Khalif Battle scored 16 of his game-high 18 points in the second half and Jahlil White added 10 points and seven rebounds as Temple held off ECU 57-55 in its American Athletic Conference opener Wednesday night.

The Owls, who snapped a three-game losing streak and evened their record at 7-7, won without Damian Dunn, who suffered a head injury in the Maryland Eastern Shore loss last week, as well as center Jamille Reynolds, who will still be out for the next several weeks with a right thumb injury.

Temple took the lead for good at 51-48 with 3 minutes, 44 seconds left to play on a bucket from Nick Jourdain, courtesy of a feed from Battle. Jourdain was fouled on the play and hit the free throw. The Owls stretched the lead to six 33 seconds later when Battle was fouled taking a three-pointer and hit all three of his free throws.

ECU, which fell to 9-5 with the loss, got to within 57-55 on two Javon Small free throws with 48 seconds left before Temple's Zach Hicks iced the game 37 seconds later with a pair of free throws.

Temple shot just 36.4 percent but survived because ECU shot an even-worse 27.1 percent and missed 15 free throws. Two of the Owls' starters, Hysier Miller (8 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds in 26 minutes) and Jourdain (9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists), fouled out. The Owls were whistled for 23 fouls as opposed to ECU's15.

Hicks started, played 37 minutes but shot just 2 of 13 from the floor and 2 of 11 from 3-point range. Kur Jongkuch had nine rebounds off the bench.

Brandon Johnson, the American's leading rebounder, posted a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 18 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass.

Temple will return home to face Cincinnati (9-4) Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Liacouras Center.