Instant Replay: Temple MSG-bound after NIT win over La. Tech

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BOX SCORE

Temple got off to a hot start for the second time in four days and is now two wins away from its third NIT title.

The Owls (26-10) used a balanced offensive attack to easily turn aside Louisiana Tech (27-9), 77-59, leading wire-to-wire and advancing to the tournament semifinals.

Temple next plays Tuesday at 7 p.m. in an NIT semifinal against Miami (Fla.) at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Turning point
Owls guard Jesse Morgan had two more important threes to snap an opponent’s run.

After the Bulldogs had closed to within five points of Temple two minutes earlier, Morgan nailed a pair of threes from the right wing on consecutive possessions to push the lead back to 55-42 with 15:28 to play, — the last one coming with a hand in his face — capping a 12-4 run.

Louisiana Tech wouldn’t seriously threaten again for the rest of the evening.

Big men on campus
After doing relatively little in 14 minutes off the bench during Temple’s second-round win over George Washington, sophomore guard Daniel Dingle busted out.

Dingle scored seven points, but made his biggest impact on the game through a pair of assists on drives in the paint that led to emphatic slams from big men Devontae Watson and Obi Enechionyia.

Louisiana Tech forward Erik McCree had the Bulldogs’ best showing on an otherwise off night. He scored 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting and grabbed four boards.

Statistical significance
• The Owls turned the ball over just once in the first half and five times overall.

• Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech’s leading scorer, shot just 4 for 15.

• Three different Owls players scored in double figures.

• Temple logged 16 assists.

• The Owls finish the season 17-2 at home.

Series history
Temple now holds an all-time 2-0 series lead on Louisiana Tech. The two schools’ first meeting came earlier this season, an 82-75 Owls win at the Liacouras Center on Nov. 17.

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