A-10: Temple to face St. Joe's in final

ATLANTIC CITY -- The Big 5 is in the Tournament. Temple faces St. Joe's in the A-10 final. The first two meetings were so amazing, the final of the Atlantic 10 Tournament has big shoes to fill. ESPN will also know it's going to get a big crowd tomorrow.

FINAL: Temple 60, Charlotte 45

What a performance from the Big 5 today, the 30-year streak is left intact.

Tyndale is called for a travel while fighting for possession, and he is less than pleased.

Gerrity airballs a three. The crowd chants "We want St. Joe's!" They know this one is done.

1:37 2nd Half: Temple 58, Charlotte 44

Tyndale double-dribbles, and Charlotte gets it back with 1:50 to go. Goldwire clanks another three, once again, and Charlotte's time is running out. The Big 5 is 1:37 away from getting a team in the Tourney for sure.

2:09 2nd Half: Temple 55, Charlotte 44

Allen fights for another box out, and goes to the line when someone goes over his back.

I just keep waiting for Goldwire to take over, but it just hasn't happened. Immediately following me typing that, he makes a lefty layup. But hey, the Hawks have to be happy it's that, not a three. He hits four of those per game, and a good amount come in the final minutes, as UMass found out last night.

2:44 2nd Half: Temple 51, Charlotte 39

I get shorted out from the connection again, but basically Charlotte scored a few quick hoops to get within five, but the Owls started draining as well, inluding a Tyndale three from the top of the key.

7:59 2nd Half: Temple 44, Charlotte 36

Allen signals the end of Mack's easy inside scoring with a big-time block off the glass.

Brooks drives, and somehow finds the space to fit in a layup from the baseline angle. Mack misses a three, hits two from the line and now comes out in favor of Goldwire.

Allen skies through the lane, but the rebound is off of him. Coley, now, does the coasting through the air, on his way to an and-1. Charlotte gets the ball back on the free throw, but Mack misses a three, and Tyndale gets into the lane for a deuce.

Clark throws up an airball and Goldwire answers with a huge three. All of a sudden, it's a five-point game.

11:40 2nd Half: Temple 40, Charlotte 32

Tyndale goes flying over Charles Dewhurst's back, and a foul is commited. I don't know how that is called, I thought the ball was out of bounds first on the top of the backboard.

Michael Gerrity blows an open layup, but Goldwire drains a three. Finally. Tyndale hustles to force another possession on a board, and Brooks scores inside.

Tyndale gets fouled, and then is warned by the referee quietly about shooting after the whistle. In soccer, that'd be a yellow card.

Mack scores inside again, Tyndale commits a hard charge and this game is getting close.

15:23 2nd Half: Temple 38, Charlotte 25

Christmas follows a Mack layin with a beautiful one himself, putting just enough english on it. Just as I write this, Tyndale goes to the hoop for a strong and-1.

Once again, Olmos is in foul trouble with his third. He has some work to go to pull off a third-straight game in double-figures.

But the focus is back onto Temple's self-proclaimed one-two punch. Christmas splashes in a three and the Owls are up 15.

Charlotte hits two free throws, and Mack draws an offensive foul. Wilderness now hits a big basket to get a withing striking distance of striking distance.

In transition, the Owls strike easily, as Christmas gets it to Tyndale, who sends the ball Brooks' way for a layin.

For some reason Olmos is standing up on the bench. I feel bad for the seven-feet-worth of fans sitting behind him. Halftime stats: The Owls lead by nine, and a major reason why is that the 49ers have gone 3-for-16 from three. Goldwire has two makes to eight misses. The defense has been great, and we'll see if they can keep it up.

Halftime: Temple 28, Charlotte 19

Clark gets all three from the stripe to fall, and Temple gets a little lead going again. Tyndale builds on it with an and-1 to go up 10, but only after a great block by Allen on Goldwire.

Christmas strips Coley, and the Owls get their star sophomore to the line with a backdoor cut.

The half ends with Mack expertly stripping Tyndale, and he is livid about that.

3:59 1st Half: Temple 22, Charlotte 14

Tyndale turns it over badly, but Charlotte misses yet another three. They live and die by that shot - the 49ers were down 34-19, I believe to UMass and came back to win.

Clark isn't scared to launch again after missing twice, and drains a triple.

Semaj Inge loses the ball, but Tyndale gets it back and finds Clark, who gets fouled on a three.

14:45 1st Half: Temple 19, Charlotte 14

Ian Anderson finally gets the Owls into double-figures, and Wilderness scores to cut the early lead to seven. He then scores again, and this is really a game once again.

Clark misses two threes by a bit, and Charlotte gets a chance to make it a one-possession game from the line.

9:15 1st Half: Temple 19, Charlotte 9

Chris Clark is in the game now for Temple after his big shooting night in the first half. He was peculiarly laying down on hisstomach before coming in. Maybe it was in order to stretch his back, but I don't think that was it. They didn't have enough chairs on the bench.

Christmas gets a hand out on a Goldwire three, and Clark buries it for Temple. It has been a long, long time since the 49ers scored. They have two threes, but that's about it, and they have attempted a whole lot more than two.

14:45 1st Half: Temple 16, Charlotte 8

Christmas misses some free throws, but Allen corrals the rebound. Tyndale has a great box out to get the rebound over a 49er, andthen drives for a layup.

Allen now gets his full hand on a shot, and Olmos finishes at the other wnd with a big dunk. Normally stoic, he is pumped, yelling "let's go!" while running down the court.

Goldwire finally sticks a three and Tyndale answers. Goldwire tries another and misses, while Tyndale beasts his way for an acrobatic offensive board and putback, then dives on the ground for a loose ball. He's willing to get his all-white shoes dirty today. Just due to his tenacity, he's probably the Big 5 Player of the Year in my book.

14:45 1st Half: Temple 7, Charlotte 5

Goldwire has missed two threes to start it off, but they've barely stayed out. He won the game for them last time, and is ready to do it again. He won't score right away, but draws a quick charge on Christmas.

Olmos is playing with a little passion, powering his way to the hoop. Meanwhile, Mack connects on his second shot, putting his team on the board with four minutes gone.

Guzman is left wide open, and he hits a three, only to be answered by Goldwire. Over Olmos. Impressive.

Starters:

Temple: G Luiz Guzman G Dionte Christmas G Mark Tyndale F Lavoy Allen C Sergio Olmos

Charlotte: G Leemire Goldwire G Dijuan Harris F Charlie Coley F Lamont Mack F An'Juan Wilderness