Men's Basketball Falls to Tulane in American Athletic Conference Opener, 85-75

Thursday, December 28

Liacouras Center

7:00 p.m.

Temple University

7-5, 0-1

Tulane

10-3, 1-0

Tulane

Temple

Photo by: Ben Solomon/American Athletic Conference

Men's Basketball Falls to Tulane in American Athletic Conference Opener, 85-75

12.28.17 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Players Post-Tulane Press Conference Fran Dunphy Post-Tulane Press Conference

PHILADELPHIA - Tulane took an early lead and never relinquished it, handing Temple men's basketball an 85-75 loss in the American Athletic Conference opener for both teams. Both the Owls (7-5, 0-1) and the Green Wave (10-3, 1-0) had four players reach double figures in scoring, led by Tulane's Melvin Frazier with 25 points and seven assists.

Keys to the Game
> With a 9-0 run in the first four minutes, Tulane set the tone and led for the rest of the contest.
> The Green Wave were almost perfect at the free throw line, hitting 19-of-20.
> Temple made it a four-point game with just over a minute left, but could get no closer as Tulane closed on an 8-2 run.
> Tulane shot 54.4 percent for the game to Temple's 44.8 percent, and both teams hit a below-average four three-pointers.

Individual Highlights
> Shizz Alston, Jr. and Quinton Rose led the Owls with 17 points apiece, while Josh Brown added 14.
> Coming up big off the bench was freshman Nate Pierre-Louis with a career-high 11 points along with a career-high three steals.
> Cameron Reynolds notched the only double-double of the game for Tulane with 17 points and 10 boards.

First Half
> An early 9-0 run by the Green Wave proved to be a sign of how much of the first half would go, as Tulane led for all but the first minute.
> Although turnovers were just eight for Temple and three for Tulane, the Green Wave took advantage, finishing the period with a 15-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
> Temple trailed by as many as 14 points, 29-15 at 7:08 before coming alive over a five-minute stretch.
> Back-to-back buckets by Alston started a 9-0 run for the Owls that cut the deficit to four at 31-27 with 1:20 left, but Tulane closed on a 7-2 run for a 38-29 lead at the break.

Second Half
> Tulane increased its lead back to double digits early in the half, but a quick 6-0 run for the Owls put their deficit back at six, 43-37 at 16:24.
> Temple stayed within two to three possessions over the next 12 minutes, making it a four-point game on three occasions.
> Pierre-Louis was key off the bench, scoring seven of his 11 total points over a three-minute stretch.
> The Green Wave briefly went back up by 11 with a 9-2 run, 73-62 at 3:51.
> The Owls persisted as Brown and Alston combined for six straight points to get Temple within five, 73-68, and a three-point play by Rose made it a four-point game, 77-73 at 1:10.
> A steal by Alani Moore II gave the Owls a chance to get closer, but his shot was blocked and the Green Wave scored six straight to put the game out of reach.

Next Up
> The Owls will have a quick turnaround before playing at Houston at 6 p.m. CST/5 p.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 30 (ESPNU / 1210 AM WPHT).