NIT Run Ends for Men's Basketball in Narrow Semifinal Loss to the University of Miami

Tuesday, March 31

New York, N.Y.

7:00 p.m.

Temple University

26-11

Miami (FL)

25-12

Miami (FL)

Temple

Obi Enechionyia

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

NIT Run Ends for Men's Basketball in Narrow Semifinal Loss to the University of Miami

3.31.15 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

NEW YORK - An impressive postseason run came to a heartbreaking end for Temple men's basketball in the NIT Semifinals, as the Owls (26-11) lost 60-57 to the University of Miami (25-12) at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. Temple led for much of the contest and then nearly came back from a late seven-point deficit, but a three-point shot by Quenton DeCosey bounced off the rim at the final buzzer.

Temple's field goal shooting was its undoing, as the Owls hit just 30 percent for the game and less than 23 percent in the second half. From long range, Temple hit just two of its 19 attempts.

Freshman Obi Enechionyia finished his rookie season with his best performance, leading all players with a career-high 17 points and a career-high five blocks while also tying his career high with eight boards. Senior Will Cummings was the Owls' only other player to finish in double figures, scoring 11 points in his final game for Temple.

Junior Sheldon McClellan led the Hurricanes with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. McClellan scored 12 of his points in the final eight minutes, including back-to-back three-pointers that gave Miami the lead for good with seven and a half minutes left.

After a couple of early ties in the first half, Cummings drove down for a fast break layup at 12:54 to cap an 8-0 run for the Owls, giving them a 15-9 lead. Both teams struggled from the field over the next five minutes, and only free throws were scored until Enechionyia broke the drought with a layup just past the eight-minute mark.

Miami hit just one of 13 attempts from the field over nearly an 11-minute stretch, during which time Temple built as much as an 11-point lead. DeCosey's layup at 4:08 put the Owls up 27-16, but the Hurricanes then hit four of their next six to cut the deficit down to two with 1:25 left in the half.

Jesse Morgan hit a three-pointer to stop Miami's run, and the final point of the half was a Cummings free throw to give the Owls a 30-25 lead at the break.

The Owls had seven players on the scoreboard at the half, led by DeCosey with seven points and Enechionyia with six points to go with three blocks. The Hurricanes suffered a loss early in the half, as leading rebounder Tonya Jekiri (10.1 rpg) left with an apparent eye injury after six minutes of action.

Miami cut Temple's lead to just a point at the 17-minute mark of the second half, but the Owls were able to remain in the lead for the next nine minutes.

Both teams continued to struggle offensively, with Temple at one point missing eight in a row while Miami missed six in a row over the same stretch. Enechionyia helped keep the Owls in the lead for awhile, and converted a three-point play at 13:52 to put Temple up 39-33.

That six-point lead would match the Owls' largest of the half as they were unable to create separation down the stretch. The Hurricanes twice came within two points before taking their first lead since early in the game on a McClellan three-pointer at the eight-minute mark.

Enechionyia briefly gave the Owls the lead back with a pair of free throws, but a 12-4 Miami run gave the Hurricanes a seven-point, 56-49 lead with less than four minutes remaining.

Temple cut the Hurricanes' lead to one with a 6-0 run capped by an off-balance layup from Cummings, but the Owls were unable to come up with a stop at the other end. McClellan hit two free throws, while at the other end Temple missed a pair and had its shot at the buzzer fall short.

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