Men’s Basketball Drops Season-Opening Battle at Temple, 70-62

Tuesday, November 5

Philadelphia, Pa.

8 p.m.

Drexel University

0-1

Temple

1-0

Drexel

Temple

Men’s Basketball Drops Season-Opening Battle at Temple, 70-62

11/5/2019 10:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – Temple rallied from an early five-point, second-half deficit to defeat Drexel, 70-62, in the season-opening game for both sides. The Dragons (0-1) shot just 34.8 percent from the field but stayed in the game through a combination of unrelenting rebounding and timely buckets.

Three Drexel players reached double digits in scoring. Freshman T.J. Bickerstaff shared the game high with 16 points in his collegiate debut. The Atlanta, Ga. native made six of his 11 attempts from the field and grabbed seven rebounds. Camren Wynter added 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting with six assists and four rebounds. Lastly, Matey Juric matched a career-best with 11 points on the strength of a personal-high three 3-pointers.

Wynter's 15-point outing is his 22^nd game in double figures for the Dragons.

The Owls (1-0) made 43.1 percent of their field goals on Tuesday and received double-figure scoring games from Nate Pierre-Louis and Quinton Rose. Pierre-Louis notched a double-double with 10 rebounds.

Drexel shot only 26.3 percent from the field in the first half (10-for-38) and made five of its 20 attempts from beyond the arc. The Dragons stayed in the contest with 11 offensive rebounds in the first 20 minutes, scoring six second-chance points.

Bickerstaff and Juric combined for 19 of the Dragons' 31 first-half points. The duo shot a combined 6-for-12 from the field. All three of Juric's field goals were 3-pointers, and Bickerstaff made all four of his foul shots.

Juric and Mate Okros hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Drexel its first lead at 6-5 with 17:26 left in the half. Temple retook the lead less than two minutes later and led for all but 28 seconds to close out the period.

Leading 14-12, the Owls pulled off an 11-2 run to expand their lead to 25-14 with just over eight minutes remaining, but the Dragons countered with an 8-0 run of their own. James Butler ignited the run with a three-point play after a tough battle on the offensive glass. Juric then hit a 3-pointer, followed by a steal and transition layup from Bickerstaff.

Butler grabbed nine boards in the first half and closed out the contest with 15 – one shy of his career high. The junior forward added seven points and career-bests in assists (four) and blocks (two).

Juric cut the deficit to one point, 29-28, with 2:36 on the clock, and Camren Wynter scored on the next Drexel possession to put the Dragons in front for the first time since the first three minutes of the game.

Wynter scored the first five points of the second half, and Drexel jumped out to its largest lead of the night at 36-31. His trey with 17:28 to play represented the high-water mark for the Dragons as Temple netted the next six to regain the lead.

Wynter gave Drexel its final lead of the night with a jumper with 14:15 on the clock. Trailing 40-38, the Owls scored the next eight.

Temple built its largest margin of the game at 54-42 with 7:24 left to play. The Owls kept the Dragons at arm's length for the next three-plus minutes and were on top 61-51 at the last media timeout, but Drexel had one final push in store. Bickerstaff made back-to-back baskets to cut the deficit to 63-57.

After another Temple basket, Zach Walton was fouled in the act of shooting, made the field goal and sank the ensuing free throw. The three-point play brought Drexel to within five at 65-60 with 65 seconds left in the game, but the Dragons could not shave those final five points off the margin.

Drexel returns to action on Friday for its home opener against Niagara at 7 p.m.