Temple Falls in Overtime Battle to Charlotte, 80-76

Wednesday, January 28

Philadelphia, Pa.

7:00 PM

Temple University

13-8,5-3American

Charlotte

12-9,6-2American

OT 1

Charlotte

Temple

Photo by: Matthew Acholla

Temple Falls in Overtime Battle to Charlotte, 80-76

1.28.26 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – Charlotte's Damoni Harrison grabbed a defensive rebound in the closing seconds of regulation and laid in a game-tying basket as time expired to force overtime, as the 49ers outscored the Temple University men's basketball team by four points in the extra period to earn an 80-76 comeback win Wednesday evening inside the Liacouras Center.

The Owls (13-8, 5-3 American) turn their attention to South Florida, hosting the Bulls at the Liacouras Center on Saturday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. The 49ers (12-9, 6-2 American) will look to extend their winning streak to four Saturday against Rice.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Aiden Tobiason controlled the tempo early for the Owls, scoring the team's first four points before Jordan Mason added to the offense with a 3-pointer from the corner and a turnaround jumper as Temple went on a 9-0 run and led by four at the 16-minute mark.
The 49ers clawed back with a quick spurt, as the next stage of the half featured four lead changes through the first 10 minutes of action. Charlotte led for roughly a three-minute stretch before Masiah Gilyard hit a 3-pointer to give Temple a two-point lead with 7:41 left.
The contest stayed tight through the remainder of the half, with the Owls holding a slight three-point advantage. Mason led Temple in scoring at the break with 12 points.
Temple held ground to start the second half, pushing its lead to as high as five in the first five minutes of play. Derrian Ford got off to a hot start, scoring six points during that stretch.
The Owls continued to control the pace through the middle stages of the period and played physical, with Temple shooting a perfect 13-for-13 at the line through 12 minutes while leading by six.
Down the stretch, the game stayed tight, with neither team pushing the margin beyond single digits throughout the half. Charlotte trimmed Temple's lead to two during a 7-0 run, though the Owls still held a 63-61 advantage with 3:39 remaining.
Tobiason ended a scoring drought by knocking down a 3-pointer from the top of the key, extending Temple's lead to five for its first field goal in 4:35. After Charlotte answered with two free throws, Mason connected on a midrange jumper to push the lead back to five before the 49ers responded with a 3-pointer to cut it back to one possession.
In the final sequence of regulation, Charlotte missed a free throw, and Anton Bonke secured the offensive rebound. Gilyard then stripped the ball away, giving Temple another possession. The Owls worked the clock and found Gilyard for an open perimeter look, but the shot fell short. Charlotte grabbed the rebound and converted a fast-break layup at the buzzer to force overtime.
Charlotte seized early momentum in overtime, opening with five quick points on an interior basket and a 3-pointer to take a five-point lead. Temple answered with free throws from Mason and a layup from Ford to cut the deficit to one.
The 49ers responded at the line, knocking down two free throws to extend the lead to three. After forcing a defensive stop on the ensuing Temple possession, DeZayne Mingo buried a clutch 3-pointer to help seal the game for Charlotte in an 80-76 win.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

Ford (21), Mason (20), Tobiason (16) and Gilyard (10) all finished in double figures for Temple.
Ford has now posted nine 20-point games in 21 contests this season and has reached 20 points in back-to-back games for the second time this season.
Gilyard and Babatunde Durodola led the charge off the glass with six rebounds and each posted two steals.
Temple totaled 17 assists on 21 made field goals. Eight Owls recorded at least one assist, with Ford and Tobiason tied for the team lead with four apiece.
It marked the third time this season that Temple teammates have scored 20 points in the same game. Ford and Mason combined for 45 points most recently against Florida Atlantic.
Temple shot 27-of-29 from the free-throw line, making its final 23 attempts of the evening.
The Owls' 93.1 free-throw percentage was their best mark since Jan. 13, 2024.
It marked Temple's best free-throw percentage when making at least 27 free throws since Dec. 22, 2016, when the Owls went 28-of-30 in an 83-77 win over Yale at the Liacouras Center.
The Owls committed just six turnovers in the 45-minute contest, marking the fifth time this season the Owls turned over possession six times or less.
This marked the first overtime game for the Owls since Temple's double-overtime loss at South Florida last season.
The Owls and 49ers have now played a total of four overtime periods over their last four games, going to an extra period in three of those meetings.
Charlotte was led by Anton Bonke's career-high 25 points and team-high nine rebounds. Mingo tallied a 19-point, 10-assist double-double.
Gavin Griffiths (11.8 ppg) missed the contest due to a lower-body injury and remains day-to-day.

UP NEXT

The Owls remain in Philadelphia, closing out their two-game homestand against South Florida on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
The game will air nationally on ESPN2 and can be heard on owlsports.com/listen.