Men's Basketball Loses a Heartbreaker to No. 19/20 Cincinnati, 55-53

Thursday, January 4

Liacouras Center

9:00 p.m.

Temple University

7-7, 0-3

Cincinnati

13-2, 2-0

Cincinnati

Temple

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Men's Basketball Loses a Heartbreaker to No. 19/20 Cincinnati, 55-53

1.4.18 | Men's Basketball

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

PHILADELPHIA - With one second remaining, #19/20 Cincinnati's Jacob Evans hit a long jumper to hand a heartbreaking loss to Temple, 55-53. The Owls (7-7, 0-3) led for the vast majority of the contest, and for 18 minutes of the second half until the Bearcats (13-2, 2-0) took a lead with two minutes left.

Keys to the Game
> Despite the loss, the Owls matched their best defensive effort of the season, allowing just 55 points to Cincinnati, a team that previously averaged 80.9 points per game.
> Temple led by as many as eight points, the last time with 7:13 left, but hit just one field goal the rest of the way.
> Cincinnati used a 10-0 run over a four-minute stretch to take a 53-50 lead, tying its largest lead of the entire contest.
> The Owls got 3-of-3 free throws from Alani Moore II to tie the game at 53-53 with 18 seconds left, but Evans then hit the last-second dagger at the other end.

Individual Highlights
> Obi Enechionyia led Temple with 14 points while also grabbing eight boards.
> Also scoring in double figures for the Owls was Shizz Alston, Jr. with 12 points.
> Josh Brown was one shy of his career high with a game-high 11 rebounds.
> Three players scored in double digits for Cincinnati, led by Kyle Washington with 18 points.

First Half
> Temple led for over 14 minutes of the period, and for all of the final 10 minutes.
> The Owls' largest lead was seven points, 29-22 with 3:54 remaining, but they did not score the rest of the way.
> Cincinnati managed just four points in that stretch, giving Temple a 29-26 lead at the break.
> Defensively, it was the Owls' best half of the season, after they had previously held South Carolina to 27 points (first half) and Wisconsin to 27 points (second half).
> Both teams were hot from the field early on, including Temple going 4-of-4 to start, but things cooled way off down the stretch and the Owls finished at 38.5 percent shooting to Cincinnati's 36.4 percent.

Second Half
> The Owls held their lead for 18 minutes of the second half, building it to as many as eight points, 46-38 with 8:15 remaining.
> Both teams played a run-and-gun style that made for an exciting contest but also led to a number of missed dunks and blocks at both ends.
> With 5:16 left, Temple's Quinton Rose hit a jumper for a seven-point, 50-43 lead, but it was the Owls' final field goal of the half.
> The Bearcats used a 10-0 run to go up 53-50 with 32 seconds remaining.
> Moore II was fouled shooting a three-pointer with 19 seconds left, and made all three to tie the game before the winning shot by the Bearcats in the final second.

Next Up
> The Owls will hit the road for their next game, a noon contest at UCF on Sunday, Jan. 7 (CBSSN / 1210 AM WPHT).