WATCH: Temple knocks off Houston to upset first AP No. 1 team in 23 years
Temple made a statement to the college basketball world today by knocking off the No. 1 Houston Cougars by a score of 56-55. With their win in the Fertitta Center this afternoon, they also did something their program hadn’t accomplished in 23 seasons.
For the first time since 2000, Temple has defeated the No. 1 team in the land. That one came against Cincinnati and, now, they’ve done it again this time against the Cougars.
The win was even more impressive considering how close the contest was throughout. Neither team led by double-digits or more over the course of the game. However, the Owls hung in there to eventually take a seven-point lead, the largest for either team, with 6:37 to go. Houston made a 7-1 run to finish this slugfest of a game but, in the end, it was too little, too late as Tramon Mark missed a tip off an out-of-bounds play in the final seconds and Temple picked up the upset of the weekend.
This is Houston’s second loss as the nation’s top team with both coming at home. Now, it clears the path for likely either Purdue or Alabama to be the new No. 1 come the release of the next AP Poll on Monday.
LOOK: Hansbrough congratulates Bacot on breaking UNC career rebound record
On Saturday evening, North Carolina superstar Armando Bacot continued to put himself in even more rarified air in Tar Heel basketball history. Bacot put together a monster performance against the N.C. State Wolfpack, pouring in 23 points and corralling 18 rebounds in carrying his team to an 80-69 victory. Not only did he become North Carolina’s all-time leader in double-doubles with 61, but he broke Tyler Hansbrough’s program record for career rebounds. Bacot now has 1,220 rebounds in his prolific career for the ‘Heels. On Saturday night, Hansbrough not only congratulated Bacot on the floor after he broke the record, but he sent him a message of congratulations on social media.
Check it out below.