Feb 26, 2003

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - David Hawkins and Alex Wesby led five Temple starters in double figures with 17 points each as the Owls handed Massachusetts its worst loss of the season 88-46 Wednesday night.

It was the fourth straight win and eighth in the last 10 games for Temple (11-13, 8-5 Atlantic 10), which got 14 points from Maurice Collins, 11 from Brian Polk and 10 from Keith Butler. Butler also added 12 rebounds.

Temple closed the first half on a 21-4 run to take a 42-14 lead at halftime. It was the fewest points and worst field-goal percentage (19.2 percent) in a half for the Minutemen this season.

Jeff Viggiano's 14 points led the Minutemen (11-15, 5-8), whose previous worst loss was by 29 points, 76-47, to Saint Joseph's on Jan. 11. The 42-point margin was the largest in the 50-game history of the series.

The Owls, who ended the first half on a 15-0 run, scored the first six to start the second half for a combined 21-0 run that lasted 8:56, ending on Jackie Rogers' layup 1:53 into the second half.

Temple led by as many as 44 points and Massachusetts never got closer than 30 points in the second half.

Temple used a 14-0 run, helped by six Minutemen turnovers, to take a 21-8 lead with 9:45 left in the first half. After a jumper by Massachusetts' Micah Brand made it 21-10, Temple went on a 21-4 run to close the half.

Massachusetts had 21 turnovers, while Temple had five.

Steve Lappas is now 2-7 against Philadelphia schools, including 0-5 in Philadelphia, since he left Villanova for Massachusetts after nine seasons as Wildcats head coach.

In addition to the 29-point loss to the Hawks, the Minutemen lost 78-57 at La Salle earlier this season.