It was a team effort.
The performance. The farewell lap around the court. The salute at the center of the Liacouras Center court.
But, most importantly, the achievement of a goal some thought wouldn’t be possible just a month and a half ago when the team struggled to keep its head above .500.
Led by forward Jaylen Bond’s 15 points, five Temple players scored in double figures as the Owls, now 19-10 overall and 13-4 in conference play, clinched the top seed in next week’s American Athletic Conference tournament with a 72-62 Senior Night victory over Memphis on Thursday (see Instant Replay).
Never one to gloat, Owls head coach Fran Dunphy was proud of the way his team earned its accomplishments as one on Thursday.
“We’re thrilled with five guys in double figures,” Dunphy said. “That’s pretty good offensive efficiency. … Any time you can be well-balanced, it’s terrific.”
After being one of four seniors honored during a ceremony prior to his final home game, Bond was Temple’s main spark on the evening with 15 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season while going up against 6-foot-9 Memphis star Shaq Goodwin.
But, for the second time this season, Bond had Goodwin’s number. He put up 14 points and 14 boards in a 69-67 loss in Memphis on Jan. 16.
“He’s a great player and a big, physical presence down low,” Bond said of his Memphis counterpart. “I just tried to attack him the best I could. … I was just playing with more confidence. This being my last game at the Liacouras Center, it added something toward my play.
“Coming out with a double-double on this special night, it’s great for me and for my family, who was out here to watch me.”
“He took the challenge and did a terrific job,” Dunphy said of the way Bond played Thursday. “He set the tone.”
Temple led by nine at the half and pushed the lead to 13 with 13:42 left in regulation. But, in typical Temple fashion this season, nothing came easy.
Leading scorer Quenton DeCosey picked up his fourth personal foul of the contest with the Owls up 56-46 with 10:43 left in regulation and made his way to Dunphy’s bench.
With DeCosey off the floor for a large portion of the time, Memphis went on an 11-4 run to cut the lead all the way down to 60-57 with 4:33 left.
And this after Temple blew a 12-point lead in the season’s earlier contest between the teams.
But as they’ve done so many times this season, the gritty Owls found a way to persevere.
“We just had to get together and trust in each other down the stretch,” said DeCosey, who dropped 13 points in his final game at the Liacouras Center. “We just had to keep battling and close it out.”
Despite clinching the top seed in the conference, the Owls still sit squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble and there are just precious few chances left for them to cement their resume before Selection Sunday next weekend.
Next on the schedule for Temple is the regular-season finale at league-worst Tulane, a game the Owls can’t afford to lose.
After that, it’s off to Orlando, Florida for next week’s AAC tournament where the Owls will tip off next Friday at noon against the winner of the No. 8 seed-No. 9 seed game held the previous day.
As things stand right now, Temple would play the winner of a game between South Florida and East Carolina. The Owls pulled out two hard-fought victories over South Florida this season while they split two meetings with East Carolina.
The message from the Owls after clinching the top seed on Thursday evening was universal: The top seed in the conference tournament is nice, but there is still plenty to play for.
“It means a lot that you have a bye for the first game, but you try not to focus on it,” Bond said. “We’ve got to play our best game wherever we play and no matter the opponent.”
“We’ve got more work to do,” said junior guard Josh Brown, who scored 13 points and added eight assists without committing a turnover. “We’re not settling for the No. 1 seed. We just want to continue to keep winning games and make our bid for the tournament.”
It’s clear that message comes from the boss, who isn’t excited yet.
“I think in our league this year, it’s not something you’re fired up about because I think there are any number of teams that can be champions next Sunday,” Dunphy said.
“We need to finish strong. We’re in a situation to win as many games as we can.”
After all, they do remember the heartbreak they endured last Selection Sunday.