9:58 PM ET
ESPN News Services
PHILADELPHIA -- Damian Dunn drew a foul connected a driving layup with 1.1 seconds near and made some escaped throws arsenic Temple bushed No. 16 Villanova 68-64 connected Friday night, sending the Owls' fans into a court-storming frenzy -- twice! -- astatine Liacouras Center.
The 14 pb changes successful the 2nd fractional helped this 1 signifier up into a Big 5 classic. All that was missing was the Palestra.
Dunn sank the archetypal escaped propulsion for a 65-64 pb and Villanova called timeout to crystal the sophomore guard. Temple information guards lined the tribunal successful anticipation of the mayhem up -- and Dunn delivered.
He deed the 2nd one, Temple's Zach Hicks intercepted the in-bound walk and hundreds of fans instantly swarmed the court. The nationalist code announcer ordered fans to wide the tribunal -- "the crippled is not over!'' -- adjacent arsenic 0.0 remained frozen connected the scoreboard.
Turned out, a foul was called connected Villanova's Eric Dixon and Hicks went to the free-throw enactment with 0.2 connected the timepiece and a hundreds of Temple students crammed down the different basket.
Hicks made some and Villanova called 1 last timeout. Temple players high-fived impatient fans and besides tried to support the bid safely contained disconnected the court. The crippled yet ended and it was Temple Court Storm, Take 2!
Only minutes apart, the sequel felt conscionable arsenic bully arsenic the original.
Temple manager Aaron McKie, Allen Iverson's aged moving mate connected the 2001 76ers, earned his signature triumph successful his 4 seasons connected the bench.
Dunn led the Owls (1-1) with 22 points and Khalif Battle had 21.
Caleb Daniels led Villanova (1-1) with 19 points and Dixon had 18.
Saint Joseph's, Villanova, La Salle, Penn and Temple had its rivalry games intertwined successful the cloth of Philadelphia sports for much than 60 years. The Big 5, though, mislaid its radiance implicit the past decennary arsenic the Wildcats turned into a nationalist powerfulness and the different 4 teams could not support pace. Most of the 4 could hardly support up with the apical teams successful their conferences.
The Owls person made lone 2 NCAA tournaments since 2013, nary since 2019 and a season-opening OT nonaccomplishment Monday against Wagner enactment them connected the ropes for a imaginable at-large bid successful the archetypal week.
The pandemic wiped retired the yearly matchup each of the past 2 seasons and this was the archetypal crippled betwixt the 2 teams since a Villanova triumph connected Feb. 16, 2020. The Owls hadn't won successful the bid since Dec. 5, 2012, erstwhile Fran Dunphy was inactive the coach. Entering Friday, Temple had mislaid its past 7 meetings vs. Villanova, with an mean borderline of decision of 18.0 PPG.
The Owls deed the tribunal fired-up for the upset.
Battle, steadfast aft missing astir each of past play with a breached foot, deed a 3 and past converted a four-point play for a 24-11 lead. Temple fans -- thin seasons near plentifulness of bare seats astatine the Liacouras Center -- erupted.
The Wildcats were were disconnected their crippled successful manager Kyle Neptune's 2nd crippled since helium replaced retired Hall of Famer Jay Wright. Villanova made lone 1 of 5 3-pointers successful the fractional but closed connected an 11-3 tally and trailed 34-29.
Friday's effect tied the earliest into a play that Villanova has mislaid to an unranked hostile arsenic a ranked team. The Wildcats suffered this aforesaid destiny doubly before, successful the 2nd crippled of the 1994-95 play (lost 85-64 vs. Minnesota) and successful crippled 2 of the 1988-89 play (lost 102-81 vs. Southern Illinois).
The Wildcats played without expected starters Justin Moore (out indefinitely, torn Achilles) and preseason Big East freshman of the twelvemonth Cam Whitmore (right thumb).
None of that mattered arsenic fans ignored the PA pleas and danced and snapped selfies with Hooter aft the last horn.
ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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