Cummings and Offense Return in 73-48 Men's Basketball Win Over USF

Thursday, January 22

Liacouras Center

6:30 p.m.

Temple University

13-7, 4-3

USF

7-12, 1-5

USF

Temple

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Cummings and Offense Return in 73-48 Men's Basketball Win Over USF

1.22.15 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Putting on a three-point shooting clinic down the stretch of the first half, Temple men's basketball built a commanding lead and held it the rest of the game, beating USF (7-12, 1-5) 73-48 at the Liacouras Center on Thursday night. Senior guard Jesse Morgan hit 5-of-7 shots from behind the arc and finished with a game and season-high 19 points for Temple (13-7, 4-3).

The Owls got a big boost from the return of senior point guard Will Cummings, who missed all or part of the last three games due to injury. Cummings scored 12 points while also dishing three assists and recording three steals.

The game started slow for both teams, but it would not be indicative of how the rest of the game would go for Temple. Trailing 14-10 with 8:36 remaining in the first half, the Owls closed on a 29-6 run that included seven three-pointers. The second half saw little change in the Owls' lead, which was no fewer than 20 points in the final 12 minutes of the game.

Temple made it rain from behind the arc in the first half, hitting 8-of-14 from long range. Morgan led the charge, hitting four of his five attempts to record 12 points in the first half alone.

After an early six-point lead for the Owls, it was the Bulls who briefly took charge, using a 10-0 run for a four-point, 14-10 lead with 8:36 remaining.

Temple exploded offensively with its 29-6 run from that point on. Quenton DeCosey, who finished with 14 points in the contest, scored the final four of the first half. His closing bucket, a fast break dunk, gave the Owls a 39-20 halftime lead.

USF narrowed the 19-point gap to 14 points two minutes into the second half, but the Bulls would never come any closer. Another dunk for DeCosey near the 12-minute mark was part of a 12-4 run for the Owls that gave them a 25-point, 62-37 lead at 7:59.

Temple's final margin of victory, 25 points, matched its largest of the season so far. The other was a 77-52 win over #10/10 Kansas on Dec. 22.

The Owls shot 41 percent in the game to USF's 30.4 percent, and Temple made 10-of-25 (40 percent) from long range. Jaylen Bond was the game's rebounding leader with seven, and the Owls out-rebounded the Bulls 48-40 for the game.

Temple will face a recent opponent in its next game, a 7:00 p.m. contest at UCF on Wednesday, Jan. 22 (CBSSN/1210 AM WPHT). The Owls beat UCF at home on Jan. 4, 84-78.

Box Score l Photo Gallery | Dunphy Interview | Morgan_DeCosey Interview | Cummings Interview | Highlights