Men's Basketball Holds off Drexel in a City Battle, 63-60

Saturday, December 16

Liacouras Center

5:00 p.m.

Temple University

7-3

Drexel

5-6

Drexel

Temple

Photo by: Zamani Feelings

Men's Basketball Holds off Drexel in a City Battle, 63-60

12.16.17 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Video Highlights

PHILADELPHIA - It was a battle down the stretch, but Temple men's basketball held off Drexel for a 63-60 win in the last of a four-game homestand for the Owls (7-3). The Dragons (5-6) were within a point with 15 seconds left, but senior Obi Enechionyia made two free throws and then gave Temple a stop with his fifth block of the game on Drexel's final possession.

Keys to the Game
> Temple led by as many as 13 points in the first half, but never by more than eight in the second as the Dragons chipped away.
> The Owls struggled from the field, but made 11-of-13 free throws including the two biggest ones by Enechionyia with 11 seconds left.
> Eight different players scored for the Owls, including six with eight or more points in a balanced effort offensively.

Individual Highlights
> Junior Shizz Alston, Jr. was the Owls' lone player to reach double figures in scoring with 12 points, also tying for the team lead with three assists.
> Enechionyia finished with a solid stat line of eight points, a team-high nine rebounds and a game-high five blocks.

First Half
> Temple took its first lead four minutes into the game and never trailed again in the half.
> An 8-0 run capped by a De'Vondre Perry dunk and two free throws gave the Owls a 17-8 lead at the 12-minute mark.
> One of two Alani Moore II first-half three-pointers put Temple up by its largest margin of the first half, 13 points, 28-15 at 7:58.
> The Dragons got within six points at 6:33 after a 7-0 run, but would get no closer in the period.
> Quinton Rose drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Owls a 38-29 lead at the break.

Second Half
> After a 7-0 opening run, Drexel made it a two-point game, 38-36.
> Temple went back up by eight points on two occasions, but the lead by either team was no more than five in the final 10 minutes.
> With a 13-5 run, the Dragons tied the game at 53-53 with 5:32 left.
> After the team traded buckets, the game was tied again at 57-57 with 1:21 remaining before Alston and Ernest Aflakpui gave Temple a four-point cushion with back-to-back layups.
> Kurk Lee hit a big three-pointer for Drexel with 15 seconds to go, but Enechionyia's free throws were the final points of the game.
> Lee attempted the Dragons' only shot in the remaining time, a long ball that was blocked by Enechionyia.

Up Next
> The Owls will have six days off before hitting the road to face Georgia in Athens at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22 (SEC Network / 1210 AM WPHT).