PHILADELPHIA – After building a 25-point first-half lead behind efficient 3-point shooting, the Temple University men's basketball team cruised to a 95-67 win over Saint Francis on Sunday afternoon at the Liacouras Center.
The Owls (6-5) turn their attention to a road matchup at Davidson on Thursday, Dec. 18. The Red Flash (2-9) will travel to Gainesville, Fla., to face defending national champion Florida on Wednesday evening.
Temple knocked down 10 of its first 14 attempts from 3-point range, finishing the game shooting 15-of-25 from beyond the arc. The 15 made 3-pointers marked the program's most in a game since 2018.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Derrian Ford got the Owls on the board with a quick 3-pointer as Temple opened an early 10-point lead through the first five minutes of play. The Owls connected on three shots from deep during that stretch, with Gavin Griffiths and Aiden Tobiason also knocking down perimeter looks.
- The next segment was a back-and-forth affair, with Temple's lead reaching as high as 11 and never dipping below six through the 10-minute mark.
- Temple regained control with continued consistency from the perimeter, as Jordan Mason drained a 3-pointer to cap a 13-4 run that extended the lead to 15.
- The Owls carried that momentum into halftime, knocking down 10 3-pointers in the opening half and taking a 23-point lead into the break. Griffiths led the team with 14 points, including three triples.
- The second half picked up where the first left off, as Temple pushed its lead to as many as 26 within the opening four minutes. Ford paced the Owls early in the half, scoring seven points in the first six minutes.
- Saint Francis mounted a brief response midway through the half, using an 8-0 run fueled by a pair of 3-pointers to trim the deficit to 14. Griffiths quickly answered with his fifth 3-pointer of the game, tying a career high.
- Temple maintained control the rest of the way, keeping the lead between 14 and 26 points en route to the 95-67 victory.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Temple's 15 made 3-pointers on 25 attempts were its most since hitting 16 at Wichita State on Feb. 15, 2018.
- Ford led Temple with 24 points and six rebounds. Also scoring in double figures were Aiden Tobiason (18 points), Gavin Griffiths (17 points) and Jordan Mason (15 points).
- Tobiason added four rebounds and three assists, while Mason filled the stat sheet with 15 points, five rebounds, nine assists and one steal.
- Three Owls finished with multiple 3-pointers: Griffiths (5), Ford (5) and Tobiason (4). Ford and Tobiason each set season highs, while Griffiths matched his season best, previously set against Saint Joseph's on Dec. 6.
- Ford became the first Owl to shoot 100% from beyond the arc on at least five attempts since Devin Coleman against SMU on Jan. 24, 2016.
- Mason recorded at least 15 points, five rebounds and nine assists while shooting better than 50% from the field, becoming the first Owl to do so since Mark Tyndale against St. Bonaventure on Feb. 20, 2008. After distributing 11 assists against Georgian Court, Mason now has 20 assists over his past two contests.
- With 17 points, Griffiths recorded 15 or more points in three consecutive games for the first time in his career.
- Temple has now won two straight games by at least 20 points for the first time since the opening two games of the 2024-25 season.
- The Owls scored 95 points, marking the first time Temple has scored at least 95 points in back-to-back games since the 2006-07 season.
UP NEXT
- Temple travels to North Carolina to face the Davidson Wildcats on Thursday, Dec. 18. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., with the game streaming on ESPN+ and available on owlsports.com/listen.
