St. Joe's defeats Temple in overtime thriller at Palestra

Supposedly, this wasn't a Big 5 game. Being an "unofficial" meeting of two Big 5 teams, there were no Big 5 logo stickers on the floor. Last night at the Palestra, that was about the only non-Big 5 aspect of St. Joseph's 73-64 comeback overtime win over Temple. St. Joe's honored its 1955-56 Big 5 championship team before tip-off. The roar of the crowd reverberated from the girders overhead. The announcer continually touted the official Big 5 commemorative print. Big 5 executive secretary Dan Baker orchestrated the cash grab at halftime. And the crazy finish could only be described as befitting of a Big 5 game. With the Hawks (16-10) down 52-50, Rashid Bey's shot with 11 seconds left in regulation rimmed out, only to be tipped in by Reggie Townsend, who had 17 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Johnny Miller ran the length of the floor for Temple (17-9), but both his running layup and Derrick Battie's tip as time expired missed. St. Joe's took the first lead of overtime with the opening basket, a three-pointer by Bey. A Terrell Myers three on the next Hawks possession put them up five, a lead they would never relinquish. "Nobody boxed me out," said Townsend of his tying shot. "The ball just happened to come to my side, and I just tapped it in." It certainly seemed like Temple had the game well in hand before that. By forcing Hawks turnovers and hitting five threes in the first half, the Owls began the game on a 12-2 run. St. Joe's spent the rest of the game playing catchup, a task the Hawks accomplished with 1 minute, 17 seconds left to play, when two Townsend free throws gave St. Joe's a 50-49 lead. Rick Brunson (game-high 26 points) then tossed in a missed Jason Ivey free throw with just over a minute left to give Temple a one-point lead. Temple's defense forced a 35-second violation at the other end that appeared to put the game away with 30 seconds left. "They switched defenses on us," Myers said of the 35-second violation. "We were trying to get into the lane and draw a foul, but they switched defenses and we were just confused. Time ran out." Temple couldn't put the Hawks away, though. After Mark Bass fouled Brunson, the Temple captain made only one of two free throws. That was a problem that plagued the Owls all game -- they made less than half of their free throws, shooting 46.2 percent from the line. St. Joe's came downcourt, Townsend made the tip-in, and the rest is history. "I don't think you ever have control with freshmen on the floor," Temple coach John Chaney said of the Owls' late-game collapse. "We missed defensive assignments, rebounding, and we missed a lot of foul shots." The Hawks tried to mount a comeback at the beginning of the second half, but Temple matched every shot and more. A Bernard Blunt airball fell into Townsend's hands for a lay-in. But whatever St. Joe's could do, Temple could do better. Miller drove baseline, was trapped and tried a pass into the lane. What should have been a turnover bounced off a few Hawks and right to the Owls. Moments later, Miller hit a three to run the Owls lead to 10. St. Joe's kept fighting back, though. A Myers three capped a 6-0 run to bring the Hawks within four. "The way Temple plays, their 10-point lead is like 30 against anyone else," Townsend said. "In the second half we tried to cut down on their three-pointers, and we just kept chipping away at them." St. Joe's 30-18 rebounding edge kept it in the game, but Temple ran the lead to eight before Blunt fouled Levan Alston after a turnover. The contact between the two resulted in a push from Blunt, and he was quickly called for a technical. Alston made only one free throw to give Temple a 47-38 lead. Reggie Townsend had two chances at the free throw line to cut the lead but made just two of four to bring the Hawks within seven. With just under five minutes left, it was Townsend at the line again, this time missing the front end of a bonus that could have brought the Hawks within five. With just over three minutes left, Dmitri Domani grabbed the rebound of a Miller miss. Domani missed a three, but the Hawks got the board and set up the offense. Myers missed a three, but Warley got the rebound, then hit a three from the corner. At the other end, Townsend fouled Miller, who missed the front end of the one-and-one. Bass hit a three at other end to bring the Hawks within one, 49-48. Then the final drama ensued.