you a win is a win is a win, but there's just something magical about the allure of a Big 5 win, and more so, a share of the Big 5 championship.
It's the ability to develop a killer instinct by proximity, to know how best to capitalize on your opponent's weaknesses -- whether by playing alongside Big 5 rivals in high school or in local summer leagues.
It's the urgent necessity to defend your home -- your borough of the city -- and protect your basketball microcosm.
It's looking your opponent in the eye, drenched in sweat, exhausted from the night's 40-minute physical battle and knowing you'll see him again next week, and then next season and maybe then again the year after that.
And, when playing teams outside of the Big 5 brotherhood, it's taking pride in supporting the fraternity of Philadelphia basketball by knocking off other A-10 opponents.
“I think anytime you can be a part of a championship or a co-championship in this city, it's really important,” Dunphy said.
From the outside, it seems so simple.
'We won another league game, but we also got a share of a title that is very meaningful to all of the people that have followed the Big 5 for years.”
But from inside Temple basketball, tonight's win was another step toward dancing in March, and the realization that Dunphy's words ring true in another sense.
It's not about who starts the season as the favorite. It's about who finishes as the champion.
By Kami Mattioli, Owlsports.com columnist
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