Finally, a Big 5 shootout falls Temple's way

Even Big 5 games not involving Penn are lighting up the scoreboard.

At least for the home team.

After a torrid start by both sides, Temple torched La Salle for 56 first-half points en route to an easy 89-64 win at the Liacouras Center yesterday afternoon.

The majority of the game was played at an 80-mile-per-hour pace that would have made Penn coach Glen Miller smile. The Owls shot a blistering 9-for-13 from three in the first half, using screens to drain jumper after jumper.

And when they weren't working it in the half-court offense, Mark Tyndale and the other Temple guards were taking one of their 13 steals coast-to-coast for easy layups.

"We're probably better when we push [the ball] so it was a great help to us," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said.

This was manifest in the first major run of the game for the Cherry and White. Up 23-22 halfway through the first period, Temple went on a 20-2 run in which La Salle had seven turnovers. In fact, the Explorers didn't miss a shot in that stretch.

"Our passing is stunningly bad," La Salle coach John Giannini said. "If you look at their runs, they all had to do with us basically passing it to them for layups."

By the end, the 6-foot-5 Tyndale had 22 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals, leading the Owls in each category. While Temple did f damage from the perimeter, Tyndale was a beast inside, ripping through the bigger La Salle forwards.

Dion Dacons and Chris Clark added some solid defense, as Clark came off the bench to virtually shut down La Salle sniper Darnell Harris. Harris only managed four points, 28 less than his total against Penn.

Down 56-33 at the half, the Explorers had one more field goal (14) than turnovers (13). They started calming in the second half by going inside and taking smarter shots, but by that time it was too late.

"We always try to get the ball inside, but when you throw the ball to the other team before you make the second pass it's difficult," Giannini said.

The win was Temple's first in the Big 5 this season, and helps to clinch the basement for La Salle. But more importantly, the Owls' triumph puts them in better shape to be one of the 12 teams to make the Atlantic 10 Tournament and have a shot at the accompanying NCAA berth.

"We want to make sure we get to Atlantic City, and there's only one way to do that, and it's to play our best basketball night in and night out," Dunphy said.

The game saw appearances by former Temple and current New York Knicks guard Mardy Collins as well as legendary coach John Chaney.

Chaney's coaching style was never much like Dunphy's, so experienced Owls like Tyndale heard some conflicting advice.

"I just heard coach Chaney on the sideline saying 'keep moving without the ball, keep moving without the ball', so I was getting coached on the right and left side of me."

Whatever the advice from either man, it worked on Sunday.

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