Central Florida hit two free throws with five seconds remaining in regulation, tying the game and forcing it to overtime, but Temple would regain their composure, winning 86-78 in overtime.
Dalton Pepper led the way for the Owls, as the lone Temple senior scored 26 points on Senior Night, including 6 points in overtime.
Temple got off to a bit of a rocky start, trailing early as UCF took a seven point lead at 20-13 midway through the half. The Owls would battle back however tying the game at 24 apiece with 5:45 remaining in the half.
Dalton Pepper led the way for the Owls, as the lone Temple senior scored 26 points on Senior Night, including 6 points in overtime.
Temple got off to a bit of a rocky start, trailing early as UCF took a seven point lead at 20-13 midway through the half. The Owls would battle back however tying the game at 24 apiece with 5:45 remaining in the half.
With the help of a 10-2 run as the half wound down, the Owls found themselves with a 36-30 lead with 28 seconds left in the half. Calvin Newell would hit a three at the buzzer for the Knights however, sending UCF to the break down just 36-33.
Anthony Lee took the reins in the half for the Owls, scoring 12 points and grabbing 7 rebounds, 5 on the offensive glass. Dalton Pepper would pitch in 9 points, as Temple shot 43.8 percent from the field in the half.
The Knights were led in the half by Calvin Newell, who scored 12 points on four made threes. Despite turning the ball over 10 times in the half, UCF was able to keep the game tight with the help of the long ball, as the Knights made 7-of-14 shots from beyond the arc in the half.
Temple would come out of the locker room firing, starting the second half on a 12-4 run to take a 48-37 lead with 14:23 remaining. UCF would respond with a 16-4 run of their own however, taking a 53-52 lead over the Owls.
The Knights would remain too close for comfort as the clock wound down, tying the game on two free throws by Calvin Newell with just five seconds remaining to force the game into overtime.
The Owls would regroup in the extra period however, making 12-of-13 shots from the charity stripe as they held on for an 86-78 victory.
"It's an important win. We need wins. We need to get some more confidence about ourselves," said Temple coach Fran Dunphy.
Dalton Pepper led three Temple players with 20 points or more, finishing with 26 points in his final game at the Liacouras Center. Will Cummings scored 23 for the Owls and Anthony Lee recorded a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
"It feels really good just to get a win in my last game at the Liacouras Center. We just want to end the regular season in the right way and that was a big win for us," said Pepper.
UCF gave the Owls all they could handle, even without the services of leading scorer Isaiah Skykes. Missing Skykes' 16.1 points per game, the Knights were led by Calvin Newell, who scored 23 points, as the team shot 50 percent from the field.
"We needed help on every aspect of our defensive play. No question about it," Dunphy said.
By: Kyle Babcock
Follow us on Twitter: @BroadStBeat
Anthony Lee took the reins in the half for the Owls, scoring 12 points and grabbing 7 rebounds, 5 on the offensive glass. Dalton Pepper would pitch in 9 points, as Temple shot 43.8 percent from the field in the half.
The Knights were led in the half by Calvin Newell, who scored 12 points on four made threes. Despite turning the ball over 10 times in the half, UCF was able to keep the game tight with the help of the long ball, as the Knights made 7-of-14 shots from beyond the arc in the half.
Temple would come out of the locker room firing, starting the second half on a 12-4 run to take a 48-37 lead with 14:23 remaining. UCF would respond with a 16-4 run of their own however, taking a 53-52 lead over the Owls.
The Knights would remain too close for comfort as the clock wound down, tying the game on two free throws by Calvin Newell with just five seconds remaining to force the game into overtime.
The Owls would regroup in the extra period however, making 12-of-13 shots from the charity stripe as they held on for an 86-78 victory.
"It's an important win. We need wins. We need to get some more confidence about ourselves," said Temple coach Fran Dunphy.
Dalton Pepper led three Temple players with 20 points or more, finishing with 26 points in his final game at the Liacouras Center. Will Cummings scored 23 for the Owls and Anthony Lee recorded a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
"It feels really good just to get a win in my last game at the Liacouras Center. We just want to end the regular season in the right way and that was a big win for us," said Pepper.
UCF gave the Owls all they could handle, even without the services of leading scorer Isaiah Skykes. Missing Skykes' 16.1 points per game, the Knights were led by Calvin Newell, who scored 23 points, as the team shot 50 percent from the field.
"We needed help on every aspect of our defensive play. No question about it," Dunphy said.
By: Kyle Babcock
Follow us on Twitter: @BroadStBeat
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