Box Score
Philadelphia, PA-Nothing really separated the Braves from Temple tonight but a scoring drought in the second-half as the Owls defeated the Braves 63-46 in the opening of the Chevrolet Gotham Classic.
Senior
Michael Starks scored the first six points for the Braves as they tried to keep it close early against the Owls. The Owls would go on an 8-0 run to push the lead to 10. But in the next few minutes the Braves would start a run of their. Junior
Josh Nicholas would score a basket at the 4:29 mark to put the Braves in perfect position only down 28-26 at the half.
It was all Temple in the rest of the way led by senior guard Khalif Wyatt who scored 14 second half points. Wyatt would even make seven straight free throws to extend the Owls lead.
Anthony Nieves knock down back-to-back 3-pointers to get the Braves within eight but the Braves just couldn't capitalize on offense after that.
“We were never out of the game,” said head coach
Luther Riley. For some reason we had a mental breakdown in the second half and it came upon us at the wrong time of the game.
The Braves shot 34% from the field making only 17 of 50 field goals.
Nieves led the Braves with 16 points in which all of his shots were from outside the arc. Nicholas and Starks finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Both grabbed seven rebounds for the game.
The Owls had four players in double figures with Wyatt scoring a game-high 20 points. Scootie Randall and Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson both had 11 points and Jake O'Brien chipped in 10 points.
The Braves are back in action Wednesday afternoon at the Davey L. Whitney Complex as they take on Detroit in their second matchup of the Gotham Classic. Tip-off is at 2pm.
