Jordan Mason's double-double, Gavin Griffiths' second-half shooting lead Temple past UTSA, 76-57

PHILADELPHIA – Gavin Griffiths is often a measured man of few words. 

So when it came time to explain why he was able to get going in the second half of Temple’s 76-57 win over UTSA Saturday at the Liacouras Center, the junior wing guard kept things straightforward in describing how he was able to score a game-high 23 points, with 17 coming in the second half. 

“I was getting really good looks in the first half,” Griffiths said, “so I just thought in the locker room (at halftime), keep shooting, especially if I keep getting the good looks.”

He did. 

After shooting just 2-for-10 overall and 1-of-7 from three-point range in the first half, Griffiths hit 6 of his 9 second-half shots, including 5-for-7 from three. His 23 points were two off his career-high of 25 that he scored in just his second college game two seasons ago at Rutgers. Just as important were the 6-foot-7 Griffiths’ career-high seven blocked shots as Temple improved to 10-5 overall and 2-0 in American Conference play. 

Yes, Temple got its sixth straight win over a struggling USTA team that fell to 4-10 and has now lost seven straight, but the Owls cruised to their 19-point win without leading scorer Derrian Ford, who got hurt Tuesday when he collided with Charlotte center Anton Bonke without about three minutes to play. 

Ford, an Arkansas State transfer who is averaging a team-best 17.7 points per game, watched the game Saturday from the Owls’ bench. Temple head coach Adam Fisher said his senior guard has not practiced and would continue to be evaluated as Wednesday’s home game against East Carolina approaches. 

“Day by day with the (concussion) protocol,” Fisher said. “He’s feeling great. Obviously he was on the bench today. Whatever [Temple’s doctors] tell us, we just take it day by day and see how he feels. We’d love to have him back. But if he’s not ready to go, there’s a big gap after it (a week off for the Owls between the ECU game and their Jan. 14 road game at Memphis), but we’re going to do whatever (is needed.) His health is our number one priority, and our trainers and doctors know that.”

Beyond Griffith’s hot second-half shooting and shot blocking, Fisher got contributions from around the roster in Ford’s absence, including more stellar play from senior point guard Jordan Mason. Except for a pair of uncharacteristic second-half turnovers, Mason continued to play like one of the top guards in the conference, posting a double-double of 15 points and a career-high 12 assists to go with five rebounds and four steals. 

Mason’s assist total was the best by a Temple player since former NBA first-round pick Mardy Collins had 12 against Maryland back on Jan. 28, 2006. 

“And, quite frankly, probably should have had 16 or 17 tonight, to be honest,” Fisher said. 

Although Temple still has 16 regular season games ahead, Fisher was asked if he could step back to appreciate just how good Mason has been for the Owls since transferring in from UIC last spring. 

“He’s been great,” Fisher said of Mason, who is averaging 11.8 points per game and is now near the top of the American at 5.4 assists per game after Saturday. “This team is just so enjoyable to be around. He comes from an amazing family. His dad coaches and trains guys, so he’s got that IQ. I think you build trust with each other, and I think when everybody got here in June, it was like, let’s figure each other out. They figure me out, they figure their teammates out. Now you do some team building, get to July and August, and he’s really stepped up as our leader. Derrian is the vocal leader. Jordan’s the lead-by-example guy.”

Mason, who shot 5-for-10 from the floor and made all five of his free throws, credited his teammates for his career-best assist total. 

“I mean, it’s great, but I just feel like it’s super easy with the guys I have around me,” Mason said. “Gavin’s an elite shooter, Aiden Tobiason, Cam (Wallace), all these guys are really good shooters, and so it just opens the floor and it makes it easy to get assists.”

With Ford out, Fisher started Masiah Gilyard, and the Manhattan transfer made good on his reputation of being one of the better rebounding guards in the country by grabbing a team-high eight boards, including four on the offensive glass, to go with nine points. And in the frontcourt, sophomore forward Babatunde Durodola showed a few more flashes that might indicate he’s starting to regain the form he had last season as a promising freshman. 

Durodola added 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting to go with four rebounds and two assists. He has been coming off the bench for the last six games, dating back to the Dec. 9 win over Georgian Court, and Fisher believes the move has benefitted Durodola, who reclassified to the 2025 class last August just weeks before the start of the semester. 

“I think he’s had some really good games the last few games for us,” Fisher said of Durodola, “and I think sometimes, just a little change of scenery helps you and let you calm down a little bit, lets you see some things.”

Despite its poor early shooting, Temple never trailed Saturday. After starting 0-for-8 from three, Griffiths and Gilyard hit from beyond the arc to give the Owls a 20-16 lead with 7:50 left in the first half. Temple assisted on six of their eight baskets to that point, with Mason dishing out four of those assists.

The Owls led by as many as 14 at 32-18 with 5:18 left in the first half after a three-point play from Durodola and would have been comfortably ahead at the break had it knocked down even just a few more of its open looks, but UTSA closed the first half on a modest 12-7 run. Mason was terrific in the first half, shooting 4-for-5 from the floor to go with five assists, three rebounds and just one turnover in 19 minutes, while Gilyard’s six rebounds and Durodola’s improved play (six points, two assists and two rebounds in 12 first-half minutes) helped cover for 3-for-14 shooting from three and 8-of-14 from the foul line in the first 20 minutes. 

Temple led by as many as 17 on two occasions in the second half before UTSA guard Austin Nunez (team-high 12 points) closed the gap to 11 on a layup to make it a 66-55 game with 4:50 to go before the Owls closed out the game on a 10-2 run. Temple shot a modest 40.6% (26-of-64) and just 33.3% (9-for-27) from three but compensated for it by outrebounding UTSA 44-35 and by 20-12 on the offensive glass. 

The Roadrunners, like the Owls, have been shorthanded this season. They were hoping to have the help of Vasean Allette as an impactful offseason addition, but the former Old Dominion guard who averaged 11.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists at TCU last season, was initially listed as injured and has since been announced as out for the season on the American Conference’s injury report. 

Speaking of missing offseason additions, Temple continued to play without Charleston transfer AJ Smith, who has missed the last seven games with a shoulder injury. Fisher again said that Smith remained home with his family to get a second opinion on his injury from a doctor in North Carolina. 

“It’s a challenging one because (of) the timing of trying to get a doctor’s appointment back home with Christmas and New Year’s,” Fisher said of Smith, who had been averaging 7.8 points per game and shooting 49% from the floor. “His family knows what our doctors have. They have a family doctor out there that they want to still see. Again you’re trying to see, can you rehab it? Or is it going to be season-ending? That’s the two options. So out of respect for him, I just want him to confirm with his family whatever it is, and then as soon as I know, we’ll let you guys know.”

Postgame audio

Listen to Saturday’s postgame interview with Adam Fisher, Gavin Griffiths and Jordan Mason here. 

Up next

Temple will host East Carolina Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the Liacouras Center, with the game set to be streamed on ESPN+. The Pirates, who sit at 5-9 overall after losing their conference opener to Tulane on New Year’s Eve, are led by former Temple guard Jordan Riley, who’s leading the conference in scoring at 20.8 points per game in his second season with the Pirates. ECU has added a midyear transfer in former Division II honorable mention All-American Demetri Gardner from Augusta University. Gardner, who averaged 23.2 points per game last season, has been able to practice with the Pirates since Dec. 27 and went scoreless in nine minutes in his season debut against Tulane.