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Published Dec 16, 2023
Temple falls 87-78 to VCU despite late charge
Samuel O'Neal
Special to OwlScoop.com

RICHMOND, VA — VCU guard Joe Bamisile, playing in his first game of the season after a federal court ruling granted multiple-time transfers immediate eligibility, instantly made his presence known, letting it fly from beyond the arc in his return to action.

The timing wasn’t ideal for first-year Temple head coach Adam Fisher and the Owls.

Bamisile nailed two three-pointers in the first seven minutes alone, drawing an emphatic reaction from the home crowd that set the tone for a rout Temple was not prepared for.

“We were doing some things we don’t normally do,” Fisher said. “Turnovers were really high in the first half. I thought we needed to do a better job moving the basketball and then defensively our communication wasn’t where it normally is. There’s no 20-point shot. You just gotta chip away.”

Temple chipped away in the second half, but the deficit was too large to overcome in a 87-78 loss to VCU Saturday afternoon at the Siegel Center. After back-to-back wins against Bloomsburg and Albany, the Owls failed to stop the Rams’ fast-paced offense, as VCU shot just over 50 percent from the field.

The Owls, who fell to 6-4 with the loss, were outworked down low by the Rams (6-5), failing to assert a paint presence and losing the rebound battle 38-30.

Although Temple welcomed Jahlil White back after a right-hand injury forced him to miss the last five games, the Owls were short-handed in other ways. Jordan Riley, who averaged 17.8 points the last four games, did not suit up due to an illness, as was the case for reserve guards Shane Dezonie and Deuce Roberts.

And standout freshman guard Zion Stanford logged two minutes early off the bench in the first half but didn’t return due to what Fisher said was “a little bit of an ankle injury.”

"He didn't feel like he was ready to go," Fisher said, "so we shut him down."

“We’ve gotta always be prepared,” Fisher said. “I’ve told our guys, we’ve been in these situations before and there’s no excuses. We had enough. We knew it going in.”

After an early 11-point hole, a three-pointer from forward Sam Hofman and a layup from forward Steve Settle III cut the deficit to just six, but VCU quickly responded. On the next possession, Bamisile missed a wide-open shot from beyond the arc, but a rebound and a quick follow-up three from forward Kuany Kuany (12 points) put the Rams back in the driver’s seat.

VCU led by as many as 23 in the first half, and each time Temple was able to string together consecutive shots to potentially claw their way back into the game, the Rams quickly responded. Bamisile, Kuany and guards Jason Nelson and Zeb Jackson all made three-point shots in the half. Jackson and Max Shulga each scored a team- and game-high 19 points, with Shulga hitting all 10 of his free throws.

Hofman’s third three-pointer of the game, followed by a three from guard Matteo Picarelli, sent the Owls into halftime down 50-31. Hofman scored a team-high 17 points and tied a career high with five threes.

“We just needed to stay together,” White said. “Stay together and not give up. That’s all it is.”

Temple found some steam early in the second half, and most of its success stemmed from Hofman, who didn’t miss a shot until five minutes into the second half. Two of his five three pointers came in the early portion of the second half, helping cut the deficit to just 10.

Right when the Owls fought their way back into it, their shots went cold. Back-to-back misses from beyond the arc from guards Hysier Miller and White paved the way for an 11-4 VCU run, expanding its lead back up to 18. Miller struggled from the floor once again, shooting 6 of 17 overall and just 1 of 7 from three-point range, where he’s now shooting just 25.6% (21 of 82) this season.

Despite the loss, White picked up right where he left off in his first game back since sustaining a hand injury against Columbia on Nov. 18. He finished with 14 points, shooting 7-for-14 from the floor. He also added 11 rebounds and four assists.

“It felt great [to be back],” White said. “It was great to be back with my guys on my court and just compete with them and just have fun with them.”

The Owls will look to bounce back when they return to action against Nevada for their first game of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawai’i on Dec. 21 at 3 p.m.

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