Injuries, poor shooting hurt Temple in 52-49 loss at USF

Despite another poor shooting night and losing its starting point guard to an injury, Temple still had a chance to win at USF Monday night.

But things came unraveled for the Owls down the stretch.

A three-pointer from Bulls guard Javon Greene with 20 seconds left put USF ahead by a point, and Damian Dunn, who injured his ankle late in the second half, was whistled for an offensive foul 13 seconds later. Greene hit two free throws to finish off Temple and send the Owls to a 52-49 loss at the Yuengling Center.

Greene's three was USF's only make from beyond the arc on a night when the Bulls shot 1 of 12 from three-point range.

The Owls (13-6 overall, 6-4 American Athletic Conference) scored just 20 first-half points and trailed at the intermission by two after losing second-year freshman point guard Jeremiah Williams to a shoulder injury seven minutes into the game. Tai Strickland played 30 minutes in Williams' absence but shot just 1 of 8 from the floor and scored three points. Freshman Hysier Miller scored seven points on 3 of 5 shooting in 20 minutes off the bench.

USF (7-14), which won just its second conference game, scored 30 points in the paint, and Jamir Chaplin led three Bulls scorers in double figures with 14 points. Dunn, who scored 11 points, shot just 4 of 14 from the floor, and the rest of the Owls' starters weren't much better, shooting just 5 of 14.

Zach Hicks scored eight points off the bench but was emblematic of a Temple team that again struggled from the free-throw line (7 of 14.) Hicks missed all three of his foul shots after getting fouled while taking a three with 3:36 left in the first half.

The Owls will play next on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Tulane.