Temple University Athletics
Wednesday, March 18
Liacouras Center
7:00 p.m.
Temple University
24-10
73
vs
67
Bucknell
19-15
1
2
F
Bucknell
35
32
67
Temple
35
38
73
Will Cummings
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Cummings Wills Temple to 73-67 Win Over Bucknell in NIT First Round
3.18.15 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - With a game and season-high 30 points, senior Will Cummings led Temple men's basketball to a 73-67 win over Bucknell (19-15) in the NIT First Round on Wednesday night. The Owls (24-10) now advance to face George Washington, winners of a first-round game at Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Temple will host that contest at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 22 (ESPN/1210 AM WPHT).
With the win, Temple improves to 14-2 in the Liacouras Center, which ties the building record for most wins in a season.
Neither team held more than an eight-point lead in the contest, with Temple holding off the Bison by just one or two possessions for much of the second half. The Owls hit 7-of-8 from the line in the final 50 seconds to keep Bucknell at bay.
Cummings was a force all game long, shooting 9-of-14 from the field including 3-of-4 from long range, hitting 9-of-9 at the line and also grabbing seven rebounds. Junior Quenton DeCosey scored 13 points and sophomore Josh Brown added 11. Junior Devontae Watson pulled down a team-high eight boards, and junior Jaylen Bond added a career-high four blocks to a game-high four steals.
Both teams made big runs in a back-and-forth first half that saw the lead change hands five times. After getting in a 6-0 hole early on, Temple found its stride and used a 14-0 run for an eight-point lead just over five minutes into the game.
Bucknell soon responded with a 15-2 run of its own for a five-point, 23-18 lead at 8:32, but that was the most separation the score would see the rest of the way. Obi Enechionyia and Brown hit back-to-back three-pointers in an 8-0 run that put Temple briefly back in the lead, and the game saw its first tie at 28-28 with 6:01 left in the half.
Cummings was the leader offensively throughout the half, and scored five of his 13 first-half points in the final two minutes. The Owls led 35-33 for nearly the final minute and a half, but a Bucknell dunk at the buzzer tied the game for a second time at the break, 35-35.
The Owls led by five on a few occasions early in the second half, but an 8-2 Bucknell run gave the Bison a one-point, 52-51 lead at 11:10. Cummings tied the game and gave Temple back the lead with a pair of free throws, and the Owls remained in the lead for the rest of the contest.
Temple was up by as many as eight with four minutes remaining, but Bucknell's ninth and final three-pointer of the game put the Bison within three under the one-minute mark. From there, Temple's solid free-throw shooting preserved the lead.
Box Score l Photo Gallery | Dunphy Postgame | Players Postgame
With the win, Temple improves to 14-2 in the Liacouras Center, which ties the building record for most wins in a season.
Neither team held more than an eight-point lead in the contest, with Temple holding off the Bison by just one or two possessions for much of the second half. The Owls hit 7-of-8 from the line in the final 50 seconds to keep Bucknell at bay.
Cummings was a force all game long, shooting 9-of-14 from the field including 3-of-4 from long range, hitting 9-of-9 at the line and also grabbing seven rebounds. Junior Quenton DeCosey scored 13 points and sophomore Josh Brown added 11. Junior Devontae Watson pulled down a team-high eight boards, and junior Jaylen Bond added a career-high four blocks to a game-high four steals.
Both teams made big runs in a back-and-forth first half that saw the lead change hands five times. After getting in a 6-0 hole early on, Temple found its stride and used a 14-0 run for an eight-point lead just over five minutes into the game.
Bucknell soon responded with a 15-2 run of its own for a five-point, 23-18 lead at 8:32, but that was the most separation the score would see the rest of the way. Obi Enechionyia and Brown hit back-to-back three-pointers in an 8-0 run that put Temple briefly back in the lead, and the game saw its first tie at 28-28 with 6:01 left in the half.
Cummings was the leader offensively throughout the half, and scored five of his 13 first-half points in the final two minutes. The Owls led 35-33 for nearly the final minute and a half, but a Bucknell dunk at the buzzer tied the game for a second time at the break, 35-35.
The Owls led by five on a few occasions early in the second half, but an 8-2 Bucknell run gave the Bison a one-point, 52-51 lead at 11:10. Cummings tied the game and gave Temple back the lead with a pair of free throws, and the Owls remained in the lead for the rest of the contest.
Temple was up by as many as eight with four minutes remaining, but Bucknell's ninth and final three-pointer of the game put the Bison within three under the one-minute mark. From there, Temple's solid free-throw shooting preserved the lead.
Box Score l Photo Gallery | Dunphy Postgame | Players Postgame
Team Stats
BUCKNELL
TU
FG%
.338
.390
3FG%
.333
.286
FT%
.556
.808
RB
51
41
TO
11
5
STL
2
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
30
FGM
9
3FGM
3
FTM
9
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F/C
/ Men's BasketballEp. 3: Temple Volleyball Head Coach Linda Hampton-Keith || Lacrosse Student-Athlete Jenna Facciolli
Friday, September 12
Ep. 2: Temple Football Alum Tyler Matakevich || Gymnastics Junior Amelia Budd
Friday, September 05
Elevate the Owls: Temple Athletics' Competitive Excellence Fund
Tuesday, September 02
Ep. 1: Head Football Coach K.C. Keeler || XC's David Litvin & WLAX's Amelia Wright
Friday, August 29
