Temple beats Princeton in Philly

For the second time in less than a month, the Temple Owls(8-5) battled the Princeton Tigers(3-11). In the first matchup, on November 25 in Florida, the Owls won 79-75.

This time, Temple was at a familiar place on Monday night, The Liacouras Center, and as they did in November, the Owls won by four points, 65-61.

Jordan Mason, who went over 1,000 career points on Monday, led Temple with 16 points, Aiden Tobiason had 12, and Babatunde Durodola chipped in with 11 off the bench.

Princeton’s Malik Abdullahi led all scorers with 21 points. 

Temple led 29-21 with just under five minutes left in the first half, but Princeton responded with a 14-4 run, ending the half on a high note and taking a 35-33 lead at the break.

Interestingly enough, Princeton led 36-32 at halftime in the first matchup.

On Monday night, the Owls surged in front early in the second half after going on a 10-0 run, and they held that lead the rest of the way.

Late in the game, Princeton had an opportunity to take the lead, but Jack Stanton would miss a three-pointer with 20 seconds left. Ayuba Bryant Jr. would secure the rebound and make two free throws to put it away for the Owls.

Temple begins American Conference play next week, starting on the road against Charlotte, and head coach Adam Fisher likes how the team is playing at this stage of the season.

“I ​like ​where ​we’re ​at,” Fisher said. “​We’re ​getting ​better; ​we’re ​competing, ​we’re ​getting ​healthy.”

After losing three straight, Temple has won four in a row, and to Fisher’s point, they might be getting better, and probably at the right time.

Mason goes over 1,000 career points:

Fisher talks Mason’s 1,000 career points:

“It’s ​awesome, ​it’s ​a ​great ​testament ​to ​him​, the ​career ​he’s ​had​​, and ​to ​him ​it’s ​not ​a ​big ​deal,”  Fisher said. “​He’s ​so ​happy ​about ​the ​win. ​That’s ​what ​all ​these ​guys, ​A.J. ​Smith, ​got ​a ​thousand ​points, ​a ​thousand ​carriages, ​wants ​to ​win. ​​I ​think ​you ​have ​that ​mentality. ​That’s ​really a ​great ​thing ​for ​your ​team.”