Temple lands its first conference win with 68-61 victory over Wichita State
After a 2-4 stretch, the Owls rode their defense to success.
It’s been over a month since the Owls defeated Bloomsburg, 85-55, at The Liacouras Center. Temple then went 2-4, including a loss to South Florida, to kick off conference play.
During this stretch, the Owls struggled to do much of anything. The Owls had shooting deficiencies and their defense wasn’t any better, as opponents scored more than 73 points in five of six games.
Sunday afternoon, head coach Adam Fisher officially earned his first conference win as the Owls (8-7, 1-1 American Athletic Conference) defeated Wichita State (8-7, 0-2 AAC), 68-61, at The Liacouras Center.
What the statistics suggest
Hysier Miller and Steve Settle were the Owls’ biggest offensive contributors of the day, scoring 17 points each. Miller, who hasn’t shot the ball well all season, turned in a season-best 46% performance from the field.
Both players fed off the energy of the home crowd.
“We love playing in front of these fans,” Settle said. “They’re what makes this place special.”
While Miller and Settle held it down on the offensive end, Temple’s team defense secured the win.
The Owls held a 17-point lead with 16 minutes remaining in the second half, and by the 3 minute mark, the game was tied at 59. Following the ensuing timeout, the Shockers went without a field goal for the remainder of the game.
“It’s all about defense,” head coach Adam Fisher said. “That’s been our focus and will continue to be the focus and the staple of our program.”
Where do they go from here
Temple gained momentum for the rest of conference play Sunday afternoon. No matter who the opponent is, playing well down the stretch of a close game is important for future success.
“Conference games are hard,” Fisher said. “This is what all the games are… it’s going to be a battle every night.”
In a conference as competitive as the American, this win could do wonders for the Owls’ confidence.
Temple will be back at The Liacouras Center Wednesday (7 p.m.,ESPN+) to take on East Carolina.