Temple’s strong defense shuts down St. Joe’s for 70-60 win

In a pivotal Big 5 matchup, Temple used consistent defense to defeat St. Joseph’s, 70-60, Tuesday night inside the Liacouras Center.

The Owls’ win over the Hawks guarantees them a co-lead of the Big 5 for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

“It means a lot,” Temple head coach Aaron McKie said of the victory over a city rival. “It’s a win. It’s something that I have been a part of my entire life, for the most part, as a fan, as a player, and now as a coach. So you can put your name in the history books.”

Temple (6-4) outscored St. Joe’s, 41-34, in the final 20 minutes.Nine first-half turnovers led to consecutive defeats for the Hawks (3-5).

St. Joe’s was led offensively by two players.

Guard Cameron Brown, who finished 7-of-8 from the field for a career-high 25 points, including five three-pointers, attacked the perimeter and added 10 rebounds. Fellow guard Eric Reynolds II, who averaged 20 points per game heading into Tuesday, shot 6 of 16 for 16 points.

The Owls were led by guard Khalif Battle, who went 6 for 12 for 20 points. Additionally, forward Zach Hicks scored 10 points and finished with a double-double (10 rebounds). Guard Hysier Miller added 10 points.

The Owls were efficient on offense.

Temple was 27-of-61 from the field, including eight of 25 from beyond the arc. The little things, including shooting 42.1% from the stripe, made things close at times. Overall, Temple’s mistakes were masked by defensive execution.

The Owls finished with seven steals and scored 18 points off turnovers.

Temple applied pressure on St. Joe’s throughout the game, but one moment set the tone.

Hicks and Miller swarmed St. Joe’s forward Kacper Klaczek, forcing him into a turnover. Hicks then assisted Battle, who was sprinting down the court, on an emphatic slam dunk to extend Temple’s lead to five points with 7 minutes, 52 seconds remaining in the first half.

St. Joe’s shot 21-of-53 from the floor, including seven of 23 three-pointers.

The Hawks could not overcome their 15 turnovers. Ultimately, the Owls took advantage of those mistakes and attacked St. Joe’s in transition for 13 fast-break points.

“They played an aggressive, tough schedule,” St. Joe’s head coach Billy Lange said of Temple. “I feel like they’ve gotten better as the season has progressed here. They’re going to be a very, very good team in their conference.”

Battle’s improved defense gave the Owls a much-needed spark.

Battle blocked Klaczek, which led to a game-changing possession. Dunn assisted Miller, who made a three-pointer to give Temple a nine-point lead with 11:48 remaining.

Big defensive plays led to sustained momentum for Temple and kept St. Joe’s out of an offensive rhythm.

Temple faces Big 5 rival Penn (5-6) on Saturday at The Palestra (1 p.m., ESPN+). If they beat the Quakers, the Owls would win the Big 5 for the first time since the 2009-10 season under former head coach Fran Dunphy. St. Joe’s returns home to play Saint Peter’s (4-4) on Saturday (1 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia).