Huge Second-Half Run Lifts Men's Basketball to 78-60 Win Over East Carolina

Saturday, January 9

Liacouras Center

9:00 p.m.

Temple University

8-6, 3-1

East Carolina

8-8, 0-3

East Carolina

Temple

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Huge Second-Half Run Lifts Men's Basketball to 78-60 Win Over East Carolina

1.9.16 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - With its biggest second half of the season, Temple men's basketball exploded down the stretch to defeat visiting East Carolina, 78-60. The Owls hit a season-high 13 three-pointers, thanks to five apiece by seniors Devin Coleman and Quenton DeCosey. Temple improves to 8-6 overall and 3-1 in the American Athletic Conference, while East Carolina falls to 8-8 and 0-3.

DeCosey hit 8-of-13 from the field and 5-of-8 from long range to tie his season high in leading all players with 24 points. Coleman finished with 17 points, and Jaylen Bond led all players with 12 rebounds while also scoring nine points.

The game was tied at 50-50 near the 11-minute mark of the second half, but Temple used a 21-4 run to take a 17-point lead, 71-54 over the next seven minutes. The Owls led by as many as 21 in the final minute before the final bucket by the Pirates.

Temple's 45 second-half points were a season high, and the Owls shot 50 percent for the game to tie their season best.

The Pirates shot close to 60 percent in the first half and hit 6-of-9 from long range to stay in the lead for most of the period. East Carolina led by as many as 11 twice in the final five minutes, but Devin Coleman caught fire in the final stretch. He hit a three-pointer to close the gap to eight with 1:16 remaining, and hit a second trey at the buzzer to send Temple into halftime down just five, 38-33.

East Carolina's Caleb White led all scorers with 11 points at halftime, hitting 4-of-5 from the field including 3-of-4 treys.

DeCosey and Coleman combined for three treys as the Owls started the second half just like they ended the first. With a 9-0 run, Temple took a 42-38 lead in the opening three minutes. The Pirates kept it close over the next six minutes, and the teams were tied three times at 45, 48 and 50 before Temple made its real charge to put the game away.

Temple scored 12 unanswered points to end its 21-4 run, with Josh Brown hitting three buckets in a row for seven points in that stretch.

Brown finished with 12 points while also dishing a game-high eight assists, and the Owls had a fourth player score in double figures as Obi Enechionyia tallied 10. The victory marked the first time this season the Owls have rallied back to win when down at halftime.

White led East Carolina with 14 points, and Clarence Williams scored 12 for the Pirates.

Temple will be back in action on the road for an 8:00 p.m. (ET) game at Memphis on Wednesday, Jan. 13 (CBS Sports Network/1210 AM WPHT).

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