By: Austin Boynes
PHILADELPHIA- After a loss to Rhode Island that dropped Temple to 4-3, the Owls resumed Big 5 play on the road to face a 5-1 Villanova team at the Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats entered the game on a hot streak, winning their last five games and only suffering a loss in their season opener to BYU in Las Vegas on Nov. 3.
Neither side was able to pull away from each other, showcasing their defensive prowess in a very low scoring first half. That all changed when the second half tipped-off, as the Wildcats could not miss with four double digit scorers in a 74-56 blowout win to play for a Big 5 championship game Saturday.
“They (Temple) did a really good job at making us work in the first half,” Villanova head coach Kevin Willard said. “We had a little bit of rust come off of Thanksgiving, but when you can get your defense going at home, it makes a big difference.”
It was a defensive stalemate early as neither side was able to take control of this game as guards Aidan Tobiason and Jordan Mason did most of the damage on the offensive side for the Owls. Six Wildcats found the bottom of the net, as Villanova held a slim 17-12 lead going into a media timeout halfway through the first half. The Wildcats were able to hold a lead because of their three-point shooting as Matt Hodge and Tyler Perkins hit two of them to hold the Owls at bay.
Jordan Mason scores for the Owls to end the first half - PSD Video by Austin Boynes
The lid closed on Villanova as they were unable to find the bottom of the net and Temple took advantage of that as guard Derrian Ford and forward Jamai Felt found themselves on the scoresheet. Just as the Owls took a 24-23 lead, the Wildcats unscrewed the lid off the rim as guards Bryce Lindsay and Perkins hit threes on back-to-back possessions to take a 29-26 lead in the late stages of the first half.
“I honestly have no clue, I just got lost in the game,” Villanova guard Acaden Lewis said. “It was just a couple of plays in a row where I did something good and my teammates rewarded me.”
A crucial Villanova turnover allowed Mason to get a steal a basket for the Owls as he gave them momentum as they trailed 29-28 going into the halftime break. Former Temple Owl guard Zion Stanford made his presence known against his old team with four points, a rebound and an assist to finish off a well-rounded first half in six minutes.
The Owls made the most out of their trips to the foul line, as they shot six for seven from the charity stripe and made the Wildcats pay for their eight first half fouls. Villanova controlled the glass in the first half, as they tripled the offensive rebounds 12 to four, which gave the Wildcats an eight to four advantage in the second chance scoring department as they led 21-12 in total rebounding.
“We believe in taking the best shot that we can get, they (Villanova) did a nice job taking that away,” Temple head coach Adam Fisher said. “We did a nice job in the first half getting to the foul line which is something we emphasized, when we miss our head drops, we just have to keep on shooting, keep shooting good shots.”
Villanova guard Byrce Lindsay drives to the basket - PSD Video by Austin Boynes
Mason’s layup gave Temple the momentum that the Owls brought early in the second half, as they led 37-33 as the half began. Lewis, along with guard Devin Askew, and Perkins brought this Wildcat team back to life as a nine to nothing run gave Villanova a 44-39 lead that forced coach Fisher to call a timeout.
Forward Duke Brennan continued his good night with a personal four to nothing run to reach a dozen points and helped increase Villanova’s lead to 48-42, which was followed by a media timeout. The Wildcats found a groove that gave them their largest lead of the night at nine points until a three by Temple forward Gavin Griffiths cut the lead to two possessions as Villanova led 55-49, which led into another media timeout.
“We’re trying to get this program back to winning games that matter, so to play Penn in the Big 5 Championship, learning how to win championships, especially in today’s world, with 13 guys who are all brand new, it’s a good opportunity for us to learn and see what it’s all about,” said Willard.
The Owls began to unravel as a 9-0 run by the Wildcats extended their lead to 64-49, as Perkins continued to make his presence felt as Villanova was firmly in the driver seat. Temple had no answer as the Wildcats flexed their offensive muscles on the way to a 74-56 win to send them to the Big 5 championship against Penn on Saturday at XFinity Mobile Arena.
Temple guard Gavin Griffiths gets a block - PSD Video by Austin Boynes
Villanova’s second half shooting paid dividends and allowed them to pull away late in the second half as they shot better from both the field and beyond the arc in the second half than they did in the first. The Owls hit their first three of the game in the second half, which was more than the first and added on two more but it proved to not be enough as they lost the rebound battle by too much to stay in it.
The Owls will play in the third place game against the St. Joe’s Hawks on Saturday.