Men’s Basketball Tops VCU, 83-73, for Third Straight Win

Saturday, December 3

Philadelphia, PA

1:00 P.M.

Temple University

5-4,0-0AAC

VCU

5-3,0-0Atlantic 10

VCU

Temple

Photo by: Zamani Feelings

Men’s Basketball Tops VCU, 83-73, for Third Straight Win

12.3.22 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Aaron McKie Media Conference Khalif Battle Media Conference Jahlil White Media Conference Photo Gallery Photo Gallery

PHILADELPHIA – Khalif Battle scored a season-high 27 points to lead Temple to an 83-73 win over VCU at the Liacouras Center Saturday afternoon. It was the third straight win for the Owls (5-4) while the Rams fall to 7-4.
Battle topped 20 points for the fourth straight game while leading the team in rebounds and making a career-high four steals. Damian Dunn (17), Zach Hicks (12) and Jahlil White (10) also tallied double figures for the Owls. It was a season-high in points for White.
Ace Baldwin, Jr. and Jalen Deloach led the Rams with 16 points each.
First Half
> Battle hit a three to start the game and scored 10 of the Owls first 16 points as the Cherry and White built a 16-5 lead over the first seven minutes.
> VCU would cut the margin two, 24-22, at the 6:26 mark courtesy of a 7-1 run, but Temple would score nine of the next 11 points with a Zach Hicks three making it 33-24 with just over four minutes on the clock.
> The Rams would quickly cut it to a basket, scoring nine of the next 11 points with a four-point play by Baldwin, Jr. making it a 35-33 Owl lead with 1:16 to play.
> Jamille Reynolds then took a nice feed in the paint from Hysier Miller to close out the first half scoring.

Second Half
> VCU scored six of the first eight points to forge the first tie of the game, 39-39, since the opening tip.
> The Owls answered with threes from Hicks and Miller and a steal and driving lay-up from Battle to make it 47-39.
> The Rams were not going away, and quickly cut the deficit to back to a basket, 51-49, on a Brandon Johns. Jr. corner three. Two minutes later another Ram trey, this time from Jamir Watkins (14 pts), closed the deficit to one, 55-54.
> Temple then turned up the defensive intensity while scoring 10 straight points, with Battle tallying five, to take a 65-54 lead with 7:30 to play.
> The Owls pushed the margin to a high of 13, 74-61, with 4:09 to play on a Hicks free throw. VCU was unable to get closer than 10 the remainder of the way.

Game Notes
> It was a season high in points for White, who entered the game with seven for the season.
> Battle hit all nine of his free throw attempts and leads the team and the AAC with a 96.4 free throw percentage (27-28).
> It was just the third meeting between the schools with Temple now owning a 2-1 lead in the series.
> Temple matched its season-high with 17 assists with Hicks and Miller leading the way with four.

Next Up
> Temple host Saint Joseph's in a Philadelphia Big 5 game on Tuesday (7 pm/ESPNU/1210 AM WPHT).