Chronicowls '13 Temple-Charlotte

Temple 89-Charlotte 88

Want a villain in the nearly disastrous Charlotte game? Start with the carefree lad who missed the half court shot, for a cool 10 grand, by a country mile. Or the sea of no-shows (capacity minus an announced 4,785) who no-showed to not cheer these Owls on (despite those expensive Expressway billboards). How ’bout the “Our defense needs a lot of work at this point” (quoth Dunphy) non-defense? Or was it Scootie Randall singlehandedly, who, in 36 agonizing minutes, amassed 0 field goals, 2 free throws, 3 offensive out of 5 rebounds, and 2 assists but 4 turnovers—to total 2 points.

That’s one point every 18 minutes, while surprising Dalton Pepper bagged 11 points in his 18 minutes. In fact, he and Jake O’Brien, with a most impressive 22 including a sparkling, game-high 4 of 5 from out there, both scored season highs. Khalif Wyatt chipped in a game-high 25 while Rahlir H-J with 11 was the fourth Owl in double figures. Not to mention his career-high 5 steals.

Somebody say steals? The Owls had 10 vs. the slow-starting 49ers’ 8. Turnovers? Sloppiness ruled this contest as Temple committed “only” 13—five of them in the final 2:09 to trigger a frenetic photo finish—vs. a whopping 19 by Charlotte. That’s 32 damaging “here y’ares” in a 40-minute game between two perfectly presentable teams with an aggregate 32-12 won-loss record. Poor passing, poor catching, poor luck.

Because of the turnovers…because Temple blew an early 13-point lead (among others)…because Dunphy stayed with Randall far too long…because the Owls prevailed by one fragile point (48-47) in the second half…because Charlotte shot a glittery 60.4 percent from the floor, without its suspended leading scorer (DeMario Mayfield)…because Charlotte racked up treys twice as effectively (7-10 to 7-19) as the Owls…and because skid happens, the game went down to the wire.

The proverbial and absolute wire, that is. It took Wyatt’s final (of 10-13 on the night) foul shot with 8.3 seconds remaining to stave off the 49ers’ Pierria Henry’s barely-buzzer-beating three. No way it should’ve been this close. Not when Temple needed to show major moxie after the 1-point loss to St. Joe’s just four days back. Not when they’re heading to loud and sold-out Dayton, the conference’s 38.7 percent 3-point shooting juggernaut, for Saturday brunch. Not when Charlotte had been annihilated by 20 and 28 points their last two road games. And not when the Big Dance, from this vantage point, is viewed through cataracts.

But the fans won tacos, the Owls won the game and here’s hoping that all their remaining contests have fairy tale endings. Speaking of which, our group next headed to the redoubtable Jack’s Firehouse, guarding the prison on Fairmount, for a spot of libation liberation. And we witnessed true magic—3-Card Monte with 3 stainless steel mixers and 3 maraschino cherries, till, WHOOPS, where’d the fourth cherry, then, WOW, a lime, and, WHA’ZIS, now that lemon, all come from? Ask Matt behind the bar there to blow your mind as he did ours. And if you’re a self-respecting bourbon fan, the vast selection is to drink for. 

--Post by Chronicowls contributor Tall Phil

 

Chronicowls '13 Temple @ St. Joe's

Post by blog contributor Scott Matlack

St Joes 70 - Temple 69

With 5:39 remaining Temple had a 9 point lead after another three-point basket by Khalif Wyatt. But you have to take the good with the bad with Wyatt, and he was late getting back to cover Carl Jones who nailed his own 3 to spark a 12-3 run to tie the game at 64 a few minutes later. 4,200 raucous fans cheered on St Joe's at Hagan Arena Saturday night in a very exciting Big Five game that unfortunately had the Owls losing.

 

Wyatt made a three-point shot from about 40 feet with 10.4 seconds remaining to trail by one. Temple fouled Jones who missed the front end of a one-and-one. Wyatt then drove the length of the court with time running out but his shot was blocked by Kanacevic. With .7 seconds left Wyatt received the inbound pass open enough to set before shooting but he rushed it and the shot fell well short. And that was the game.
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Inside vs. outside - The Hawks pounded the ball down low and Temple seemed unable to stop Ron Roberts (18 pts), CJ Aiken (16 pts), and Halil Kanacevic (12 pts). Meanwhile, Temple shot 11-31 from beyond the arc.

Wyatt scored a career-high 34 points to lead all scorers but had plenty of opportunities to pass the ball to wide open teammates when everyone in a St. Joe's uniform collapsed on him. That, to me, is the problem with the Owls offense. No balance at all. Cummings was the only other Owl who scored in double figures.
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Temple is now 3-4 in the A-10 and may need to win the conference tournament to get in the NCAA tournament. I thought Temple had talent and depth but I now don't know what to make of this team.
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With 7 minutes remaining Dunphy pulled Randall after a stupid turnover. I never witnessed Dunphy so angry.
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Banners rolled out by the Hawk faithful:

Temple made : The Big East dissolve

Khalif - for a good time call 510-233-9876

Wyatt - that isn't the kind of penetration Dunphy was looking for.

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Timeout break entertainment I enjoyed -

Putting contest from the baseline. Both gents got the ball in the half court circle. Looked pretty tough.

A couple of fit gals did jump rope, ran through a serpentine, jumping jacks, push-ups, then made a lay up. My achilles was hurting just watching it.
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We had a beer at the Landmark Americana before the game where there was a Temple following with some free food, then went to McShea's in Narberth afterwards.

Hagan Arena is intimate, but it doesn't have the charm of the Palestra. We couldn't see the scoreboard because of obstructions. What idiot designed the place? Don't ever hire an architect from St Joes.
I was wishing I was at the Liacouras Center, in a comfortable seat, with a cold beer.

Chronicowls "13 Temple-Richmond

Guest post by blog contributor Scott Matlack

Temple 71, Richmond 64

Temple squandered a 13 point lead  in the first half but kept the Spiders scoreless for more than six minutes late in the second half to take the win.  It was the first game in some time where someone other than Wyatt (Randall 21 points) led Temple in scoring.  This was one of the most balanced offensive games of the year for the Owls with four players in double figures:  

Hollis Jefferson    11
Randall                 21
Wyatt                   19
Lee                       12

It was good to see Scootie Randall come out of his shooting slump (8 - 13 from the field) but most impressive, I thought, was the play at both ends by Anthony Lee who contributed a double-double (12 points, 13 rebounds).  The Owls will have to get better at taking care of the ball if they are to continue to win.  With guard T.J. DiLeo nursing a high ankle sprain the Owls had 15 turnovers against only 12 assists.

Temple great Hal Lear  had his jersey retired at halftime.

Chronicowls '13 Temple-Penn

For Philadelphia college hoops fans, it's been an extraordinary week. Four wins over top 25 teams by local schools. Don't recall such a week in my lifetime. Are we witnessing the resurgence of Philly college hoops?
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More than 40,000 fans entered through the turnstiles of basketball arenas, college and pro, in Philadelphia yesterday. Almost half of that number, including Chronicowls reader Mike P.,  were part of a sold-out Wells Fargo Center to see one of the finest singular performances we're likely to see in many a year (think Holiday). The Hagan Center on St. Joe's campus was similarly standing room only. Those fortunate to hold tickets saw the Hawks outscore Xavier. And 7700 fans were in attendance at Verizon Wireless Arena  in Richmond to see LaSalle top VCU and claim its second consecutive win over top 25 opponent (first time in 60 years, I read). The Owls meanwhile travelled to Indianapolis for a first-ever matchup with Butler, where a sold-out arena of 10,000 awaited the intrepid Owls. 1 for 12 shooting from Jake O'Brien and Dalton Pepper, an early injury which sidelined T.J. Di Leo for the rest of the game, and a porous defense, anchored by Khalif Wyatt, proved the Owls' undoing against the 9th ranked home side.
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The Cherry and White were home this past Wednesday evening for their second Big Five contest of the campaign, against the Quakers of Pennsylvania.  Penn hardly looked the part of a squad that had lost 14 of their first 17 games. And Temple hardly looked like a side that had won 12 of its first 17.
School had returned to session, so the Cherry Crusade were out in full force. And the Diamond Gems had returned from the national dance competition in Orlando. And their vocal support lifted a sluggish Owl team to an expected victory.
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Second largest crowd (6700) of the season, most of whom it seemed parked in the garage,  were at the Liacouras Center for the Temple-Penn matchup. Must have been the sub-20 degree temperature that drove fans to indoor parking.   The Owls most attractive home game this season is shaping up to be the one where the Explorers from LaSalle will be heading south on Broad to the Liacouras Center.
The victor of that game will likely be this season's winner of the Big Five. That game has to be a sellout, doesn't it?
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Before the loss to Butler, Temple had fallen out of the top 50 in the RPI rankings. There are now 4 schools in the Atlantic 10 ahead of the Owls, including LaSalle. Temple has losses to canisius (ranked 117) and St. bonaventure (sitting at 130). An at-large NCAA berth isn't looking probable right about now. But no doubt the rest of the season promises to be interesting. Make your plans to become part of the Temple hoops fan experience. And share your thoughts by posting your comments here on Chronicowls (look for the Post Your Comments link below).

Chronicowls'13 - Temple - St. Bonnie's

In winning for the first time at Liacouras Center, St. Bonaventure played like a top 25 team.

60% plus accuracy from beyond the three-point arc, 85% shooting from the free-throw line, and an assist-turnover ratio of better than 2:1 (21 assists,10turnovers). And all five starters scored in double figures.  Meanwhile, the Owls took more than half of their shots outside the three-point mark (why, some would ask), and made just about one-third of them.

The better team surely won yesterday afternoon.

Jake O’Brien had 16 points with more than three minutes remaining in the FIRST half. He had scored more than half of Temple’s points, and had brought the Owls back into the lead after another slow start.

When O’Brien committed his second foul with two minutes remaining in the half, Coach Dunphy substituted for him.  The Bonnies then outscored the Owls 11-2 during the reaminder of the half, and went to intermission holding a four-point lead. And O’Brien didn’t score the rest of the game. And Temple never regained the lead.

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School is not back in session, so the Cherry Crusade (student section) was small in number. And the Diamond Gems were absent, as the squad was competing once again at the national championships for dance teams. No word yet on the outcome.  For those who missed the Gems, see photo below.

The Pep Band was present, bolstered by no less than four tubas, and provided plenty of spirit. And the crowd, one of the largest of the season, was enthusiastic, particularly as the Owls mounted a comeback that cut a 12-point deficit to two. That, as it turned out, was as close as the Owls would get in the second half.
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Perhaps one of the finer performances of the afternoon was turned in by the Temple student chosen to “bowl” during one of the timeouts. A hefty prize awaits the student who rolls a bowling ball the length of the court and scores a strike. On most attempts over the course of the season, a “gutter” ball is rolled.  This student knocked down seven of the pins.

And it’s refreshing to see some of the inane games that have passed for entertainment during time-outs replaced by noteworthy recognitions, like the one of a Temple professor with a lengthy list of accomplishments. Too bad someone decided it would be a good time to play loud background music while the PA announcer was reciting the professor’s accomplishments.

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Tough loss, but as one nearby fan commented at game’s end, “That’s the crucible that is the A10”.

Owls Meet Jayhawks

Very impressive effort by the Owls. Only made FOUR turnovers.
And made but 19 field goals, including NONE in a seven-minute stretch during the second half. And still the Owls were in the game.Here's a wrapup, as told on Twitter.

Chronicowls '13 - Owls Fly By Falcons to Close Out 2012

 

 

A fine finish to the year, and an inspiration to Chronicowls.  A rare New Year’s Eve game. Alright, the competition didn’t exactly bowl us over (Bowling Green), but the win was a highlight in at least two ways. The school’s 1800^th win in basketball, joining an elite group of SIX schools who have reached that milestone.  And as a dear friend once advised me, “a milestone is but a marker by the side of the road that tells you how far you’ve come, but leaves no clue as to where you’re headed.”  I believe the Owls are headed to many more milestones. The second highlight marking the win on New Year’s Eve is that it was Temple’s first on that date (then again, the Owls had played just three times on this date, losing to Fresno State in 1998 and to Villanova in 2002 and 2005). Dinner and drink at Jack’s Firehouse, followed by the 6pm fireworks, completed a highly satisfactory  New Year’s Eve for the Chronicowlers.

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Temple, now 6-1 at The Liacouras Center this season, has tallied its most wins on its home floor to the start a season before the New Year (Jan. 1) in program history. Not surprising, since in years past Temple hasn’t played 7 home games before the turn of the year. All in all, there will be 17 home games this season (if the postponed Detroit game is rescheduled), the most in recent memory. No excuse for not catching at least one game this campaign.

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Breakthrough this year. The winning number of the 50-50 raffle supporting a Temple athletic squad is now posted on the scoreboard, along with a PA announcement. An earlier post (read here) described the new scoreboard and the advertising ribbon. Both are enhancements to the Liacouras Center  experience, which, I contend, is equal to any college basketball venue  in the region, including the Palestra.

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Temple opens the 2013 calendar at #32 in the RPI rankings.  Conference competition kicks off next week.  No fewer than ten Atlantic 10 schools are ranked in the top 100 of the RPI, so the conference schedule will be exceptionally tough this year (Temple’s final season in the Atlantic 10).

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2013 also begins with two difficult match-ups on the road, Kansas (#2 in RPI) and Xavier, before the Owls return to the Liacouras Center for a rare Saturday evening (6pm) tipoff on January 12. Two other attractive home games this season should be LaSalle on February 21 and Virginia Commonwealth (VCU) on March 10.
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It’s now easier to follow the Owls. The Athletic Department has released an app for the iPhone and Android.

Chronicowls '13 - Wagner (on Temple-Wagner)

And so they came to the Land of Liacouras, these Seahawks, from their 105-acre perch atop Grymes Hill on Staten Island, overlooking harbor, ocean and Manhattan. They were loaded for bear fresh off their mid-week dismantling of Princeton via an 8-2 OT run. Coached by Bashir Mason, who led Drexel in assists and steals for four years and beat Temple as a senior, the Green & White had averaged 43 pts. in two wins and 63 in three losses. If you can imagine that!

Saturday afternoon’s final at the staggeringly unpopulated (no part of an announced 5,371) North Broad bastion: 70-62 Owls, about which Dunphy confessed, “I think they outworked us…played harder…tougher…better than us. They deserve a lot of credit, the Wagner guys.” Hmmm. Probably so, praying to reprise their 25-6 campaign last year. But they were smaller and couldn’t shoot straight, or long, with a woeful trey display of 3-for-11. That’s vs. Temple’s 9-19, 47.4% longball game, surpassing its 16-38, 42.1 efficiency inside the arc.

Advisedly ceding the turnover title 12-7, the Owls prevailed in FG and FT percentages (.431, .786), blocked shots (7-4), assists (14-11) and steals (7-3). Three Wagner guys may’ve had three with double figures, but they were no match for Temple’s two, Scootie Randall with 10 pts. plus a team-high 9 boards and Khalif Wyatt with a game-high 26 in his 34 minutes. That included a critical trey at the 1:45 mark when Wagner had, somehow, fought back to trail just 60-55. Which must’ve been what Dunphy meant!

Strange game? Sure. Minutes in, Wagner led 10-2. Cause for concern? Welllll…nope. Moments later, it was all Owls, 12-10. And they built leads from there, albeit never commanding, because Wagner, despite an entertaining airball display and some awfully short guys in awfully long shorts, is certainly scrappy. And don’t forget, these Seahawks were seeking to set the tone for their gridiron brethren who, that evening, would tangle with Eastern Washington in the FCS playoffs, after trumping their 0-3 start with a slick 9-0 finish. In the end, alas, both squads fell.

NEC conference member Wagner draws from a student body under 2,200, with 375 grad students thrown in. Temple doesn’t. Speaking of which, Temple’s graduate forward Jake O’Brien added 8 pts. and others of the nine who saw action contributed. But now the fun starts. First, the Big 5 opener at the Pavilion on Wednesday vs. a ’Nova squad ripe for the picking. Looks like 6-0, best since the ’87-’88 opening run of 14-0 (en route to 32-2). Then, next Saturday at the Izod Center, it’s Doooookkk. So 7-0 outta the box could portend great things this season, especially with three home games to follow.

Oh, and by the way, one great thing happened when the Owls’ all-male Broad Street Line took center court before tip-off to belt out a courageous and mostly harmonious rendition of, “Oh, say can you see.” If you can see ’em at an entertainment venue near you, do. If, on the other hand, you’re offered one chance to hurl an ersatz bowling ball the length of the Liacouras court at an ersatz bunch of bowling pins, albeit for $10,000, tell ’em you’ll have to ask your mother.

 Posted by "Tall Phil" Wagner