As Temple and Wichita State traded baskets, both teams were looking for a spark to get the edge.
With seven minutes left in the game, Temple guard Aiden Tobiason drew a foul going for an offensive rebound that got the Liacouras Center on its feet as he slapped the floor with excitement. He knocked down both free throws to give the Owls the jolt they needed.
“It was huge,” said Temple coach Adam Fisher. “It’s why he’s playing. It’s why he started. He plays with energy. He plays with effort. We told them, ‘This is a grown man’s game against [Wichita State]’ and [Tobiason] just raised to that occasion.”
Temple carried that momentum to hold off a Shockers comeback for a 91-85 win over Wichita State in its first American Athletic Conference matchup of the year on Friday night.
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“[I’m] really proud of these guys,” Fisher said. “We talk about it all season, we want to protect home court. Being able to open conference play at home was big for us. Our ability to try and wear teams down, and other guys got to step up. And we saw it tonight.”
The Owls (9-5, 1-0 American Athletic Conference) were led by guard Jamal Mashburn, who finished with a team-high 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. Guards Quante Berry (14) and Shane Dezonie (10) along with forwards Elijah Gray (15) and Steve Settle (14) all reached double-digits.
The Shockers (10-4, 0-1 AAC) were led by guard Justin Hill, who finished with a game-high 25 points on 7-of-16 shooting before fouling out late in the second half.
“I was reading what the defense was giving me,” Mashburn said. “They’re a great defensive team, so they force a lot of rotations, they force help. They’re just well coached and organized. I was able to get in the paint, draw two or three (defenders) and make the right play.”
Berry impresses
Along with his 14 points, Berry also had five rebounds and a team-high five assists.
Berry picked up two early fouls in the first half and had to sit out the remaining eight minutes of the half, and the Owls struggled defensively without him. He made his presence known after halftime, forcing a turnover and making a couple of great passes in transition.
“He’s played really well all season,” Fisher said. “He’s been a great spark plug for us. I think he’s taking the right shots, he knows when to get guys involved. Defensively, he’s active, he’s in gaps. He’s growing each game.”
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Berry has improved his scoring average from 2.6 per game last season to 8.6 this season. Fisher attributed Berry’s development to staying focused on his game all offseason.
Problems in the paint
The Owls were outmatched down low against the Shockers, and a large part of that had to do with Shockers 6-foot-11 center Quincy Ballard.
Ballard grabbed a game-high 13 boards, which helped extend possessions and opened up the floor for his teammates.
The Shockers outscored the Owls 48-28 in the paint and got 17 second-chance points from their 15 offensive rebounds.
Up Next
The Owls will travel to Greenville, N.C. to take on East Carolina (8-6, 0-1 AAC) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.