Boxscore

Photo courtesy of Mark Campbell

NEWARK, Del. -- Temple University guard Ryan Brooks scored a career-high 23 points and the Owls used a big first half run to take control early as Temple handed the Blue Hens a 76-56 loss Saturday afternoon at the Bob Carpenter Center in the season opener for both teams.

Lavoy Allen, an Atlantic 10 Preseason First Team All-Conference selection, grabbed a game-high 15 points and added nine points for the Owls, while Juan Fernandez scored 14 points and dished out five assists as Temple won its second consecutive season opener.

Junior guard Jawan Carter (at right), who was named Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Honorable Mention, scored 17 points and handed out three assists for the Blue Hens, while junior Alphonso Dawson had nine points and junior D.J. Boney contributed eight. Sophomore Hakim McCullar, a Rhode Island transfer appearing in his first game as a Blue Hen, chipped in seven points and five rebounds while redshirt freshman Kelvin McNeil added six points in his first collegiate game.

The Blue Hens, who dropped their fourth consecutive season opener, opened the game with five consecutive points on a layup by Dawson and a three-pointer by Carter, but Temple used a 30-5 run over the next 11 and a half minutes to go up 20 points.

The Owls scored nine straight points to take the lead for good, and after a jumper by McCullar made it a 13-9 game at the 13-minute mark, the Owls reeled off a 15-0 run to go up 28-9 with 8:50 left in the half.

The Blue Hens twice cut the lead to 17, the second time at 31-14 with five minutes to play following a free throw by Jamelle Hagins. However Temple used a 9-2 spurt to increase the margin to 24 before McNeil closed the first half scoring with a three-pointer at the buzzer to make it a 40-19 game at the break.

Delaware pulled to within 18 points twice early in the second half, the second time at 50-32 on a layup by Carter with 14:33 to play, but the Owls responded with an 11-3 run to go up 63-37. Temple took its largest lead of the contest when two free throws by Juan Guzman made it 74-45 with 2:46 to play before the Blue Hens closed the game with an 11-2 spurt.

“It was a difficult opener for us,” Delaware fourth-year head coach Monté Ross said. “Temple is an experienced basketball team, and Fran Dunphy has done an excellent job. We had some opportunities early that we didn’t capitalize on, and that allowed them to extend their lead. We need to use this experience to learn and become a better basketball team. We are a work in progress, and we will get better as the year goes on.”

Temple, which won the 16th straight meeting between the two schools, shot 50 percent from the field and was 22 of 27 from the free throw line, while the Owls held a 39-31 rebounding advantage. Delaware was limited to just 33.3 percent shooting, including a 6 of 20 performance from three-point range.

The Blue Hens remain home on Wednesday to host Bucknell at 7 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center.