Jan. 5, 2000
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Temple coach John Chaney, who doesn't throw compliments
around lightly, called Pepe Sanchez the "best point guard in the country, bar
none." On Wednesday night, he was just happy to have him back in the lineup.
Sanchez, out for six weeks due to an ankle injury, scored just three points
on five shots but had nine assists and seven steals in 25 minutes with just one
turnover as the Owls crushed Rhode Island 88-45 in an Atlantic 10 Conference
opener.
"It felt so good to have the guy closest to my mind back out there," said
Chaney, who is notoriously hard on his point guards. "I don't do well without
a point guard. He makes all of the difference in the world."
Sanchez spent most of his recovery time sitting with the coaches on the
bench during games and at practice and says he learned a lot.
"I watched the games with the coaches and I learned the game like they see
it, like an assistant coach, which I should be on the floor anyway," Sanchez
said. "I feel much more comfortable now."
Quincy Wadley scored 17 points, Kevin Lyde added 13 and Alex Wesby had 12
points for the Owls (7-3), who have won five of six.
Zach Marbury had 13 points for the Rams (3-10), who suffered their eighth
straight loss and have now scored less than 50 three times. Before that, they
hadn't fallen below that plateau since 1986.
Temple held the Rams to 34 percent shooting (17-of-50) and forced 24
turnovers. The Owls had their highest scoring output since 1993 and made
30-of-69 (44 percent) shots. It was also their largest victory margin since
beating Duquesne 98-55 in 1989.
Temple scored the game's first 15 points with all five starters scoring and
making three 3-pointers in that stretch. The Owls' biggest lead of the half was
42-10 after Lynn Greer's 3-pointer with 5:10 left in the half. It was 47-17 at
the break.
"It was clearly a knockout punch right at the beginning," Rhode Island
coach Jerry DeGregorio said. "I said before the season that Temple is a top-10
team and a good possibility for the Final Four."
Rhode Island was without starters Luther Clay, who had lower back pain, and
Tiger Wommack, who sat out due to a foot injury. They combine for 20 points and
15 rebounds a game.
It was Sanchez's return that had him talking.
"My assistants said he wasn't going to play, but I knew he'd play,"
DeGregorio said. "Pepe is as good as any point guard in the country and he
makes them a Final Four team. He's their catalyst."
