Quick Report: Temple 89, No. 25 Florida State 86

Quinton Rose (above) and Temple came from 18 down to top No. 25 Florida State on Thursday. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Austin Lederman (@AustinLederman)
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Temple shocked many at the Barclays Center, storming back from 18 points in the second half to defeat No. 25 Florida State 89-86 on Thanksgiving to advance to the NIT Season Tip-Off Championship.

At First…

Florida State’s full-court token pressure clearly disrupted Temple’s offensive rhythm. The Owls played the first half struggling with the Seminoles’ length and athleticism as the teams basically traded baskets, with the Seminoles holding a slight edge. Costly turnovers and missed free throws prevented Temple from hanging closer with newly-minted 25th-ranked Florida State.

Led by 9 points from freshman swingman Quinton Rose, the Owls entered the locker room trailing by double digits, 41-31. Temple’s Shizz Alston immediately made a pullup jumper when the second half started and brought the Owls within single-digits. But Florida State’s Jonathan Isaac responded with a 3-pointer and kept Temple at bay.

With over 13 minutes to play, Florida State’s talented freshman Jonathan Isaac followed a miss layup with a putback of his own. The ensuing possession, he stole the inbounds pass and immediately scored another layup, extending Florida State’s lead to 18.

Turning Point…

Temple then stormed back, stringing together defensive stops with timely 3-pointers. Rose consistently attacked the basket, got to the free throw line and connected. Alston made a number of 3-pointers in the 31-12 run.

Freshman 5-foot-10 point guard Alani Moore fronted 6-foot-8 Phil Cofer, stole the ball, grabbed an offensive rebound off his team’s miss and drilled a 3-pointer with seven minutes to play to give Temple its first lead, 73-72, since an early 4-3 advantage just two minutes into the game. The teams traded blows the rest of the way.

Florida State attempted a lob to Isaac on its final possession, but he missed the layup and Rose was fouled after he corralled the rebound. He connected on both free throws and secured the incredible comeback for Temple.

Standout Stars…

Temple freshman swingman Quinton Rose excelled on Thursday, torching the Seminoles for 26 points coming off the bench and also adding in six rebounds. Also coming up huge for the Owls was sophomore guard Shizz Alston Jr., who scored 22 points and added in four assists and three steals.

For Florida State, it was sophomore Dwayne Bacon who caused headaches for Temple, cashing in for 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting.

Noteworthy Numbers…

56: The number of of points scored by Temple’s young backcourt. All three were instrumental in the comeback. Rose stayed aggressive attacking the paint despite an 18-point deficit. Alston hit a number of timely 3-pointers. Moore may have had the most impressive sequence of the game to give Temple its first lead since two minutes into the game.

9: The number of blocks for Temple. Six of those came by the way of a career-high performance by Obi Enechionyia. Though Florida State boasted the more impressive length and athleticism, it was Temple’s timeliness and defensive awareness that allowed the Owls to contain the Seminoles near the basket.

Up Next…

Temple (3-2) vs. West Virginia/Illinois -- Friday, Nov. 25, 3:00 PM, Brooklyn, NY