The Owls didn’t just win this game because they made just about everything they threw up. Yes, they went 11-for-22 from the arc, and Juan Fernandez scored a career-high 33 points and was an impossible 7-for-9 from distance, but Temple also played great defense, especially in the second half, especially after it fell behind by 14 late in the first half. Remember the game ‘Nova’s Taylor King had just three days earlier against Saint Joe’s? Yeah, well, he didn’t even attempt a shot after halftime Sunday — and that might be the biggest stat of all to come out of this one. More after the jump.

Ryan Brooks said afterward that the Owls knew they had to take better shots after halftime than they did in the first half. That said, it was crucial that Temple went on that 10-2 run in the final four minutes of the half to get within 37-31 at the break. Then, Brooks said, Temple’s shot selection improved, which, in turn, helped its defense improve because ‘Nova wasn’t getting into transition. Then again, as Owls coach Fran Dunphy pointed out, the shot selection always looks better when every shot you take seems to goes in: The Owls were 16-for-25 (64 percent) after the break, including 7-for-11 on 3s. For the game, Fernandez did most of the damage, but Brooks was 7-for-12 from the field, and he netted 20 points. Then there’s Lavoy Allen, who had his third double-double of the season (10 points, 17 rebounds).

But what Temple did especially well defensively was to have its guards switch on the perimeter. ‘Nova made 48.1 percent of its shots (13-for-27) in the first half, but just 37.9 (11-for-29) after halftime, including just 2-for-12 from the arc. As good as ‘Nova is, both offensively and defensively, it has clearly struggled on the defensive end in the second half against Saint Joe’s (48.1 percent after the half) and Temple. It’s something the ‘Cats will have to fix. Also, it’s natural to expect Villanova not to rebound so well, given its guard-heavy lineup, but Temple had a 34-25 edge on the glass, which is another concern.

Then again, that’s what these city games can be, what makes them so special. ‘Nova coach Jay Wright, a Bucks County native whose admiration for the Big 5 is unquestioned, was asked after the game if he’d rather not play them, or at least not play them all, as part of ‘Nova’s non-conference slate. He replied that if the ‘Cats weren’t playing the city schools, they’d probably be playing some national power anyway. These games are a test, and they’re supposed to be hard — even though ‘Nova has been so dominant against the city for the last several years. What the Owls did was restore some semblance of balance to the Big 5, and just in time.

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