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AAC Basketball: Semi Ojeleye dominates in beat down of Temple

By Andrew Nostvick

Feb 9, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Temple Owls forward Obi Enechionyia (0) drives against Southern Methodist Mustangs forward Semi Ojeleye (33) during the first half at Liacouras Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Temple Owls forward Obi Enechionyia (0) drives against Southern Methodist Mustangs forward Semi Ojeleye (33) during the first half at Liacouras Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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SMU hangs on to win their 11th AAC basketball game on Thursday night against Temple.

The SMU Mustangs got over a few of their struggles Thursday night to secure a 66-50 victory over the Temple Owls in Philadelphia.

Related Story: Temple knocks off Memphis to get second AAC win

SMU had a big scoring night out of Semi Ojeleye, who scored a career-best 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double. Ojeleye was the only SMU player to make a three-pointer. He went 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Temple tried to chip away at the lead in the second half, but with Ojeleye leading the charge, they never got the opportunity to re-take the lead. Meanwhile, Shizz Alston had 13 points to lead the Owls. Quinton Rose scored 12 for Temple.

With the win, SMU has one team on its mind and that would be the first place Cincinnati Bearcats. Both teams have occupied the top two spots in the AAC for close to a month.

Cincinnati, ranked 11th, is fresh off a win Wednesday night against Central Florida. The Bearcats keep piling up the victories, winning 15 in a row.

SMU has a win streak of its own, having won seven straight. The Mustangs have not lost a game since their Jan. 12 match-up at Cincinnati.

The Mustangs will need a strong game out of their star player Ojeleye. In the first game, Ojeleye scored just 12 points. The fact is, no one else in the AAC comes close to the level of play that Cincinnati and SMU are playing at. Memphis and Houston, both 8-4 in conference play, are the next closest to the top in the AAC.

A win for SMU will put them in a first-place tie in the conference. However, a win for Cincinnati gives the Bearcats a two-game lead over the Mustangs.

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The last thing SMU needs is a loss on Sunday. Both teams do have Memphis, Houston, and Tulsa still on the schedule. However, with limited time remaining, a two-game cushion could be enough for the Bearcats to win the regular season conference title.