Score: Temple 83, VCU 73
Location: Philadelphia, Pa. (Liacouras Center)
Records: VCU 5-3, Temple 5-4
 
The short story: Junior point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. and sophomore forward Jalen DeLoach provided 16 points each for VCU, but it wasn't enough to stop Khalif Battle, who poured in 27 points, and Temple Saturday in Philadelphia.
 
OPENING TIP

• Baldwin shot 4-of-5 from the line and 7-of-7 from the line for VCU. He added nine assists and four steals
• DeLoach's 16 points are a career-high, and he scored 11 of them in the second half alone. He added six rebounds and a pair of blocked shots
• Sophomores Jamir Watkins and Jayden Nunn also provided 14 points apiece for the Rams
• Battle scored 15 of his 27 after the break to help hold off VCU. He connected on 7-of-19 from the field, including 4-of-10 from 3-point range. He hit all nine of his free throw attempts. Damian Dunn added 17 points for the Owls

THE DIFFERENCE

• Temple shot 50 percent (27-of-54) from the floor in the game and converted 22-of-27 free throw attempts
• VCU committed 18 turnovers, which led to 17 Temple points. VCU forced 14 Temple turnovers, but just four in the second half
• The Owls outrebounded the Rams 30-28 overall, including 18-11 in the first half as they built a 37-33 lead
• VCU pulled within 55-54 on a Watkins corner 3-pointer with 12:03 left, but Temple responded with a 10-0 run that included a Battle 3-pointer to extent its lead to 65-54 with 7:30 remaining and eventually led by as many as 16 points
• Temple built an 18-7 lead in the first, but VCU chipped away with 12 first-half points by Baldwin, who converted a four-point play at the 1:16 mark to pull the Rams within 35-33 

NOTABLE

• This was the third all-time meeting between these two schools. Temple leads the series 2-1
• VCU saw four players score in double figures for the first time this season
• The Rams shot a season-high 49 percent (25-of-51) from the field, including 50 percent (7-of-14) from 3-point range

NEXT UP
VCU will host Jacksonville on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. That game will be broadcast on MASN and ESPN+.