Temple University Athletics
Tuesday, February 10
Liacouras Center
7:30 p.m.
Temple University
75
vs
59
Cincinnati
Will Cummings
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Men's Basketball Takes Down Cincinnati 75-59 for Sixth Straight Win
2.10.15 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - Reaching a benchmark that no team had reached against Cincinnati in 28 games, Temple men's basketball avenged its most recent loss by taking down the Bearcats 75-59 on Tuesday night. Temple (18-7, 9-3) won its sixth game in a row and ended Cincinnati's streak of holding opponents to under 70, which had been the longest active streak in NCAA Division I.
The Bearcats (17-7, 8-4) were the last team to defeat the Owls back on Jan. 17, but did so that day with Temple not having the services of senior point guard Will Cummings. He made that difference felt tonight in the second match-up, leading all players with 21 points.
Temple forced 17 turnovers while committing just eight, and used a stretch of shut down defense in the latter part of the second half to put the game away. Leading by nine with 8:40 remaining, the Owls used an 11-0 run to take a 20-point lead with four minutes remaining. Thirteen of the game's final 26 points were scored at the free throw line in those last four minutes, slowing the pace and preventing Cincinnati's comeback attempt from getting the Bearcats within fewer than 11.
Junior forward Jaylen Bond hit 8-of-11 from the field including 5-of-6 in the second half to finish with 16 points, while senior guard Jesse Morgan hit 4-of-9 from long range for 12 points. Junior guard Quenton DeCosey added a game and career-high nine rebounds to nine points, and junior Devontae Watson was key inside for Temple with nine points, five boards and two blocks.
Both teams shot over 50 percent in the first half, but the Owls created many more opportunities on offense by forcing 11 Cincinnati turnovers while committing just three of their own. Leading for the entire period, and ultimately the entire game, Temple finished the half with a 19-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
Morgan got Temple going early in the game with two three-pointers, and the Owls earned their first double digit lead just over five minutes into the game, 15-5 after back-to-back buckets for Watson. The Bearcats then came within four after an 8-2 run, but consecutive treys for Josh Brown and DeCosey quickly put Temple back up by 10.
Late in the half, another bucket from long range by Brown gave Temple its largest lead of 11, and they matched that by halftime, going into the locker room up 36-25.
The Owls were extremely balanced offensively in the first half with six players scoring between five and eight points. Cummings was the leader with eight while also recording three of Temple's seven steals.
Watson slammed a dunk early in the second half for a 13-point Temple lead, but it would prove to be the Owls' largest of the game. Cincinnati answered with a 7-0 run to cut the margin to six, after which neither team strung together more than two buckets in a row for the next eight minutes.
Brown made a strong inside pass to Bond near the eight-minute mark, and Bond's layup became the first bucket in an 11-0 run that put Temple ahead by 20, 65-45 at 4:03. The Owls held the Bearcats without a field goal for close to seven minutes in that stretch. Cincinnati broke its drought and scored seven of the game's eight points over two minutes, but could come within no fewer than 11 in the final minutes.
Cummings hit 5-of-6 at the line in the final minute to hold off any hope of a comeback for the Bearcats.
The Owls held Cincinnati's starters to just 28 points in the contest. The Bearcats' leading scorer was Farad Cobb who came off the bench for 13 points.
Temple will remain at home for its next game, a 2:00 p.m. contest against East Carolina celebrating Hooter's Birthday on Saturday, Feb. 14 (CBS Sports Network/1210 AM WPHT).
Box Score l Photo Gallery | Postgame Interviews | Highlights
The Bearcats (17-7, 8-4) were the last team to defeat the Owls back on Jan. 17, but did so that day with Temple not having the services of senior point guard Will Cummings. He made that difference felt tonight in the second match-up, leading all players with 21 points.
Temple forced 17 turnovers while committing just eight, and used a stretch of shut down defense in the latter part of the second half to put the game away. Leading by nine with 8:40 remaining, the Owls used an 11-0 run to take a 20-point lead with four minutes remaining. Thirteen of the game's final 26 points were scored at the free throw line in those last four minutes, slowing the pace and preventing Cincinnati's comeback attempt from getting the Bearcats within fewer than 11.
Junior forward Jaylen Bond hit 8-of-11 from the field including 5-of-6 in the second half to finish with 16 points, while senior guard Jesse Morgan hit 4-of-9 from long range for 12 points. Junior guard Quenton DeCosey added a game and career-high nine rebounds to nine points, and junior Devontae Watson was key inside for Temple with nine points, five boards and two blocks.
Both teams shot over 50 percent in the first half, but the Owls created many more opportunities on offense by forcing 11 Cincinnati turnovers while committing just three of their own. Leading for the entire period, and ultimately the entire game, Temple finished the half with a 19-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
Morgan got Temple going early in the game with two three-pointers, and the Owls earned their first double digit lead just over five minutes into the game, 15-5 after back-to-back buckets for Watson. The Bearcats then came within four after an 8-2 run, but consecutive treys for Josh Brown and DeCosey quickly put Temple back up by 10.
Late in the half, another bucket from long range by Brown gave Temple its largest lead of 11, and they matched that by halftime, going into the locker room up 36-25.
The Owls were extremely balanced offensively in the first half with six players scoring between five and eight points. Cummings was the leader with eight while also recording three of Temple's seven steals.
Watson slammed a dunk early in the second half for a 13-point Temple lead, but it would prove to be the Owls' largest of the game. Cincinnati answered with a 7-0 run to cut the margin to six, after which neither team strung together more than two buckets in a row for the next eight minutes.
Brown made a strong inside pass to Bond near the eight-minute mark, and Bond's layup became the first bucket in an 11-0 run that put Temple ahead by 20, 65-45 at 4:03. The Owls held the Bearcats without a field goal for close to seven minutes in that stretch. Cincinnati broke its drought and scored seven of the game's eight points over two minutes, but could come within no fewer than 11 in the final minutes.
Cummings hit 5-of-6 at the line in the final minute to hold off any hope of a comeback for the Bearcats.
The Owls held Cincinnati's starters to just 28 points in the contest. The Bearcats' leading scorer was Farad Cobb who came off the bench for 13 points.
Temple will remain at home for its next game, a 2:00 p.m. contest against East Carolina celebrating Hooter's Birthday on Saturday, Feb. 14 (CBS Sports Network/1210 AM WPHT).
Box Score l Photo Gallery | Postgame Interviews | Highlights
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