Temple University Athletics
Temple University
7-5,0-0American
Davidson
8-3,0-0Atlantic 10
Temple Holds Off Davidson in 68-63 Road Win
12.18.25 | Men's Basketball
DAVIDSON, N.C. – In a tale of two halves, the Temple University men's basketball team saw its 16-point second-half advantage trimmed to as low as two points on three different occasions, but never relinquished the lead in a 68-63 road win over Davidson on Thursday night at Belk Arena.
The Owls (7-5) recorded their third consecutive victory and first true road win of the season. The Wildcats (8-3) suffered just their third loss of the year and only their second at home in eight contests.
Derrian Ford led all scorers with 23 points, marking his sixth 20-point performance of his senior season.
Temple played without starter Gavin Griffiths (lower body) and key contributors Masiah Gilyard (lower body) and AJ Smith (shoulder) due to injuries.
- Derrian Ford scored the first eight points of the night for Temple, knocking down two early 3-pointers as the Owls took an 8-4 lead through the first four minutes. Aiden Tobiason added a five-point spurt midway through the first half as Temple built an early advantage while holding Davidson to just 18.8% shooting.
- The remainder of the first half featured physical, defensive play, as neither team made a field goal during a rugged four-minute stretch. Temple carried a 36-23 lead into halftime, capped by Tobiason's buzzer-beating 3-pointer to complete a 9-0 run.
- Temple's defense picked up where it left off after the break, limiting the Wildcats to just two made field goals over the first four minutes of the second half. Davidson responded with a 13-0 run to trim the Owl lead to three, led by forward Ian Platteeuw's nine points during the stretch.
- A Cam Wallace free throw with 9:28 remaining snapped Temple's 7:24 scoreless stretch and halted Davidson's momentum. Temple then turned its focus to the interior, scoring in the paint and at the free-throw line to maintain a five-point cushion. Tobiason later extended the lead with a key 3-pointer and mid-range jumper, pushing the margin back to 10 with four minutes remaining.
- Davidson heated up from the perimeter late, drilling three 3-pointers to pull within four with 1:30 left before cutting the deficit to two following an offensive rebound and inside finish. On the ensuing possession, Babatunde Durodola found Tobiason for a crucial basket with 31.6 seconds remaining, and Temple followed with a defensive stop to seal the 68-63 victory.
- Temple has now defeated Davidson in back-to-back seasons after last year's 62-61 victory secured the 2,000th win in program history.
- Three Owls finished in double figures, led by Derrian Ford (23), Aiden Tobiason (19) and Jordan Mason (14). The trio, along with Cam Wallace's nine points, accounted for 65 of Temple's 68 points.
- Mason now has 992 career points, needing eight points to reach 1,000 in his career.
- Ford added nine rebounds, tying his season high set against Boston College on Nov. 15
- Temple limited Davidson to 38.7% shooting from the field and 22.7% from 3-point range, both season lows for the Wildcats.
- Temple improved to 7-1 under Adam Fisher (since 2022-23) when making at least 25 free throws.
- Roberts Blums (14 points) and Nick Coval (10) led Davidson offensively.
Temple returns to North Philadelphia to face Princeton in its final non-conference game of the season on Monday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m. inside the Liacouras Center. The Owls previously defeated the Tigers, 79-75, at the Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Fla.
