PHILADELPHIA – Trailing by two points at halftime, the Temple University men's basketball team held Princeton to 33.3% shooting in the second half as the Owls soared into the holiday season with a 65-61 victory on Monday evening inside the Liacouras Center.
The Owls (8-5) closed their non-conference slate on a four-game winning streak. The Tigers (3-11) suffered their eighth straight loss and seventh consecutive defeat by five points or fewer.
Temple led 55-53 with just over seven minutes remaining, as the Owl defense produced nine defensive stops over Princeton's final 11 field-goal attempts to seal the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Princeton jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead, but Temple clawed back to take a 9-6 advantage through the first five minutes behind a Derrian Ford dunk and an and-one from Babatunde Durodola.
- Durodola opened the night strong, scoring seven points in the first 10 minutes. During that stretch, Temple extended its lead to as many as five points.
- Late in the first half, the Tigers responded with a 9-0 run to tie the game at 30. Princeton then took a two-point lead at the free-throw line and entered the break ahead 35-33.
- Temple opened the second half with a 10-0 run to regain momentum and build a six-point advantage. During the stretch, Jordan Mason scored the 1,000th point of his career on a midrange jumper.
- Princeton answered with a four-point play to cut the deficit to three, but timely baskets from Ayuba Bryant Jr. and Aiden Tobiason helped Temple withstand the surge.
- Holding a four-point lead late, Temple's defense remained stout, limiting Princeton to 1-for-7 shooting over the final 1:30. CJ Happy broke the drought with a contested layup to trim the margin to two with one minute remaining.
- After empty possessions on both ends, Temple forced a foul, and Bryant Jr. knocked down two free throws to restore a four-point cushion and secure the 65-61 victory.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Jordan Mason (16 points), Aiden Tobiason (12) and Babatunde Durodola (11) led the Owls with double-figure scoring performances.
- Mason, Durodola and Bryant Jr. each set season highs in points against the Tigers.
- With his first field goal of the second half, Mason reached the 1,000-point milestone for his career. He joins teammate AJ Smith in reaching the mark this season after Smith accomplished the feat in the season opener against Delaware State. Mason totaled 575 points over two seasons at Texas State (2022-24), added 288 points during his junior season at UIC (2023-24) and now has 145 points as an Owl through 13 games.
- The outing marked Mason's fourth consecutive game in double figures. The senior scored 10 points against Georgian Court (Dec. 9), 15 versus Saint Francis (Dec. 14), 14 at Davidson (Dec. 18) and 16 against Princeton.
- Monday's win marked the second time Temple defeated Princeton during the 2024-25 season, following a victory in the second round of the Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational. The last time Temple beat the same opponent twice in a season came during the 2023-24 campaign against Wichita State.
- Princeton was led by Malik Abdullahi's 21 points and seven rebounds, while Jack Stanton and Jackson Hicke each chipped in 10 points.
UP NEXT
- Temple will break for the holiday season before returning to action on Tuesday, Dec. 30, at Charlotte to open American Conference play. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN+ at Halton Arena.
