Temple guard Hysier Miller who scored 18 second half points leading Temple to championship round. photo by Demtrius Tickles
by Don Mooney
FORT WORTH, Texas —Hysier Miller scored a game high 21 points with 18 coming in the second half as the Temple men’s basketball team downed second-seeded Florida Atlantic, 74-73 to advance to the AAC title game. Miller also had four steals, setting an AAC tournament record with 13 swipes so far during the championship.
photo by Demtrius Tickles
Temple got off to a good start as three-pointers from Riley and Picarelli pushed TU up 6-2. A cold snap followed as Florida Atlantic took a 9-6 lead, before an old-fashioned three-point play from Jahill White knotted the score. FAU responded with 12 in a row, opening a 21-9 advantage at the 7:24 mark. Trailing 26-14, Temple got a spark from distance as Miller and Riley connected on back-to-back treys in a span of just 41 seconds. That deficit remained in place as FAU took a 33-25 lead into the break.
photo by Demtrius Tickles
TU came out in the second half on fire, connecting on five of its first eight shots, four of them from beyond the arc as Temple closed the gap to 42-41 by the 16:25 point. Moments later, TU got a triple from Steve Settle III, tying the game at 46-46.Continuing to perform on both ends of the floor, Temple used an 11-4 run to build a 57-50 lead and force a Florida Atlantic timeout. TU eventually built the edge to eight before FAU made one last run. A jumper and three free throws by Florida Atlantic pulled it to within a point with 29 seconds remaining, but a pair of Dezonie free throws gave Temple the final points it needed.
photo by Demtrius Tickles
The Owls of Florida Atlantic led through much of the first half but found themselves playing from behind in the final minutes. But FAU never quit, as a rally from eight points down ended in a one-point loss. Junior center Vlad Goldin had yet another 20+ point outing, tying his career high with 23.
Florida Atlantic remains in position for an at-large bid in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
photo by Demtrius Tickles
Defense was on display once again for the Florida Atlantic Owls early on, holding Temple to just three makes on their first 20 shot attempts. FAU made quick work on the boards with 21 in the first half led by junior guard Alijah Martin’s seven. A 12-0 run gave Florida Atlantic a double-digit lead. Goldin appeared to be unguardable in the paint, racking up scores no matter how many different defenders were on him. He would score 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting in the opening frame. The first half was ultimately a decisive advantage for the Owls of Florida Atlantic, entering the locker room with a 33-25 lead.
photo by Demtrius Tickles
Temple found their three-point stroke to bring them right back in it and then some. Before they knew it, FAU found themselves trailing by eight with just under eight minutes remaining. Never being a team that gives up, Florida Atlantic battled their way back. More often than not, the ball ended up in the hands of Co-AAC Player of the Year Johnell Davis, who calmly scored nine of the team’s next 11 points to ease the deficit and tie the game at 64 with three minutes left.
But the momentum once again shifted towards Temple, who built back up a six-point lead with only 45 seconds on the clock. Yet again, FAU came storming back with a quick score inside followed by three free throws from Davis. In the final seven seconds, Temple missed two free throws with a one-point lead, allowing Florida Atlantic to sprint to the other end of the court, but they could not get a shot off before time expired.
Sunday, March 17
Game 13 – No. 4 UAB vs. No. 11 Temple – 3:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. CT | ESPN