Temple Game Grades

Story posted March 14, 2018 in CommRadio, Sports by Joe Murphy

Penn State used a 19-9 fourth quarter to knock off Temple 63-57 after trailing for more than 30 minutes in the game. Here are the game grades for the first round of the NIT.

Backcourt: B-

Tony Carr entered the game as the Big Ten’s leading scorer at 19.9 points per game, but he struggled mightily against the Owls. He went 1-12 from the floor and failed to attempt a free throw during the game. Carr was forcing the issue throughout the night, but he could not score and turned the ball over three times.

Shep Garner only made two 3-pointers on the night, but they monumental in beating Temple. The first one tied the game at 54, while the second one essentially put the game out of reach for the Owls. If he does not make those 3-pointers, Penn State loses at home.

Josh Reaves was the go-to guy for the Nittany Lions as he went for 19 points and 11 rebounds. He went 7-10 from the floor and carried Penn State on the offensive end for most of the game. His 1-5 shooting from the free throw line makes it hard for the grade to be higher than a B.

Frontcourt: B-

John Harrar got the start for the Nittany Lions with Mike Watkins missing another game due to injury. He only played 10 minutes and only went 1-3 from the floor, but his three offensive rebounds show his activity level in the paint.

Lamar Stevens was dominant on the defensive end with a pair of blocks in the final two minutes to seal the win. His offensive game was not as good as he finished with 10 points but only made one field goal. Poor shooting from the floor holds back the frontcourt from getting a better grade.

Bench: A

Throughout the season, Penn State has struggled to get consistent scoring from bench players. Julian Moore and Nazeer Bostick made sure that would not happen as the pair combined to score 22 points on 6-7 shooting from the floor.

Moore used his size at 6’10” to alter shots at the rim and made the most of his time at the charity stripe, going a perfect 6-6 from the line. Bostick made all four of his shots from the floor, which was needed with Carr struggling from the floor.

The play of Moore and Bostick made it possible for Penn State to overcome a strong defensive game plan by Temple and their performance earns a high grade.

Coaching: B+

Head coach Patrick Chambers saw his team struggle on the offensive end throughout the first half as Penn State only scored 24 points. His adjustments in between quarters were good, considering the fact the college game does not normally use quarters.

Chambers has prided himself as a defensive coach and his job of clamping down in the fourth quarter was an example of that. The Nittany Lions did not allow Temple to get comfortable in an important stretch of the game. For a coach that had not coached in an NIT game, Chambers did a good job of preparing his players to pull out a victory.

 

Joseph Esquivel-Murphy is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism and Spanish. To contact him, email jje5139@psu.edu.