(PHOTO RECEIVED FROM GRACE CROSBY PHOTOGRAPHY)
(PHILADELPHIA, PA) With seven minutes remaining in the game, Khalif Battle hit a tough three assisted by newly acquired Kur Jongkuch, which extended the lead to 15 for the Owls. Although, the Wagner Seahawks did not panic. They continued to play at their pace, getting into their half-court sets, and slowly worked their way back into the game.
With eight seconds remaining and a three-point lead, Damian Dunn looked to attack the basket to create a two-possession game. The ball was stripped by Zaire Williams, initiating a fast break. The ball was placed into DeLonnie Hunt’s hands, who had been torching Temple all night long. Hunt drew a double team, found the trailing Jahbril Price-Noel open on the right wing, and drained a three to tie the game up at 69.
Wagner took control of the game right from the overtime tipoff, and Temple could not keep up. Out of the 11 total points that occurred in overtime, seven of them came on free throws. Temple forward Jahlil White fouled Price-Noel with three seconds remaining, who drained two free throws to extend the Seahawk’s lead to three. Khalif Battle put up a half-court heaver at the buzzer, which rimmed out and gave the Owls their first loss of the season.
The Owls were getting accustomed to having some new players added into the rotation. Big men Jamille Reynolds and Kur Jongkuch both played over 12 minutes in their first time suiting up for the Owls. When the post-centric bigs were on the floor, Coach McKie looked to run the offense through them, which limited the ball-movement as opposed to when Nick Jourdain was in at the five. While they were on the court, there was a lot of off-ball movement, although it looked out of sorts. The Owls have to increase their team chemistry and play recognition if they want to compete for March Madness.
Temple came out of the gates very slowly offensively. Zach Hicks, known for his outside shooting, started the game 0-5 from downtown. In 27 minutes, the sophomore finished shooting just 1-8 from the field, adding two rebounds and a block to the stat line. Hicks is being trusted to be a stretch-power forward for this Owls team and needs to improve on his consistency if he wants to continue being in the starting five.
Looking on the bright side, last year’s leading scorer Damian Dunn had a stellar first game. Dunn finished with 29 points on 5-9 from the field, as he accumulated most of his points from the charity stripe. Dunn shot 18-18 from the line, showing how effective he is at drawing contact. Although Dunn finished with four fouls, he finished the night playing nearly every minute of the game. Although he turned the ball over down the stretch, Coach McKie will continue to make him the first option offensively.
Last night, Damian Dunn made a career-high and tied a school record by making 18-of-18 free throws in the game
𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗜𝗡! #ForPhilly pic.twitter.com/geaesZMGZP
— Temple Men's Basketball (@TUMBBHoops) November 8, 2022
Nick Jourdain came off the bench after starting the majority of his freshman season and showed why he needs to be inserted into the starting five. Jourdain brought lots of energy and physicality defensively for the Owls, as he totaled four blocks in his 31 minutes. Jourdain, although missing on his two deep-range attempts, finished with ten points and seven rebounds.
Nick getting Jourdaingerous with the euro step! Forces a Wagner timeout. Owls lead 52 – 40 with 9:07 left in the half.
𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗜𝗡! #ForPhilly @Swiish_Alert pic.twitter.com/uPTRcDcOpl
— Temple Men's Basketball (@TUMBBHoops) November 8, 2022
With star guard Jeremiah Williams transferring to Iowa State over the summer, sophomore guard Hysier Miller knew his role would increase. Miller has become the primary playmaker for the Owls, although being undersized at just 6’1. Miller had a decent first outing, finishing with four points, three rebounds, and three assists. In 39 minutes, Miller needs to be more aggressive offensively, especially in the pick and roll for the Owls to win this game. Just two shot attempts are not enough for the newly starting guard, as he’s a high-IQ player who controls the pacing of the offense very well.
Even with Hysier Miller playing well, he was no match defensively for junior guard DeLonnie Hunt for the Seahawks. Standing at 6’0, Hunt is extremely shifty and knows how to get to his spots. Hunt lit up the Owls with 19 points and four rebounds, leading Wagner to their first win of the season. Hunt looks to keep his scoring up tomorrow, 11/12, playing against Temple’s Philadelphia neighbor La Salle.
Seeing Khalif Battle back on the court after the devastating foot injury he suffered last season was amazing. Battle was averaging 21.4 points a game before going down against La Salle. Coach McKie elected to bring Khalif off the bench to open the season, which was an interesting move with how incredible of a threat Battle is. Even though he started the game sitting down, Battle contributed with 16 points on 6-16 from the field, along with six rebounds and a steal. All three of Khalif’s three-point baskets came in the second half, right around the time when Wagner started their comeback.
KB Back! Owls lead 63 – 54 at the final media timeout, 3:36 left in the half.
𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗜𝗡! #ForPhilly @khalifbattle24 pic.twitter.com/Lsls02GvJF
— Temple Men's Basketball (@TUMBBHoops) November 8, 2022
Although a disappointing loss, the Owls look to bounce back at home against the 16th-ranked Villanova Wildcats tonight, 11/11 at 7:00 ET. The ESPN matchup predictor gives the Owls a 44% chance to win. Knowing how tough of a coach Aaron McKie is, don’t expect the Owls to blow a big lead like this again this season.
