<em>Basketball:</em> Temple Tops UMass In OT
AMHERST, Mass. (AP) -- Juan Fernandez scored 19 points and Lavoy Allen added 14 (with 18 rebounds) as Temple University defeated the University of Massachusetts, 73-67, in overtime on Wednesday night.
The victory clinched the second seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament for the Owls, who improve to 23-6 and 13-2 in league play. UMass drops to 15-13 and 7-8.
Allen got his ninth double-double of the season as the Owls (23-6, 13-2 in A-10 Conference) won for the tenth time in 11 games. Rahlir Jefferson had nine points and 10 rebounds as Temple won the battle of the boards, 42-36.
The Owls overcame a four-point halftime deficit, tying it at 65 with 48 seconds left in regulation on Ramone Moore's free throw. Fernandez went for a game-winning layup with 1 second left, but Sampson Carter blocked it.
TJ DiLeo's layup, the first basket in overtime, gave the Owls the lead for good with 4:20 left.
Anthony Gurley scored 25 points to lead the Minutemen (15-13, 7-8), who lost their second in a row to a Philadelphia opponent after La Salle beat them 72-51 on Sunday.
Temple wraps up its regular season on Saturday afternoon (3pm), against La Salle, at the Liacouras Center.
(Copyright 2011 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
