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  • Temple Men's Basketball Tips Off 2023 with a Conference Win Against Cincinnati, 70-61

Temple Men's Basketball Tips Off 2023 with a Conference Win Against Cincinnati, 70-61

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Basketball

Five Temple players scored in double figures as the Owls celebrated New Year's Day with 70-61 win over Cincinnati at the Liacouras Center. The Owls (8-7) improve to 2-0 in the American Athletic Conference for the first time since the 2014-15 season while the Bearcats fall to 10-5, 1-1.

Jahlil White had his first double-double of the season, 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, to lead the Owls. Khalif Battle scored 13 of his 14 points in the second half while Zach Hicks (13 pts), Nick Jourdain (12) and Hysier Miller (11) also topped double figures.

Landers Nolley II led the Bearcats with 15 points.

First Half
• It was a tightly contested first 10 minutes with neither team taking more than a four-point lead.
• That changed when Cincinnati ran off seven unanswered points in a two-minute stretch to open a 27-20 lead with just over seven minutes to play.
• The Owls answered the bell, scoring 15 straight points, with Hicks accounting for nine of three triples, to take their biggest lead, 35-27, with 2:37 remaining.
• Temple would end the half with an eight-point margin, 37-29.
• The Owls would turn the ball over nine times in the half but would offset that with 50 percent shooting (12-24) while out-rebounding the Bearcats, 19-13.
 
Second Half
• Cincinnati cut the deficit to a basket, 46-44, on a David DeJulius basket with just over 13 minutes to play before the Owls went on a 9-2 run capped by consecutive threes from Battle. That gave the Owls their largest lead, 55-46, with 11:23 to play.
• The Owls would keep the Bearcats at bay and extend the lead to double figures (64-53) on a Hicks basket with just under five minutes on the clock.
• A Battle basket put Temple ahead by 13, 66-53, and the Owls would keep the lead above nine points the remainder of the contest.

Statistically Speaking
• It was the second game this season that five Temple players scored double figures in a game. The other came against Maryland-Eastern Shore.
• Miller dished a game-high seven assists.
• Temple out-rebounded Cincinnati, 46-28, and pulled down 14 offensive rebounds.

Next Up
• Temple travels to Tampa for a Wednesday night (7 pm/ESPN+/1210 AM WPHT) to take on South Florida.