Even though the box score hinted at Temple (10-7, 1-3 AAC) winning by a large margin, it doesn’t reflect on the entirety of the game. From the start it was neck-and-neck with both teams exchanging baskets with minimal turnovers and connecting plays.
In the first five minutes, the Owls jumped out to a 10-4 lead, before the Pirates (9-8, 1-3 AAC) countered with their own 10-2 run, where they got their only lead of the game on a Michel Nzege layup to break the tie and go up by two, 14-12. Temple bounced back to gain the lead going into the half with a 40-34 lead.