Chris Clark

Feb. 6, 2008

RICHMOND, VA - Senior co-captain Chris Clark set a new career scoring high for the third straight game, tallying a team-high 18 points, but it was not enough this time as Temple dropped a "hump" game at Richmond, 64-58. The Owls fall to 11-10 overall and 4-3 in the crowded A-10 standings while the Spiders improve to 12-9 and 5-3.

"I thought this would be a tough game, and it proved to be just that," said Temple coach Fran Dunphy. "A win here would have put us over the hump, in terms of being a really good team, now we have to regroup a little bit."

Dunphy was familiar with the Spiders' Princeton offense from his 17 years patrolling the Penn sidelines and it showed as his team played solid defense throughout the first half. The Owls held the Spiders to 31 percent shooting (9-29) for the first half in taking a 27-24 advantage at the break.

The Owls never trailed over the first 10 minutes with Clark, who scored 16 points in the first half against George Washington Sunday, again providing the offensive spark off the bench. The 5-8 guard made four of six three-pointers to lead all scorers with 12 points at intermission.

Temple needed Clark on this night in particular as its one-two punch of Dionte Christmas and Mark Tyndale were off their games. Christmas, the A-10 scoring leader (20.5 ppg.), hit just four-of-15 shots, and only one of eight from behind the arc, to finish with 14 points. Tyndale, who played despite flu-like symptoms, scored 11 points, but had four turnovers.

Richmond jumped right out to start the second half with David Gonzalvez scoring five of his game-high 20 points in a 7-0 run that gave the Spiders a 37-30 lead with 15 minutes to play. Clark then started and ended a 10-2 Owl run, hitting two three-pointers to put TU back in front 40-39.

The normally reliable Christmas missed two three-pointers that would have tied or given Temple a lead down the homestretch and even the red-hot Clark was off the mark three times during the final nine minutes.

The Owls final chance came with under a minute to go. Trailing 56-53 Sergio Olmos pulled down a rebound with 42 seconds to play. Tyndale, as he has done so many times this season brought the ball up the court to direct an Owls' crucial late-game possession. The senior co-captain, however, was stripped at center court and Kevin Anderson took the ball the length of the floor for a lay-up that made it 58-53 with 33 seconds to play.

"That was a big play," said Dunphy. :Mark just fell asleep."

Tyndale quickly came down and made a basket and free throw to cut the deficit to 58-56, but Richmond went six-of-six from the charity stripe to close out the contest.

Richmond, who shot 48 percent in the second half, also received 13 points from Kevin Smith off the bench.

The Owls now start a three-game stretch against teams that have appeared in the national rankings. Temple first takes on UMass at home and then hosts Rhode Island next Wednesday before travelling to Dayton (Feb. 16). Sunday's game against UMass will be Hooter's Birthday with the first 5,000 fans ages 14 and under receive a Mini Temple Owls Hoops Set - sponsored by the Philadelphia Federal Credit Union.