Temple edges South Florida with a 79-76 overtime win fueled behind extra time effort from Khalif Battle

Late-game heroics from Temple guard Khalif Battle led the Owls to a 79-76 win over South Florida inside the Liacouras Center on Wednesday.

Battle kicked off the opening seconds of overtime as he buried a three-pointer from the right corner. On the following possession, Battle forced a turnover and made a layup as the Owls (13-9, 7-2 American) continue to win close games against conference opponents.

“He’s doing what we need him to do,” head coach Aaron McKie said about Battle. “When his shot hasn’t been falling the last few games, he made some today. He’s been doing a good job defending. Those sorts of things don’t show up on the stat sheet.”

» READ MORE: What lessons did Temple learn from its win over top-ranked Houston? The Owls explain.

Temple forward Jamille Reynolds, who missed 10 games after undergoing thumb surgery, scored two points in his return. In the first few minutes of the game, Reynolds finished with a block and a basket. He only played 12 minutes.

“We just try to follow the game plan to the best of our ability in conference play,” guard Damian Dunn said about beating USF twice this season. “Getting comfortable with seeing things a second time because we know what they’re going to bring to the table.”

Temple guard Khalif Battle led the Owls with 25 points. The other scoring threat for Temple was Dunn, who added 15 points.

USF forward Keyshawn Bryant scored a team-high 21 points for the Bulls.

Temple’s offense struggled against South Florida in the first half. For over six minutes, the Owls did not score from the floor.

Temple went 28 of 62 from the floor, including 8 of 26 from three-point range.

“We settled on a lot of shots early on,” McKie said. “I think you got to put pressure on the defense. I thought South Florida did a pretty good job of putting pressure on us by attacking. And that’s how you get to the free throw line, that’s how you get guys in foul trouble. That’s how you control a game.”

USF (9-12, 2-6) made 5 of 12 from three-point range in the first 20 minutes of the game. A few of these attempts were uncontested. Overall, the Bulls went 30 of 66, including 8 of 26 from beyond the arc and 8 of 21 from the stripe.

Temple went on an 8-0 first-half run that was sparked by forward Nick Jourdain’s block. On the opposite end, guard Hysier Miller made a layup to tie it up. The 8-0 run led to a four-point lead.

South Florida’s second-half 6-0 run was highlighted by Temple’s shooting issues. For over three minutes, the Owls could not convert a single shot.

Guard Jahlil White assisted Battle for a three-pointer with 3 minutes and 51 seconds remaining to end the run.

Temple faces Central Florida (13-7, 4-4) on Saturday at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando (12 p.m., ESPNU).