Temple Owls vs Vanderbilt Commodores Match Player Stats On Dec 07, 2021

Tai Strickland scored a game-high 21 points and Damian Dunn nailed a clutch 3-pointer late in overtime as Temple edged Vanderbilt 72-68 in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday night.

With the Owls clinging to a one-point lead, Dunn connected from beyond the top of the key with 20.5 seconds left for a 70-66 advantage. After Jamaine Mann's layup brought the Commodores within two points, Jeremiah Williams sealed it by sinking two foul shots with 12.1 seconds remaining.

Dunn scored 18 points and Williams finished with 11 for Temple (6-3), which won its fifth straight game. The Owls made just 35.3 percent of their field goals but converted 30 of 37 free throws and earned a 49-42 advantage on the boards.

Vanderbilt forced overtime when Scotty Pippen Jr. drilled a corner 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in regulation. The opportunity occurred because Temple knocked a rebound out of bounds with 2.5 seconds remaining after Mann intentionally missed a free throw.

Pippen and Jordan Wright each scored 16 points for Vanderbilt (5-3) and Mann added 15, but it wasn't enough to keep it from dropping its second straight game. The Commodores shot a miserable 33.8 percent, including 4 of 26 on 3-pointers.

Temple got out to a quick start, taking a 9-5 lead less than 2 1/2 minutes into the game on a 3-pointer by Quincy Ademokoya. The Owls' next point didn't come until 7:09 later when Jake Forrester sank a free throw.

But Vanderbilt couldn't really capitalize on Temple's lengthy drought, managing only five points in that span. The Commodores found a little traction on offense with an 11-2 run over a 2:18 stretch, taking a 21-12 lead on a 3-pointer by Trey Thomas.

However, the Owls finally gave a hoot offensively after that. They finished the half on a 16-4 burst, Sage Tolbert III capping the run with a three-point play off an offensive rebound that helped them get to intermission with a 28-25 edge.

--Field Level Media