Temple men top lowly Tulsa to snap four-game losing streak

Without guard Khalif Battle, Temple snapped a four-game losing streak Sunday with a 76-53 men’s basketball victory over Tulsa at the Liacouras Center.

Battle was not with the team because of personal reasons. Still, Temple avoided falling under .500 in home games this season on a day when the Owls honored their 1992-93 Elite Eight team. Coach Aaron McKie said that Battle’s status for Wednesday night’s game against Cincinnati is unknown.

With an increased emphasis on defense, Temple (15-13, 9-6 American Athletic Conference) held Tulsa to 37% shooting.

“I think we’re trending in the right direction right now,” said center Kur Jongkuch. “Coach has been on us in practice about protecting your yard.”

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Sunday marked Temple’s first game this season without Battle after he missed the final 22 games of last season with a broken foot. Seven of the nine Owls who played scored, with five contributing at least eight points apiece. The only exceptions were sophomore center Emmanuel Okpomo and walk-on guard Ryan Sayers, who was awarded a scholarship Wednesday.

Part of the reason for Temple’s offensive success was its ball movement. Twenty-one of the Owls’ 30 baskets came off assists, creating open shots and easier scoring opportunities as the Owls made 56.6% of their shots from the field.

“It’s a confidence booster for all of us,” said guard Damian Dunn. “Once you see the ball go in early, everybody making shots, it puts pressure on the defense.”

In his third straight start, Dunn scored a game-high 24 points, shooting 9-for-13 from the field, including 4-for-5 from three. Point guard Hysier Miller led Temple with a game-high nine assists and scored 11 points. Forward Zach Hicks had a pair of blocked shots and scored eight points. Nick Jourdain added 11 points.

Juniors Sam Griffin and Tim Dalger led the way for Tulsa (5-21, 1-14) with 16 and 15 points, respectively.

Temple went on a 10-0 run before the third media timeout of the first half to take a 21-15 lead. The Golden Hurricane committed three turnovers in that span. The Owls had a 37-30 lead at halftime, shooting 52% in the first half.

Temple went on a 21-2 run in the second half to put Tulsa away for good, expanding the lead to as much as 26 points.

“I thought it was a complete game,” McKie said. “We didn’t do everything right, but we led with our defense, we shared the ball.”

The Owls visit Cincinnati (17-10, 8-6) at 7 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN2).