Temple Basketball: Owls find ‘Boardwalk Magic’ in return to Atlantic City

Temple Basketball has gotten off to a strong start this season. How did the Owls manage to stay hit with a win over Davidson in Atlantic City?

Temple basketball is plenty familiar with Atlantic City. The Atlantic 10 played their conference tournament at renowned Boardwalk Hall from 2007 to 2012 and it was there where Temple won its last three conference tournaments, which came consecutively from 2008-2010. Temple, the closest major program to the resort town, returned to the World’s Playground on Dec. 15 looking to expand on its best start since 2012-13, taking on a Davidson team sitting at 8-1.

Since Temple established Boardwalk Hall as its home away from home a decade ago, both Atlantic City and Owls basketball have been on serious downward trajectories. Atlantic City has seen casinos close, jobs leave, and its status as a destination for major sporting and entertainment events diminish. Temple has similarly been knocked off its dominant perch, failing to qualify for an NCAA Tournament berth in four of the last six seasons.

But neither Atlantic City nor Temple were content with their previous glories; both are working on big plans for returning to the top. AC has fought through the Great Recession and the legalization of casino gambling in surrounding states to reopen two of its closed casinos and has managed to attract big-time college basketball, including the Boardwalk Classic and the 2020-2022 MAAC tournaments.

Temple hasn’t waited until the start of the Aaron McKie era to turn their fortunes as they are off to a hot start and eyeing a return to the Tournament in Dunphy’s final season on North Broad. Returning to Boardwalk Hall for the first time in six years, Temple found some of that old Boardwalk Magic in the walls of the almost 90-year-old building that blessed them so many times during their three-peat at the Jersey Shore all those years ago.

The Owls got out to one of the slow starts that have marred the group so far in non-conference play, trailing Davidson by 8 at the half. The Wildcats kept the Temple-predominant crowd out of the game early by exploiting Temple’s weak perimeter defense. But the Owls were back on the Boardwalk; Steph Curry couldn’t have helped his alma mater avoid the fate that awaited them.

There was nothing magical about Temple outscoring their opponent in the second half, something they’ve done in just about every game this season. There was no magic in the overtime heroes being Shizz Alston and Quinton Rose, or in the fans that had to travel only an hour from Philly being a factor late.

But JP Moorman and Nate Pierre-Louis hitting their only 3-point shots to tie the game within the minute and a half mark of regulation? Rose’s corner three banking in with Temple down six with a minute and eighteen seconds left in overtime? His steal and dunk to give Temple a two-point lead with three seconds left in overtime, Temple ending the game on an 8-0 run after a couple of free throws looked to seal the win for Davidson with 90 seconds left? What else would you call it?