Temple is too much for Charlotte

Turn back the calendar to Jan. 27, 2010, and the then-15th-ranked Temple Owls were heavily favored in that night's game at Charlotte.

Undaunted, Charlotte pulled off a huge upset, snapping Temple's six-game winning streak and forging a three-way tie atop the Atlantic Ten.

Wednesday, the Owls again faced the 49ers, this time at the Liacouras Center.

Would Charlotte pull off a repeat performance?

Not on this night. Temple prevailed, 76-67, to improve to 14-5 overall and 4-2 in the conference.

The victory also marked the Owls' 17th consecutive victory at the Liacouras Center. It also allowed Temple, coming off Saturday's 88-77 setback at Xavier, to avoid back-to-back setbacks, something they haven't experienced since last February.

Charlotte fell to 9-11, 1-5.

Temple played without starting point guard Juan Fernandez. The Owls said the 6-foot-4 junior missed the game to rest the left-knee bone bruise he had suffered Jan. 7. Fernandez, who is listed as day-to-day, has been feeling sluggish, according to Temple officials.

Fernandez started Temple's last two games and came off the bench at Duquesne on Jan. 15. Before then, Fernandez missed home games against St. Louis (Jan. 9) and St. Bonaventure (Jan. 12).

Khalif Wyatt filled in nicely as his replacement in the starting lineup.

The sophomore, a Norristown High product, had a game-high 17 points and a career-high six rebounds, and tied a career best with six assists.

Temple's Ramone Moore, Lavoy Allen, and Scootie Randall didn't take backseats, though.

Moore, a junior guard, added 16 points.

Allen, a Wooden Award candidate, erased memories of arguably the worst game of his Temple career. The 6-9 senior power forward had 15 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and a steal. The four-year starter had had three rebounds and blocked a shot while being held scoreless in 13 minutes of action against Xavier. That was the third time in his career that Allen failed to score in a game.

Junior swingman Scootie Randall (14 points) was the Owls' other double-figure scorer Wednesday.

Early on, however, Temple was still sluggish from Saturday's lackluster performance at Xavier.

Temple missed nine of its first 12 field-goal attempts. But the Owls trailed by only 12-9 with 12 minutes, 43 seconds left in the first half, thanks to 5-of-12 shooting by Charlotte.

But after a Micheal Eric foul shot, reserve forward Rahlir Jefferson tied the score on a dunk.

Then Randall's jumper gave the Owls a 14-12 lead with 9:40 before the break. After Charlotte knotted the score, Wyatt scored Temple's next four points – on a three-pointer and a foul shot – before he assisted on a dunk by Aaron Brown. That jam gave Temple a 20-16 advantage with 6:53 left in the half.

The Owls, who led by as many as nine points in the first half, took a 30-23 lead into intermission.

Temple had a 16-point cushion, 54-38, after T.J. DiLeo's layup with 10:02 to play. The 49ers pulled to within 74-67 with 13.5 seconds left. But that was as close as they got.

Note. Jeremiah Worthem, a small forward at Math, Civics & Sciences High School, attended the game. The 6-6 sophomore is regarded as one of the top young players in the Philadelphia area. He averages 15.5 points and seven rebounds for the Elephants. Worthem, who received tickets from Temple to attend the game, said he has yet to be offered a scholarship. He is being recruited by the Owls, Drexel, Marist, Louisiana State, and Rice.