Men's Basketball Falls to Villanova in Big 5 Battle

Sunday, February 16

1:00 P.M.

Temple University

13-12,5-7AAC

#15 Villanova

19-6,8-4Big East

Villanova

Temple

Photo by: Zamani Feelings

Men's Basketball Falls to Villanova in Big 5 Battle

2.16.20 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Despite a solid first half performance, the Temple men's basketball team fell 76-56 to #15 Villanova Sunday afternoon. With the loss, the Owls fall to 13-12 (2-2 Big 5) while the Wildcats improve to 19-6 (4-0 Big 5) and earn their 27th Big 5 title. Villanova is now tied with Temple for the most titles in Big 5 history.

Game Summary
> It was a tale of two halves for both teams, with Villanova's 50-point second half deciding the game.
> The Owls were able to take an early lead and keep it close, leading at halftime before the Wildcats' surge after the break became too much.
> Villanova took a 14-point lead early in the second half and the Owls chipped away at the deficit but weren't able to close the gap.
> Quinton Rose scored 20+ points in the third-consecutive game for the first time in his career. His 22 points led the Owls while Collin Gillespie's 29 led both teams.
> With two steals on the day, Rose is now the all-time steals leader in the American Athletic Conference.
> Nate Pierre-Louis' double-double (16 pts, 11 reb) was his fourth of the season and first since game three at La Salle.

First Half
> Villanova opened the game with a 6-0 run, but the Owls answered with a 7-0 run to take their first lead of the game on a free throw from Jake Forrester.
> The teams would trade buckets for the rest of the half, until Temple took a six-point lead sparked by a jumper from Nate Pierre-Louis.
> Two buckets from Villanova would cut Temple's lead, but a layup from Rose to close the half put the Owls up 30-26.
> The Owl defense held the Wildcats scoreless for over six minutes and limited them to 33 percent from the field.
> The Wildcats' leading scorer Gillespie led both teams with 15 points, while Rose topped the Owls with 14.

Second Half
> Villanova opened the second half with a 20-2 run, on the strength of six-of-eight three-point shooting to take a 14-point lead(46-32) with just over 14 minutes left.
> Temple went on a 6-0 run out of a timeout to cut the deficit to eight, but six-straight treys from the Wildcats widened the gap.
> The Owls' offense struggled, shooting 33 percent while Villanova shot 56 percent and 62 percent from behind the arc.
> A 7-0 run with just under three minutes in the game wasn't enough for a comeback, and two Villanova baskets sealed the game.

Up Next
> Temple will resume league play, hosting UConn Thursday night. Tip is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN2.