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Temple falls to Cal in Old Spice Classic first-round game

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - This was regarded as Temple's first real test of the season.

Temple forward Lavoy Allen (24) fights for the ball with  California forward Richard Solomom. Temple lost, 57-50.  (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)
Temple forward Lavoy Allen (24) fights for the ball with California forward Richard Solomom. Temple lost, 57-50. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)Read more

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - This was regarded as Temple's first real test of the season.

California, the defending Pacific Ten Conference champion, was supposed to reveal if the Owls deserved their No. 21 national ranking.

If Temple is the 21st team, then Cal ought to be at least No. 20. Otherwise, the Bears might argue the Owls are overrated.

Sparked by a 12-0, second-half run, Cal defeated Temple, 57-50, in Thursday night's Old Spice Classic first-round matchup here at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

The loss dropped the Owls (2-1) into Friday's 7:30 p.m. losers' bracket game against Georgia, an 89-83 double-overtime loser to Notre Dame.

The Golden Bears (2-1), on the other hand, will face Notre Dame in Friday's 5 p.m. semifinal.

Down by 45-38, Cal responded with an 8-0 run to take a one-point lead on a Jorge Gutierrez three-pointer with 5 minutes, 6 seconds to play. It was the Bears' first lead of the second half.

Gutierrez then hit a pair to free throws with 4:12 remaining to give Cal a 48-45 cushion. Then a putback by Gary Franklin made it a five-point game with 3:37 to play.

Temple later pulled within four points, but that was as close as they would get.

Cal denied Temple the chance to start a season 3-0 for the first time since the 2000-01 campaign. The Owls started 4-0 that season en route to finishing 24-13.

The Bears, who trail 2-3 in series meetings with the Owls, were led was by Harper Kamp, who finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Temple senior forward Lavoy Allen scored 11 of his team-high 13 points in the second half.

The Owls looked rusty in what was their first game in 11 days, shooting 33.3 percent (20 of 60) from the field.

Temple missed its first seven field-goal attempts while shooting 36.4 percent (12 of 33) in the first half.

Fortunately for the Owls, turnovers wiped out numerous opportunities for Cal to take advantage of the poor shooting.

The Owls kept missing baskets in what started as an uneventful first half. At one point, Micheal Eric was 2 for 4 from the field while the other Owls were 3 of 12.

But scoring 10 points off Cal's 10 first-half turnovers, Temple battled back from a seven-point deficit. The Owls tied the score five times before Khalif Wyatt's basket gave them their first lead (23-21) with 2:23 to play before intermission.

The reserve sophomore guard added another basket with 1:08 to play to give Temple a four-point cushion.

Thanks to three consecutive baskets by Allen, the Owls led by 31-25 early in the second half. But that lead didn't last long as Richard Solomon knotted the score at 33 with 12:22 remaining.

Allen responded with a foul shot and basket to give Temple a 36-33 lead a little more than a minute later.

Notes. Temple's Anthony Lee was in his uniform against Cal. The freshman forward wore street clothes while missing the first two games with a heel injury. . . . Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson was at the game to cheer for Temple's Rahlir Jefferson. Both players are products of Chester High's storied basketball program. So is Bo Ryan, who coached Wisconsin to a 50-35 victory over Manhattan in Thursday's first-round matchup.