A 1-3 start was hardly how Fran Dunphy and his Temple Owls envisioned the season starting. After picking up three road losses – all against ranked opponents – Temple finally returned to Broad Street for their home opener against Delaware on Sunday.
The Owls would take advantage of the opportunity to play on a familiar floor, easily defeating Delaware 69-50 to improve to 2-3 on the young season.
“We are the kind of team that can compete at just about every level,” Dunphy said following the win. “But also, we could get our comeuppance at any level as well. So I’m a little bit concerned about that.”
The Owls would take advantage of the opportunity to play on a familiar floor, easily defeating Delaware 69-50 to improve to 2-3 on the young season.
“We are the kind of team that can compete at just about every level,” Dunphy said following the win. “But also, we could get our comeuppance at any level as well. So I’m a little bit concerned about that.”
In the early going on Sunday, it seemed the comeuppance Dunphy talked about after the game could be something the Owls received.
With 5:25 remaining in the first half, Kory Holden would drive the lane for the basket and the foul. Holden would sink the ensuing free throw to knot the game at 23-23, as the Owls saw their early six-point lead disappear.
Minutes later, the Owls would find themselves even more concerned after Obi Enechionyia and Chivarsky Corbett got tangled up going for a rebound. Enechionyia, who missed Temple’s season opener with a right ankle injury, would come up limping after the play and exit the game.
Enechionyia would return, but Corbett and Delaware would be much less fortunate, as Blue Hens Coach Monté Ross confirmed after the game that the sophomore guard suffered a torn ACL.
Temple would close the first half on a 14-2 run to head to the locker room with a 37-25 lead and would begin to turn up the heat a bit more in the second half.
Despite the injury scare in the first half, Enechionyia would look even stronger in the second half, scoring 11 second half points to finish the game with 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks in the Owls’ 69-50 win.
“He’s (Enechionyia) shooting it very well. Now the next step is to be the best defender he can be. He needs to get more rebounds for us. He got six today, but I think he can do better at that,” Dunphy said. “When he shoots a jumper, I feel very confident it will go in. He worked very hard at that.”
Enechionyia would come within one point of tying his career-high thanks largely in part to a 4-for-6 shooting effort from beyond the arc. The sophomore forward has looked strong in the early going this season, scoring in double figures in three of the four games he has played and displaying a more polished long-range shot.
“I want to be the shooter,” Enechionyia said. “Jesse Morgan was the shooter last year and this year I planned on trying to be the best shooter on the team. That’s really what I was focused on in the offseason, becoming more of a threat from the outside.”
Enechionyia would be joined in double-digit scoring by Jaylen Bond, who scored 11 points, and Quenton DeCosey, who tallied 10 points and 8 rebounds, in the victory.
At 2-3, the Owls will look to build a bit of momentum, as they welcome Fairleigh Dickinson to the Liacouras Center on Wednesday night.
By: Kyle Babcock
Follow us on Twitter: @BroadStBeat
With 5:25 remaining in the first half, Kory Holden would drive the lane for the basket and the foul. Holden would sink the ensuing free throw to knot the game at 23-23, as the Owls saw their early six-point lead disappear.
Minutes later, the Owls would find themselves even more concerned after Obi Enechionyia and Chivarsky Corbett got tangled up going for a rebound. Enechionyia, who missed Temple’s season opener with a right ankle injury, would come up limping after the play and exit the game.
Enechionyia would return, but Corbett and Delaware would be much less fortunate, as Blue Hens Coach Monté Ross confirmed after the game that the sophomore guard suffered a torn ACL.
Temple would close the first half on a 14-2 run to head to the locker room with a 37-25 lead and would begin to turn up the heat a bit more in the second half.
Despite the injury scare in the first half, Enechionyia would look even stronger in the second half, scoring 11 second half points to finish the game with 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks in the Owls’ 69-50 win.
“He’s (Enechionyia) shooting it very well. Now the next step is to be the best defender he can be. He needs to get more rebounds for us. He got six today, but I think he can do better at that,” Dunphy said. “When he shoots a jumper, I feel very confident it will go in. He worked very hard at that.”
Enechionyia would come within one point of tying his career-high thanks largely in part to a 4-for-6 shooting effort from beyond the arc. The sophomore forward has looked strong in the early going this season, scoring in double figures in three of the four games he has played and displaying a more polished long-range shot.
“I want to be the shooter,” Enechionyia said. “Jesse Morgan was the shooter last year and this year I planned on trying to be the best shooter on the team. That’s really what I was focused on in the offseason, becoming more of a threat from the outside.”
Enechionyia would be joined in double-digit scoring by Jaylen Bond, who scored 11 points, and Quenton DeCosey, who tallied 10 points and 8 rebounds, in the victory.
At 2-3, the Owls will look to build a bit of momentum, as they welcome Fairleigh Dickinson to the Liacouras Center on Wednesday night.
By: Kyle Babcock
Follow us on Twitter: @BroadStBeat
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