Temple University Athletics
Temple University
15-7 (4-4, A-10)
Charlotte
17-5 (5-3, A-10)
Wyatt and O'Brien Lift Temple To Narrow, 89-88, Win Over Charlotte
2.6.13 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – Senior guard Khalif Wyatt led Temple with 25 points, but this time he had some help as Jake O'Brien added a season-high 22 points to help lead the Owls to a 89-88 win over Charlotte Wednesday night at the Liacouras Center. With the win, Temple improves to 15-7 and evens its Atlantic 10 Conference mark at 4-4. Charlotte, one of the surprise teams in the tough A10, falls to 17-5, 5-3 in league play.
The Owls also improved to 10-2 at the Liacouras Center, marking the sixth straight season that Temple has won at least 10 games in their home arena. The Owls are an impressive 68-9 over that stretch.
Temple also treated the home crowd to free tacos at Quidoba, as the Owls scored a season high 89 points in the game.
They needed every one of those points as the 49ers refused to go away despite not holding a lead after the first 80 seconds of the game.
Besides Wyatt, who has been red-hot of late (24.9 ppg. over last 8 games), and O'Brien, who was seven-of-eight from the field and four-of-five from behind the arc, the Owls received a season-high 11 points from Dalton Pepper while Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson added 11 points and a career-best five steals.
The game also featured the return of T.J. DiLeo, who played 14 minutes off the bench. It was his first action since spraining his ankle at Butler on January 26.
Chris Braswell led five Charlotte players in double figures with 23 points. Pierra Henry was a catalyst on offense for the 49ers, contributing 14 points, nine assists and five steals.
Charlotte made an incredible 60 percent of its field goal attempts, and was even tougher from the perimeter in connecting on seven-of-10 from beyond the arc.
The Owls shot a season-high 53.4 percent from the field (7-19 from three) and forced 19 turnovers, while making 10 steals.
Temple led by as many as 13 points in the first half and controlled the game for the latter part of the second half, building an 83-71 lead with 3:37 remaining.
The 49ers clawed back, forcing five Owl turnovers over the final 2:09 and cut the lead to 88-85 with 27 second left on a three by Denzel Ingram (13 pts).
Following a Scootie Randall turnover, Henry missed a three-pointer. Charlotte grabbed the long rebound, but Hollis-Jefferson stole the ball from Henry and was intentionally fouled with 11 seconds remaining. He missed both free throws, but Wyatt would connect on one of two from the charity stripe on the next possession to make it a two-possession game.
Henry then made a deep three as time expired to account for the final score.
The Owls now travel to Dayton for a Saturday morning game (11:00 a.m./ESPNU/1210AM WPHT).
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