Temple Tops UConn 75-63
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Will Cummings scored 23 points to lead Temple to a 75-63 victory over Connecticut on Saturday.
Jesse Morgan added 17 points for the Owls (22-9, 13-5 American Athletic Conference), who closed the regular season by winning 10 of 12.
Ryan Boatright netted 25 points for UConn, but just four points after halftime. Rodney Purvis added 18 points for the defending national-champion Huskies (17-13, 10-8), who likely will have to win the conference tournament to even make the NCAA tournament this season.
The Owls erased a five-point halftime deficit with a 15-4 run over the first 7:18 of the second half to go up 47-41. Temple coach Fran Dunphy made a defensive switch after the break, putting Morgan on Boatright. UConn went 0-for-7 from the field with a pair of turnovers, both by Boatright, during Temple's run.
UConn got as close as two on Purvis' layup with 11:39 left, but Temple continued to play with the lead. The Owls extended their margin to a game-high eight points, 63-55, with four minutes remaining on Morgan's 3-pointer. And Temple scored five of the next six points, capped by Obi Enechionyia's baseline jumper with 2:31 to play, to take a commanding 68-56 lead.
Temple looks in good shape to get back to the NCAA tournament after ending a six-year run in the tournament during a nine-win campaign last season.
Meantime, in all likelihood, the Huskies will need to win four games in four days at the AAC postseason tournament, which begins Thursday in Hartford, Conn.
The Huskies had been playing well, of late, with a win over then-No. 21 SMU among their three straight wins before Thursday's home loss to Memphis, a game in which they shot 27.8 percent (15-for-54) from the field.
Boatright, a leading candidate for the conference's Player of the Year award, made his first five shots, including three 3-pointers, on his way to 21 first-half points to help the Huskies take a 37-32 lead at the break. He finished 6-for-8 from the field, 4-for-5 from the arc and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line in a near-perfect opening 20 minutes.
TIP-INS
UConn: Despite dropping both meetings this season, the Huskies lead the all-time series 6-5. . The Huskies lost at home to Temple 57-53 in overtime on Dec. 31.
Temple: Cummings scored in double-figures for the 12th straight game.
UP NEXT
Both teams will compete in the American Athletic Conference tournament March 12-15 in Hartford, Conn.
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