Feb. 8, 2009

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA -- Three players scored in double-figures but it was not enough as Rhode Island dropped a 68-62 decision at Temple on Sunday afternoon. The loss snapped a four-game win streak.

Keith Cothran - who had missed the previous five games due to injury - led URI (16-8, 5-4 A-10) with 16 points off the bench. The junior guard did all his scoring in the second half, and was 6-9 from the floor (3-6 3FG). Jimmy Baron (5-6 FG; 3-3 3FG) had 13 points while Kahiem Seawright added 12 points and eight boards.

Rhody knocked down its first two baskets from beyond the arc, thanks to treys from Baron and Marquis Jones, taking a 6-0 lead early on. Temple countered with seven unanswered points to start a 17-2 run which put them up 17-8 with 12:29 left in the first half. The Owls would lead by as many as 12 points (32-20) before a Will Martell layup and Baron trifecta made it 32-25, Temple, at the break. The 25 points were a season-low for the Rams in a first half. URI had 10 first half turnovers.

Temple opened up the second half on an 11-3 run over the first 3:52, capped by a Dionte Christmas 3-pointer, making it 46-28 with just over 16 minutes to play in regulation. After an 11-4 Rhody scoring push - capped by a Cothran layup - cut the Owls' lead to 50-39, the two teams traded baskets for the next seven minutes.

A step-back 3-pointer from Cothran cut it to single-digits - 64-57 with 3:19 to play - before another deep triple from Lamonte Ulmer made it a six-point game (66-61) with 1:36 to go. Rhody had its chances down the stretch, but a missed opportunity at a rebound off a missed Temple free throw and 2-for-6 shooting from the charity stripe proved costly.

Rhode Island shot 47.2% (25-53) from the floor - including 8-of-16 from the perimeter. The Rams were just 4-of-11 from the foul line and lost the battle of the boards, 34-28.

URI returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 11 when it hosts St. Bonaventure at the Thomas M. Ryan Center at 7 p.m.