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No. 21 Temple outlasts Rhode Island in OT

Jan 10, 2010 - 10:47 PM KINGSTON, R.I.(AP) -- Juan Fernandez and Ryan Brooks hit the big 3-pointers for Temple in overtime after Brooks had taken a bad one.

Fernandez scored 18 points, including 3-pointers in overtime that gave the 21st-ranked Owls the lead for good and provided a cushion in a 68-64 victory over Rhode Island on Sunday that snapped the Rams' eight-game winning streak.

Brooks, who had 16 points hit a 3 just 10 seconds before Fernandez, who came averaging 13.1 points, gave the Owls (13-3, 2-0 Atlantic-10) the lead for good 1t 62-61 with 1:47 left. Fernandez's third 3 in as many attempts made it 65-61 with 28 seconds to go.

"Brooks' 3 from the corner was huge after he had taken a poor one from the top of the corner earlier. Fernandez's 3 at the end was extraordinary," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said. "We did a lot of good things today out there defensively. They shot 37 percent which helped us, we made some big shots at big times."

Lavoy Allen added 16 points and 12 rebounds for Temple, which improved to 6-1 on the road for the season.

"This is a really good road win for us," Dunphy said. "They've got good talent, good coaching and everything you need to be a successful top team in this league. They shot great free throws all year, in fact they are way better than we are."

Delroy James had a season-high 23 points for the Rams (12-2, 0-1), who finished 12 of 26 from the free throw line after entering the game shooting 76.3 percent at the line.

"There was no question that it was disappointing," Rams coach Jim Baron said of his club's lackluster effort at the free throw line. "We did a great job with keeping it tight over time, even getting it into overtime with the poor (free throw) shooting."

Rhode Island's Keith Cothran made two free throws with 5.1 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 56.

Cothran, Rhode Island's leading scorer with a 16.5 average, was 6 of 17 from the field and grabbed six rebounds but he was 6 of 11 from the line and he said it all pointed to a lack of focus among his teammates.

"It was just a lack of concentration today," he said. "Once we got into overtime we tried to go from there."

James scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting in the first half and the Rams scored 15 points off 10 Temple turnovers in taking a 33-30 lead.

The Owls, who were 8 of 10 at the free throw line, finished 6 of 15 from 3-point range while the Rams were 4 of 17 from beyond the arc.

"If you want to be a good team, you have to make your shots," Baron said. "In a game like this where it's going back and fourth (12 ties) they stepped up and made them."

Rhode Island entered the game averaging 79.1 points and was coming off a season-low for points in a 63-59 victory over Oklahoma State on Jan. 2.