Temple falls to Charlotte in overtime thriller

RECAP BY MATEO VERDEN

With just four seconds and a two-point lead in hand, all Temple needed was one stop to see out a win against Charlotte at the Liacouras Center. But those four seconds were all it took for 49ers guard Damoni Harrison to sprint down the court, laying in a shot as time expired to send the game to overtime. 

It was a back-and-forth game in overtime, but a three-point shot from Charlotte guard Dezayne Mingo proved to be the dagger that the Owls were unable to overcome, dropping the game 80-76 in North Broad.

Charlotte advances to 6-2 in conference play, while Temple drops to 5-3. 

It was center Anton Bonke leading the way for the 49ers with 25 points and nine rebounds, besting his last performance against the Owls, where he put up 25 points and eight rebounds in their December 30th matchup in Charlotte. 

Temple really missed their top big man, Gavin Griffiths, as he was out with a lower-body injury, according to head coach Adam Fisher. Griffiths leads the team in both rebounds and blocks per game with 4.9 and 2.4, respectively. 

Fisher emphasized Griffith’s impact on the team, saying after the game, “Other guys gotta step up… but yeah, we definitely would’ve loved to have him tonight.” 

In the first half, it was a close battle with Temple leading at halftime. The Owls were shooting a better field goal percentage at the half while also distributing the ball better, as they had three more assists at the halfway point. For Charlotte at the half, Harrison was shooting the lights out, going 3-3 from the field and 3-3 from the charity stripe.

In the second half, it was all Bonke as he finished regulation with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Regardless, neither team could maintain an edge over the other. Temple did have the lead up to 9  with 7:28 left, but that was soon erased, as Charlotte marched back. 

The 49ers took the lead with 4:40 left in overtime, their first lead since it was 4-0 at the start of the game. In overtime, Mingo made the difference with 8 points and shooting 100% from the field in the overtime period. 

On the Owls’ side of things, there wasn’t too much good in the final period of play. There was some questionable time management in one of the last possessions, where it looked like Temple was milking the clock while they were down. There was also a timeout that was used during some free throws with a few seconds left that could’ve been used in a much better spot.  

Despite this, Temple was good outings from a couple of their players. Guards Derrian Ford and Jordan Mason led the way with 21 and 20, respectively, while Adian Tobiason scored 16 of his own. 

Temple will see USF this Saturday at 8:00 pm at the Liacouras Center in what will be another crucial game in conference play. Temple needs a win so that it can stay in the hunt to secure a better seed come the conference tournament.