Box Score Jan. 31, 2008
Box Score
BRONX, N.Y. -- In a game that featured the Atlantic 10's leading scorer, Temple guard Dionte Christmas who entered the game averaging 20.8 ppg, and the league's tallest, Temple center Sergio Olmos who stands seven-feet tall, it was one of the shortest players who wasn't averaging half of Christmas' scoring average, who had the biggest impact. Temple guard Chris Clark, who is listed at 5' 8" on the Owls' roster and who was averaging 4.7 ppg on the year, scored a career-high 16 points to lead Temple to a 58-50 Atlantic 10 win over Fordham in the Rose Hill Gym.
With the loss, the Rams fall to 8-10 overall on the year, 2-4 in the Atlantic 10, while Temple improves to 10-9 overall, 3-2 in the conference.
Fordham entered the game knowing that its defense would have to keep Temple in check, especially Christmas, and the Rams managed to do just that, holding Christmas to 13 points with no three-point field goals. It was the first time a team held Christmas without a three-pointer over the past 40 games. Fordham also held the Temple team to shooting 41.2% (21-51) from the field, including 16.7% (3-18) from behind the arc.
The Rams also controlled the boards, outrebounding Temple, 42-34, tying a season-high with the 42 rebounds.
"Defensively, we played well enough to win the game," said Fordham head coach Dereck Whittenburg. "But for the second straight game we didn't shoot the ball well and you can't win shooting 31% from the field."
"We did a great job defensively on Christmas," continued Whittenburg. "But I was afraid of Clark. After watching just five minutes of tape on Temple, I told my assistants that I was worried about him. And I believe he turned out to be the difference in the game."
The game was close throughout, with nine lead changes and eight ties, the last coming at 30-30 following a Sebastian Greene layup 3:08 into the second half.
The Rams then scored five straight points, the first on a free throw as Greene completed a three-point play, to take a 35-30 lead on a Kevin Anderson layup with 15:21 remaining.
The Owls responded with a 16-4 run, led by seven points from Christmas, to take a 46-39 lead with 6:17 left in the contest.
A pair of free throws and a basket by Stout over the next 1:15 cut the Fordham deficit to three, 46-43, and Stout had a chance to tie the game for the Rams but his three-pointer with 4:29 remaining wouldn't go and Clark hit one of biggest shots of the night, a running jumper with 3:38 left to put the Owls back up by five, 48-43.
Anderson hit a pair of free throws a little over a minute later to make it a one possession game again, 48-45, but Bryant Dunston missed a jumper on Fordham's next possession and Christmas answered with a basket to give Temple a 50-45 lead.
Stout again made it a three-point game for the Rams, 50-47, with a layup with just over two minutes left but that was a close as Fordham would get.
The first half was back and forth with six lead changes, the last coming after Fordham tied the game at 23 on a Stout three-pointer with 2:58 left. The Rams would then score the final three points of the half, on a pair of Dunston free throws and one by Greene, to take a 26-23 lead at the break.
Stout led Fordham with 11 points while Dunston added nine points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Anderson finished with seven points and eight rebounds, both season-highs with the eight rebounds also a career-high.
The Rams will next be in action on Saturday, February 2nd as they travel to Philadelphia to face the Saint Joseph's University Hawks in an Atlantic 10 game at 4:00 p.m.
Notes
The loss breaks a three-game winning streak in the series for the Rams...Temple now leads the all-time series, 34-12...The Rams are now 3-4 in televised games this year...Anderson's previous career-high in rebounds was seven, which he accomplished at St. Bonaventure on February 28, 2007...His previous season-high in scoring was six at Missouri back on November 3rd...Anderson also did not commit a turnover in a game for the third time this season...The Rams also recorded 42 rebounds earlier this year against Central Missouri...Dunston's nine points brings his career total to 1,645, good for sixth place on the Fordham all-time list, 52 points behind Ken Charles...Dunston's 12 rebounds brings his career total to 881, good for fifth place on the Fordham career rebounding list, 36 behind John Stevens...He has recorded double figures in rebounds in the past eight games...Dunston also blocked two shots in the game and has blocked at least one shot in 17 of the 18 games this season, including 41 over the past 12 games...Dunston is averaging 15.9 ppg and 12.8 rpg over the past eight games...Stout's 11 points brings his career total to 1,529, good for seventh place on the all-time list...His three-pointers in the game gives him 227 for his career, placing him second on the Fordham all-time list.
