Khalif Battle’s 24 points help Temple hold off Rutgers for a bounce-back win

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — In need of yet another bounce-back win, Temple (2-2) beat Rutgers (3-1), 72-66, at the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Turnovers and fouls were an issue for the Owls against the injured Scarlet Knights, but Temple held on. It serves as another early-season win against a tournament-likely team to boost the Owls’ resumé, but the team still has a lot to work on. The Owls fouled 25 times and committed 20 turnovers but recorded 17 assists.

“If we come out and do what we’re supposed to do offensively and defensively, we’re fine,” Temple head coach Aaron McKie said.

After playing just 19 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to Vanderbilt (1-2), shooting guard Khalif Battle played 32 against Rutgers. The sophomore finished with a game-high of 24 points. Battle and the staff had conversations throughout the week to make sure they were on the same page after McKie questioned his desire to play earlier this week.

“I knew if I didn’t show up and play today, they’d let me hear about it all summer,” Battle said. “I went to school with [Rutgers wing Paul] Mulcahy, played against [Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi].”

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Although he came off the bench again, the preseason All-AAC guard clearly was in better spirits.

Omoruyi led the game in rebounds with 11 while scoring 21 points. However, he struggled from the free-throw line, shooting 3-for-8 from the stripe. Guard Cameron Spencer was a menace on defense with four steals, while Temple forward Jahlil White led the game in blocks with two.

Temple point guard Hysier Miller had his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 assists.

“I thought his play was pretty good,” McKie said. “I’ve been challenging him to be more of a leader.”

Rutgers was without reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Caleb McConnell and Mulcahy, a wing. Without them, the Scarlet Knights couldn’t guard Battle or hit three-pointers.

Both teams shot less than 40% from the deep, but Temple was 9-of-29 from three as Rutgers missed all but one of its 16 attempts. Temple is not a team designed to live and die by the long ball. During next week’s Empire Classic, the Owls’ guards will have to find ways to get into the lane for easier opportunities.

“We missed free throws; we went 1-for-16 from three,” Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell said. “That’s Temple’s defense for you. …They didn’t allow us any baskets at the rim, and they didn’t give up any open threes.”

Jamille Reynolds continued to show why Temple’s staff was excited to get him in the transfer portal. The sophomore center had success against Omoruyi with 17 points and nine rebounds.

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For the second game in a row, forward Zach Hicks hit his first two three-pointers of the night. Temple never trailed again.

Better yet for the Owls, they didn’t lose focus. In all three games before Rutgers this season, Temple allowed teams to go on runs and chip away at the big leads that they held. On Friday, the run happened midway through the second half. However, Temple held on like it did in its Nov. 11 win against Villanova (2-1), unlike the overtime meltdowns against Wagner (2-1) and Vanderbilt. There weren’t any lapses in communication, and Temple played a full 40-minute game.

Temple will get back on the bus and head south to Brooklyn, N.Y., for Monday’s game against Saint John’s in the Empire Classic (9 p.m., ESPNews).

Tyree Appleby scored 23 points for the second straight game, Damari Monsanto had four three-pointers and 14 points, and Wake Forest (4-0) beat La Salle, 75-63, at the Jamaica Classic in Montego Bay. Josh Nickelberry led La Salle (2-2) with six three-pointers and 24 points. Fousseyni Drame had eight points and nine rebounds. Khalil Brantley, averaging 17 points per game, was held to seven points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Lamar Oden Jr.’s 13 points and 10 rebounds helped Drexel defeat visiting Arcadia, 85-45. Kobe Magee scored 12 points while shooting 6 for 10 with five rebounds, and Coletrane Washington recorded 11 points for the Dragons (2-1). Jalen Watkins finished with 14 points and Justin Money scored 13 for Arcadia (2-2).

Erik Stevenson scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half and West Virginia (4-0) used a fast start to beat visiting Penn, 92-58. Clark Slajchert led Penn (1-4) with 20 points.