MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Tigers secured a 90-82 victory over the Temple Owls on Sunday, thanks to a strong second-half performance. PJ Haggerty led the scoring for Memphis with 20 points and also contributed seven assists, while Dain Dainja added 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. This win marks Memphis’s seventh consecutive victory, improving their record to 20-4 overall and 10-1 in the American Athletic Conference. Their only conference loss was against Temple on January 16.
Aiden Tobiason was impactful for Temple, scoring 18 points in the game. The Owls were also missing their leading scorer, Jamal Mashburn Jr., due to a lower-body injury. Steve Settle and Quante Berry supported the squad with 17 and 16 points, respectively. At halftime, both teams were tied at 35, as they struggled with ball handling; Temple committed 10 turnovers, while Memphis had 11. However, Temple managed to stay competitive by hitting 5 of 10 three-point attempts.
One key takeaway for Temple is that they missed out on Mashburn’s contributions, which accounted for an average of 22.1 points per game. In their previous matchup, he scored 21 points. For Memphis, while the team didn’t openly discuss the aim of avenging their earlier defeat in the season series, their focused play indicated their determination to not let Temple sweep them.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Settle sank a three-pointer to give Temple a 42-40 edge with just over 16 minutes left. Memphis responded aggressively, tightening their defense and launching a seven-point streak, ultimately leading to a 14-4 run that shifted the momentum in their favor.
In terms of rebounding, Temple previously excelled in their earlier match with a total of 49 boards, including 22 offensive rebounds, which were both season highs for any opponent facing Memphis. Conversely, in this latest game, Memphis flipped the script by outrebounding Temple 26-24, showcasing their improved performance in this area, including 10 offensive rebounds.
Looking ahead, Temple will face Tulsa at home on Wednesday, while Memphis is set to travel to South Florida for their next game on Thursday.
